I like the concept of "furries" a lot, and I don't mind being a geek. But I'm finding the young, weird furries quite taxing. They keep wearing leashes--not shiny leather, but nylon things from the pet stores. And there's a strong insistence on tails. I'm sort of okay with that, but I don't at all like the combination of tail, stupid collar, and various gothy accessories, particularly--here's the important part--worn by someone who can't pull it off. It just sets the wrong tone. It changes things from "Here's a bunch of geeks of dubious morality and sexual orientation" to "Here's a bunch of IN YOUR FACE!!! geeks of dubious morality and sexual orientation, and maybe they look for friday night dates at PetCo."
So I'm thinking that maybe we need a new word for sane furries. How about "Professional Urban Furries"? or "Puffies" for short.
It's awkward. I don't want people not to express their inner labrador, but "taste" and "decorum" are important words in a public setting.
