Free speech, Fursonas movie, and all the controversy in the media – NEWSDUMP (3-22-16)

by Patch O'Furr

Headlines, links and little stories to make your tail wag.  Tips: patch.ofurr@gmail.com. 

Free speech victory led by Vermont Furs.

Fursuiters were banned from costuming on the street, and it was unfair.  Burlington VT had an antiquated anti-mask law to regulate groups like the KKK.  In the 1960’s, the officials who made the law could never imagine the future-people hobby of fursuiting.  Imagine a fursuit parade colliding with the hooded creeps.  It would be like matter meeting antimatter, with an explosion of rainbows and a fallout of fluff for miles around.  To update the law to better serve it’s spirit, members of the Vermont Furs went in front of the city council, and got the law changed. Now it only bans hiding behind masks to commit crime.  Hugging isn’t a crime yet, so thanks guys for setting a great example nationwide.  Fursonas are free expression!

There’s video here, and from Vermont Public Radio:

Last year, two men were detained by Burlington Police for violating the ordinance by wearing masks to a political rally. The detention was controversial, and the head of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Vermont chapter questioned the constitutionality of the mask ban.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said that incident, paired with pushback from a community of “furries” – people who like to dress up as furry, caricaturized animals – led the city to reexamine its mask ordinance.

The co-moderator of Vermont Furs got the media to call furries “a collection of artists, writers, animators, actors, and our passion is all things cartoon animals.”  (Notice what they don’t call it.)   On Furaffinity, Zander Stealthpaw noticed that the furs helped much more than their own small group:

You guys help contribute to a very good cause, and I’m sure Vermont Comic Con would be just as ecstatic over this change.

“Fursonas” documentary movie gets a national tour, a pile of press, and spirited discussion.

Fursonas has a big feature article here, and the movie director (Dominic, AKA Video the Wolf) told me he was waiting for the movie to catch notice like that.  It sure did!  It’s another one of those Furry Media Events that used to happen very rarely, until 2016 became The Year of Furry.

Thanks to Cassidy on Flayrah for noticing and sharing a response article.  “A movie about real furries should be shared with the entire fandom…”

This week, Dominic arrived in California for one of the movie’s limited tour showings.  (See upcoming shows if you’re in Chicago or at Furry Weekend Atlanta.)

Dominic wrote to me with “a crazy idea”… a detour to the SF Bay Area to share it with a few of the Bay Area Furries.  It was supposed to just be a day trip for a living room show, but something more ambitious came together with a few short days notice.

Dominic took a 13 hour bus ride, got hosted to nap for a few hours, and then we took over a San Francisco neighborhood art space and packed it with 40 furries to see the movie.  The fun continued in fursuits on the other side of the neighborhood with a Burning Man party until dawn.  Then Dominic caught a bus back to L.A. for his “real” show.  That’s dedication to spend so much effort on the road with barely a break!

The reception in San Francisco was tremendous. The venue loved the turnout and invited furries back for more events. Audience comments were divided among those critical of censorship, and some understanding about PR concern.

It was reported that posts announcing the show to the PA-Furry  events calendar were taken down as “spam”.  (Not everything was deleted – here’s good discussion about Fursonas on the site.) The movie is critical of Uncle Kage’s role as dominant “furry spokesperson” while excluding “undesirables” like Boomer The Dog.

Boomer brings a sweet presence to the movie that has gotten positive remarks from many (non-furry) reviewers. He reminds me of a beloved figure of San Francisco history – Norton I, Emperor of the United States.  Norton wasn’t mocked for living the title.  They issued money in his name (and honored it when he spent it at local establishments), and named many landmarks after him.

I support Boomer to be what he wants to be- a real dog.  While Zootopia brings a corporate spectre hovering around the edges of what we love, I think he brings good spirit. In other words, Keep Furry Weird. Give the movie a chance before you make up your mind.

“No sex in suits and other facts about Furries.”

The previous topic is celebration, but this is defensiveness.  It involves Debra Soh, a sex researcher who wrote a nice short piece for Dogpatch Press a while ago.  The Toronto Sun has a short report about her research that seems totally unnecessary.  Let her share interesting stories, but the title seems like an answer to an unfairly loaded question (like “did you stop beating your wife yet?”)  A suitable answer is “it’s none of your business what others do in bed, unless you’re into that.” If you do want to yiff, try partial suiting. Taking off the head breaks the magic, but if you get in a furry’s pants, that’s where magic comes from.

“In Defense of Furries.” Defensiveness about Zootopia on Gizmodo.

Furry on @midnight. (Tip: Torrle.) Mockery about zootopia porn, from Monday, March 7.

OffBeatr closes. A great piece on Flayrah explained how the adult-crowdfunding startup site was surprised about a furry porn explosion that fueled their growth, becoming their favorite kind of project. Furstarter reported the closure of the site – and now this rare member of the handful of the world’s “furry journalist” sites seems to be gone, too.

Furry Fiesta slideshow. Dallas Observer: “Anthropomorphic enthusiasts came out to the Interconentinal Hotel for the Texas Furry Fiesta on Saturday, 3/12/16.”

Keenora Fluffball in Spanish TV interview. Keenora is famous for video stunts like skydiving in fursuit.  Cuatro is a Spanish media channel that interviewed him.  It’s spanish-language unless you try Google Translate, but with some very nice street fursuit clips.

BioHazard needs apartment. The greymuzzle artist was a pioneer of sorts – likely the first (and only) to have furry porn as art on PBS way back in the 90’s.  Exchanging Fluids on PBS: Your eyes will bug out at this WTF furry video from 1992!  He is in financial trouble and has an appeal for apartment help here.

Blackpelt’s fursuit stolen.  Keep an eye out. Victim of a San Francisco car break-in, like Zarafa’s recently, which had a happy (news worthy) ending.

The Vietnamese Mariachi Furry Drag Show Goth Club.

10338885_1003913126313814_2244032856399625448_nFurry friend Francis has a fond story about Club Apparition in San Jose CA, who invited fursuiters in for free during Further Confusion 2016.

“The weirdest goth club i’ve been to. Its a vietnamese, mariachi, club with weekly drag shows, and often those things go on while the goth club is happening. and there are just regular working class folk. Its such a trip. The decor is half tropical, but with like mariachi paintings and buddhas. Fake palm trees with christmas lights. Its actually a really good death rock / trad goth club, they play deep cuts and obscure song, better than most goth clubs. and not just goths, but general weirdos. I think a few backyard wrestlers and people who do side shows, hang out there. But the mixed up decor and clientele is great. Between goth songs, you’ll hear the mariachi music from upstairs. Its like a mash up. Guys in cowboy hats will come down and dance to VNV Nation’s “Standing”. Its beautiful.

What other goth club has a goth furry night? This started cause a friend of mine is a furry and a goth and when there was a furry con in San Jose, he asked if there was a goth club. I suggested Club Apparition. They got in free that night if they were in costume. The year later it became a goth furry night.”

‘Kei Fox: ‘Zootopia’ gives the furries warm fuzzy feelings’. Examiner.com does better than other media about saying why people are furry. 

What Zootopia 2 Should Be About, According To The Cast. A short article on Cinemablend.

Zootopia directors talk (gasp) romance between Nick and Judy!

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AMAZING FURRY NEWS COMING SOON – You Won’t Believe How The Media Lied In #7!

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