My family knows I am also a furry, and they don’t care. Some of my friends are very supportive, too.
I imagine many of us are introverts. I sure am. I used to be very nervous wearing my Chip and Dale T-shirt at work, where I’m a mechanical engineer. But I eventually worked up the courage and now I wear Disney shirts all the time, have a Chip and Dale coffee mug, and have a little stuffed wolf on my desk to cheer me up when I get anxious or scared. Nobody ever made fun of me. I got a few compliments, even. They know I’m gay, too, and that went over well as I found some supporters and everyone else treats me just the way they always have. It feels so good to just relax and not hide.
I very much sympathize with the poster here about the “what if people find out” fears. It is scary and in my case, potentially life-threatening. However, my advice is to simply be yourself in all things. The closet, be it rainbow or furry, may offer temporary safety but you lose a lot of joy by staying in it. Start small and work your way up. When I get my wolf tail I’m going to wear it around the house for a while and will wear it to the library where I do my sketches while I wear my Chip and Dale shirt. Sounds like fun 🙂
That being said, I would never judge you if you did choose to stay in the furry closet because I totally get the fear and anxiety. I just want to encourage you to step out of it, if and when you’re ready. Feel free to send me a PM if you’d like.
Engineer by day, artist by night.
