Abuse against man in “tiger porn” case shows contempt for rights.

by Patch O'Furr

This story was shared all over the place as comedy news.  It made front page on Reddit, with amused links to r/fursuit.  It made a traffic bump that passed through other links to this site.  You may have already read it, laughed, and moved on.  One guy didn’t, though.

Man cleared of owning ‘extreme porn’ after tiger in sex video revealed to be man in costume.

Police were investigating him for unrelated reasons that didn’t find wrongdoing.  By surprise, they discovered a porn video on his computer that appeared to show a woman having sex with a tiger – an unlikely setup actually done by a person in a tiger costume.  He was sent the video as a prank by friends.

“Ha ha! Prosecutors ruined an innocent man’s life!”

His offense was forgetting to delete it.  The police charged him for breaking a vague, arbitrary law against possessing porn they could call indecent.  He suffered months of prosecution, losing his daughter, a heart attack from stress, violent attacks, “pedo-shaming”, hate, and countless burnt money for legal help to clear his name.  All because the law gave prosecutors the power to stamp on him however they wanted.

They called it a real tiger.  “You could tell straightaway it wasn’t a real tiger“.  It brings to mind the term paper tiger: “something that seems threatening but is ineffectual” – a false threat.

Why did they prosecute?  There’s many reasons why such power abuse happens.  It’s about boosting careers – cooking statistics – and feeding people into the conveyer belt of the system.  And most of all, contempt for rights.

It was more than just a weird mistake.  It reveals a culture of contempt.

Creators of furry fetish party “Wild Things” explain “human sized cat box”.

by Patch O'Furr

Let’s be clear:  Furry is an art and fiction thing, not a sex thing.  It’s always been a sensitive topic.  In the earliest days of organized furry conventions, many felt that they were derailed by advertising in bad places.  Media exploitation and nasty “hit pieces” deepened resentments. Without forgetting this background, sex is a topic that can’t be dismissed.

Adult activity is one optional ingredient in a wide open collection of interests.  Some furries prefer clean activity only.  Some prefer adult.  Many express both interests as part of life, in the right times and places.

Such personal interests don’t represent everyone, but they have value.  Adult activities pushed limits to open new freedoms and rights.  They’ve led advances that built the internet and alternative communities.

In San Francisco, some furry fans recognized a demand for adult-friendly space.  An opportunity was caused by overflowing crowds at night life events, that don’t host adult activities. More opportunity came from an invite to join forces with a venue that does.  The Citadel is a BDSM “dungeon” club, with a supportive community of 1000+ members.  It invites other communities including leather and petplay together for this event.

These sparks grew into the first “Wild Things” party, scheduled for November 8, 2014.

Private parties happen among friends – but as far as I know, there’s never been a bold open-invite event promoted like this.  The San Francisco Bay Area has a huge population of geeks and sex-positive subculture, making it more likely to work here than anywhere else.  It’s caused attention and rumors among furries, bystanders and others.  I reached out to “Wild Things” organizer Catarina to get the real scoop.

Creators of a furry fetish party dare to be “Wild Things” (NSFW content)

by Patch O'Furr

Wild Things:  at San Francisco’s Citadel club – November 8, 2014 (18+)

Artists and dealers are invited to show and sell your wares.
Info: (Ask me – patch.ofurr at gmail.)

I apologize in advance for humping your leg. It’s that exciting to share news about a unique, gutsy, sexy, creative, WTF happening for consenting adult friends. But first, have a soft intro.

Is furry a “sex thing?” It’s the #1 topic that furries love to hate.  Some call it a myth spread by media exploitation.  But the internet is bursting with self-generated erotica.  Reddit’s r/yiff community has more subscribers than r/furry.  The media doesn’t have enough imagination to be that dirty.

Breaking the furry law

by Patch O'Furr

I couldn’t find Furries doing Judas Priest…

Are there laws about this hobby? There’s the cardinal rule of fursuiting: Don’t take the head off in public. “Don’t break the magic!”

The Magic makes eyes go wide- “AHH!! A 6-foot fox person!” (Or, as I answered a comment asking “Why go public suiting?” … There’s the AHH!! reaction on the street, vs. “There goes suiter #732,” at a con where furries just perform to each other. I kid- if you love it too, you know it’s fun.)

At a street fair, without a fursuit lounge, “The Magic” is made to be broken. Crowds swarm at you in killer heat with no privacy anywhere. So you duck into a corner, take off the head, and become the Invisible Man. When the head goes back on, it flips a switch like bringing Frankenstein’s monster to life.

I think I broke some magic this week by raising another scary boogeyman… the PORN topic. More about that in a minute… First, another thought about creating and breaking.

Dr. Tibbals on Furries, sex and sociology

by Patch O'Furr

Interview series:  Artists, animation directors, DJ’s and event organizers, superfans, and more…

Recently, I posted about the first Journal of Porn Studies. The term Gonzo caught my eye in it’s article, Gonzo, trannys, and teens – current trends in US adult content production, distribution, and consumption. I thought it held “potential” to relate to furry art and it’s raw, minimally filtered expression. Article author, Chauntelle Anne Tibbals Ph.D., runs an adult media criticism blog. She was very welcoming for a nice conversation. (I was careful to say that Furry does NOT necessarily have anything to do with adult content.)

Chauntelle Anne Tibbals Ph.D. – Twitter – @drchauntelle
chauntelletibbals.com

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Patch:
I’m curious whether you have come in contact with “the furries” before. Have you, and what way?

CAT:
Haha, of course I have! My work (and life, really) is all about gender and sexualities and sexual expression within the context of wider society, and the furry community is a vibrant part of that entire conversation. I’d be pretty off-mark if I hadn’t…

Patch:
People in this niche hobby are very passionate about it. I call it a hobby, because it’s as likely about art or writing alone, that has nothing to do with kink. That said, having an alter-identity (a “fursona”) is a fun, imaginative fantasy thing. You hear many sensitive stories under “secret identities” – does it inspire any no-name stories you could share?