I’m a furry

I’ve been involved in the furry fandom for over half of my life.

During that time I’ve had the privilege to be involved with several community projects, many of which gave me invaluable experience in programming, community management, event management, and more. It was these projects that padded my CV when first looking for work and, I believe, were instrumental in getting me to where I am today.

Many members of the community hide their involvement for fear of discrimination. The fandom has been the subject of many exploitative and unflattering depictions in the media, which they feel has coloured public perceptions of what the fandom is about.

Change is on the horizon, however. More furries than ever are being public about their identities and their roles in professional life. Just in the last few years we’ve had Coronavirus vaccine researchers, the guy who invented the heartbeat sensor in your smartwatch, literal astronauts, trending entertainers, popular musicians, professional esports players and, of course, tech workers all be open about their furry proclivities. That is a list I am honoured to be associated with, not ashamed!

Just like other aspects of who I am, I see no reason to hide this stuff away and being visible about it encourages others to be too, which is no bad thing.

My main fursona: Ash

My main fursona is named Ash. Ash is a former human who was mutated into a fictional alien-hybrid species named amphimorpho, after being bitten by one. More information about Ash is available on her reference sheet.

In August 2023 I wrote about how Ash came to exist and become my fursona.

A quadrupedal mammal-like creature with a very long body and tail, long rabbit-like ears, cat-like legs and paws, and a mess of hair covering one eye. It's coloured a mix of black and white, except for neon green inner ears, paw pads and hair highlights, along with a gooey green tail tip. It's bounding forward on all four legs, yapping excitedly. — Artwork by TuxedoDragon.

My other fursona: Emy

My other fursona is a Honduran white bat named Emy who, appropriately enough, is a robot.

I’ve written about Emy before and why she was my face on the internet. She has since become secondary to Ash, but is still used in many places I frequent online (including on this website!)

A warmly lit room. The sun is setting outside of the window. Emy, a white, green and black, anthropomorphic robot bat, sits at a workbench. One wing has been detached and is laying in parts on the bench, whilst it uses the other to repair the parts of the disassembled wing. — Artwork by Integration.

I am not my fursonas

Some people assume that because I identify as a robot, and Emy is a robot, that I identify as Emy specifically.

This is not the case. I have a different perception of myself as a robot that is separate from and unrelated to Emy, barring some shared aesthetics (because, unsurprisingly, those are aesthetics that I like).

My fursonas are representations of me as an individual, but they are not specifically me.