“It’s not like we’re saying sex doesn’t happen—when you get adults in a hotel somewhere, stuff’s going to happen,” says Matt Berger, media relations lead for Midwest FurFest. “But sex is definitely not something that’s predominant, especially in public spaces.” He’s shrugging off a persistent misconception that all furries are sexual fetishists who enjoy cavorting about in animal costumes.
While a vast majority of individuals consume anthropomorphic-related content at some point in their lives (think: Mickey Mouse, Zootopia, Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Rocket Raccoon), furries exhibit a focused, lifelong interest in this world.
“The dance competition is about showmanship: Can you get the crowd interested? How complex are your dance moves?” Berger says. “The judges look at things like how well your moves relate [to the audience] and impart emotions. It’s definitely an amazing thing to watch someone do a full body flip wearing a giant animal costume.”
12/5-12/8: Thu 3 PM-11 PM, Fri-Sat 9 AM-midnight, Sun 9 AM-8 PM, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., furfest.org, $70.
