11.3 Disability in the Fandom

As the above figure below indicates, ¹
furries with disabilities used their fursonas for different functions, with some functions being more frequently adopted than others. In particular, the most popular fursona function for furries with disabilities was as a means of forgetting one’s condition, while hiding one’s condition when interacting with others was the second most popular function. Follow-up analyses revealed that furries were more likely to use their fursona to hide their disability during interactions if they had low self-esteem or if they experienced significant depression or anxiety. This suggests that the use of one’s fursona to interact with others might seem more feasible when one is experiencing significant distress or dissatisfaction with themselves. In contrast, the use of one’s fursona to temporarily forget about their condition was unrelated to their psychological well-being.

1. Furry Fiesta 2015