The furry fandom is a subculture defined by an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters. Members of the fandom, known as furries, often identify with their own personalized characters known as fursonas, and may wear fursuits, engaging with fellow furries on the internet and at furry conventions. Art, literature, digital media, and music all play a part in the furry fandom's identity and interests. Though much of the furry fandom's history and studies on the community have centered on the United States, furry communities exist worldwide.
Terms for the fandom originated in the 1980s, though portrayal of anthropomorphic animals had existed previously in culture and literature. Socialization between members of the furry fandom grew through the development of the Internet, particularly through websites and services such as FurryMUCK, DeviantArt, Fur Affinity, and Telegram. The first furry conventions started through the efforts of artists and anthropomorphic animal fans at science fiction conventions in the 1970s, at which time highly anthropomorphized characters were known mainly as funny animals. Furry conventions have since grown to host thousands of attendees, have varying economic impact on their host cities, and are often associated with charities. In the 2020s, furries became strongly associated with the information technology industry.
Furries have been derided extensively by media outlets and online communities, becoming the target of physical threats and political attacks. While some furries engage in the subculture primarily through sexual activities, many portrayals of furries' sexuality are characterized as exaggerated and associated with a negative perception. Stigma against furries has led to individuals hiding their furry identity from friends, family, or coworkers. The furry fandom is largely male-dominated, but a significant portion of the fandom identifies as transgender, outside the gender binary, or both. Some members of the community identify as partially non-human; those who identify this way are more often associated with the therian subculture or otherkin, which may not necessarily overlap with the furry fandom.
