Hello!
I am a therian and postfurry. I have been a therian for 7 years and I've watched the community grow drastically. People are thinking therianthropy is a trend and spreading tons of misinformation like "It's a mental illness, you need gear and quadrobics, choose your theriotype, I chose therianthropy." I just can't anymore. I wear my gear practically everywhere because I don't really care for people and their looks anymore. I don't even care about the daily death threats and comments anymore! I care about my poor community falling into a "trend" and absolute chaos. I sometimes wish therianthropy didn't blow up. It was still very underground when I joined--a couple of videos, forums, websites--but now everything's different. IDK if that's me being nonaccepting of these new, young therians who are most likely not an ACTUAL DEEPLY CONNECTED therians, or if it's just me seeing the damage social media has done to this world. I stay up all night sometimes, doing research on different topics, trying to understand them, or trying to find evidence to support a claim that's false. I spend my nights just trying to save at least my community. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of seeing all these new therians posting videos on TikTok about quadrobics and gear. That's not what therianthropy is about. That is a form of expression to the community, yes, but it's not entirely about that. It's just there to make you feel comfortable in your own body. I know this was a lot, but I'm really trying my hardest to see if I'm overreacting and delusional or I'm just confused and trying to do good for these maybe actual problems. Sincerely, Willow (14) * * * Dear Willow: Thank you for your timely letter. For the last couple of years, I, too, have been thinking about this issue. I'm not a therian, but it is interesting to see how a new generation is trying to change the definition of "therian." Since I am posting this on my website, please indulge me while I explain a couple of things that my readers might not know (but you probably do, since you said you have researched this.) What IS a therian? According to Therian-Guide.com, a therian (or therianthrope) is " someone who experiences animalistic traits. There are some therianthropes who identify as something animalistic which may not have existed on earth. Theriomythics (mythical beasts such as dragons) are among these and it is an individual choice if they consider themselves to be therianthropes or otherkin. There are many theories as to why therianthropy is experienced. Some believe their therianthropy to be caused through reincarnation or misplaced souls, while others attribute it to scientific or psychological reasons such as imprinting, an innate predisposition, abnormalities in neurological wiring, or any of a number of various other theories." In truth, the idea of therians and otherkin has been evolving for decades. When I first got into the fandom actively about 15 years ago (I have been a furry all my life, but not always active), "otherkin" was defined purely as someone who identified as some kind of mythological or other-dimensional being--most often beings such as elves and dragons--who either originated in another earthlike dimension or from another planet. Today, the idea of otherkin and therian often blend together, or one term is seen as a subgroup of the other (as in all therians are otherkin but not all otherkin are therians ... OR! All otherkin are therians but not all therians are otherkin). For this reason, a lot of people throw up their hands and say it doesn't really matter what the exact definition is, and then they group otherkin and therians under the umbrella category called alterkin or (less common) alterhumans. Now! For fun! Guess what? Here are a bunch of categories under alterkin! Types of Alterkin: · Angelkin/demonkin: those who identify with angels and demons · Celestials: those who identify as higher space/dimensional beings · Fictionkin: those who identify with fictional characters · Godkin: those who identify with various gods and goddesses (small “g,” not big “G”) · Lycans/Lycanthropes: werewolves · Mythkin: could be a simile for otherkin if you define otherkin in narrow terms · Objectkin: yes, indeed, people who identify with objects; often, this is an inanimate object in the form of a toy such as a doll (think Toy Story, Brave Little Toaster) · Otherkin: those who identify as various mythologicals; or, sometimes, an umbrella term · Plantkin/Phytanthrope: those who identify as a plant species · Spacekin: those who identify with bodies in space (e.g. suns, planets, moons, asteroids) · Therians: those who identify as animals in some form · Werebeasts: associated closely with therians and referring to people who can transform spiritually or sometimes physically into animals (werewolves, werebears, etc.) Whew! To be brief, all of these variations of people who believe they are--in part or in whole--something other than human. This otherness can be emotional or psychological. Now, there