Furries in Portugal
What is a Furry?
A furry is an anthropomorphic animal, i.e. one that has human characteristics.
Today's cartoons are a good example of this type of character, mixing animal characteristics such as appearance, fur and tails, with human characteristics such as the ability to speak, hands with thumbs, among others.
The concept of anthropomorphic animals is not a recent phenomenon. In ancient Egypt, the gods Anubis and Horus were represented with a human body and an animal head.
Nowadays, being furry means being part of the community furry, which is a group of people who are fans of anthropomorphic characters.
The phenomenon furry is relatively new, and exists mainly due to the Internet, which has allowed the community to expand rapidly. It is largely made up of graphic artists, musicians and actors, as well as fans who appreciate the work developed and the works of art.
It's an extremely creative community, centred around the creation of art and a love of nature and animals.
What is the purpose of Furries?
In a word: Fun!
How do Furries participate in the community?
Many furries create their own character with which they identify within the community. The creation of this character has no limits in terms of creativity. Many furries like to create characters based on their favourite animal or animals.
A fursona Each one is the equivalent of an identity card within the community, used for identification at meetings, conventions and even on art-sharing sites.
What activities do you take part in?
There are various types of events where furries can take part, such as local meetings and conventions.
In Portugal, despite the small size of the group, we manage to hold regular meetings in Porto and Lisbon, depending on everyone's availability.
Abroad, mostly in the centre of Europe and the United States, the community's presence furry There are dozens of conventions dedicated to the community that last several days and can have thousands of visitors from all over the world. furries and the public. Similar to Comic Con or even Iberanime, these conventions are a meeting and sharing centre for artists and the community.
What are "facts" for?
The facts that some furries wear during events are called fursuitsand represent their anthropomorphic character. They can be complete, covering the whole body, or partial, usually consisting of gloves, head and tail.
In most cases, they are extremely expensive suits, so care is required when touching or stroking the fur. Interactions are always welcome, hugs and photographs, as long as you have the consent of the person wearing it.
The furries contribute to anything?
Yes! furries contribute to social causes, charities, promoting many activities with the aim of raising funds for these causes.
Within the conventions, artists publicise their work, which allows them to have direct contact with their fans, who in turn buy their works of art. Many of these artists live exclusively from their work in the community.
What's more, the big conventions are home to thousands of furries and visitors every year, which helps the local economy (hotels, restaurants).
