6.3 Furry Identification

Female-identifying artists are more likely to have been artists before they were furries (60%); in contrast, male-identifying artists are far less likely to have been artists before they were furries (20%). This suggests that female artists are more likely to be artists who were inspired by, or found their way into the furry fandom, whereas male artists are more likely to be furries who were inspired to become artists, though future research is needed to test these hypotheses. It’s worth noting, however, that among artists who self-identify as furries, they do not differ significantly from furries with regard to how strongly they identify with the fandom or with their personal furry fanship (see section 9.4, Fandom vs. Fanship, for more on the fandom/fanship distinction.)¹

1. Furry Fiesta 2014 and Longitudinal Study Wave 2