are some alterkin--especially lycans--who say they can in some ways physically shift. Usually, this is not a complete transformation like you might see in The Twilight Saga or An American Werewolf in London, but instead a partial transformation. I have had some lycans tell me that their incisors get longer or they grow tails or more hair or pointy ears, that sort of thing. Therians are one of the topics I discuss in The Furry Book: The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the Furry Fandom. In this excerpt, I explain that not only do therians shift but there are different kinds of shifting: "Shifts can occur either on purpose, such as through meditation, lucid dreaming, or some other mental discipline, or involuntarily, such as when certain outside stimuli set off a shift. This can be things such as being surprised or shocked or upset by something, by finding oneself in an environment that inspires animal instincts (e.g., a camping trip in the wilderness or a trip to a zoo or animal sanctuary), or by being among other therians. Also, there is something called a 'vacillant' or 'suntherian,' which are therians who have more subtle shifts, rather than abrupt shifts, between human and nonhuman identities." "Therians might shift into just one kind of animal or they might have multiple animal form possibilities (called polytherians). Some polytherians might shift into just a certain genus of species (cladtherians), such as any type of canid (wolf, dog, fox, coyote, African wild dog, etc.)." "Finally, there are two types of non-shifting therians: simple nonshifters who do not experience any kind of mental, spiritual, or emotional shift but who still feel they have an animal spirit or soul within them, and contherians, who are constantly experience their animal form in one way or another." At this point you may have noticed that in none of the above discussions do I once say that therians galavant around on all fours while wearing tails and ears. This phenomenon is quite recent, originating in Japan and inspired by an athlete named Kenichi Ito, who set a world record by running a 100-meter dash on hands and feet. As with many furry-related things, the influence of Japanese culture on the American fandom in particular is strong, and sometime in the 2000s, quadrobics became popular with young therians. Because it is fascinating to watch, especially when performed by a person wearing ears and tail, the media glomped onto it after various posts on TikTok and YouTube brought the sport to life. Consequently, many younger furries and therians are now enamored by the concept that a therian is someone who partakes in this four-legged practice. Of course, this is incorrect. Quadrobics is not what being therian is about. Or alterkin, for that matter. Although some of the quadropists assert they do identify with animals in some way, I sense that most of them pursue the activity just for fun and to get noticed on social media. As with furries, you have to beware of the gatekeepers. No, you don't need to do quadrobics to be a therian. No, you don't need to wear anything to be a therian. No, you don't even have to pick a single type of alterkin if you don't want to. To be blunt, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, and you don't have to listen to what anyone tells you to do (not even Papabear LOL; just take all my writing here with a grain of salt and do what you feel is right for you.) Willow, I'm going to tell you what I tell many people who write to my column: You are not responsible for your community or what other people think of it or even how they define it. You are too young to get anxiety and heartburn because you are so concerned about how others think of therians. Choose your own path. Let others choose theirs. If others don't like you or say mean things to you because they have created a mould that you refuse to be poured into, then that is their problem, not yours. If a bunch of quadrobists want to call themselves "therians," then even though you and I might disagree with that definition, who cares? They certainly don't. You know in your heart who you really are, and that puts you way ahead of others in this game of life, Willow. Some people don't figure out who they are until they are old and gray. Some people never figure it out. You sound like you got it down, and you're only 14! For you, being a therian is "just there to make you feel comfortable in your own body." And you are correct. That is the definition that is right for you. Good job. You are not "delusional" at all. And you are not confused. Where you have gone wrong is by making this a problem. It is not a problem, and it is especially not your problem. Let others have their fun. Let them be. And, by the same account, don't let others bother you with their drama. Just say, "Hey, this is what I am, and this is what I enjoy. If you can't deal with who I am, not my problem. Have a nice day." Blessed Be, Willow. Hugs, Papabear
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