I personally don’t really care that much, but I guess this is mostly about “living stuff out openly” vs. “keeping your fetish in non-public spaces”.
Yes, there are public mermaid events, but I don’t think those are perceived as less weird.
Being a furry is not common. What’s not common is treated as strange and potentionally harmful.
Being a furry is not common
The number of children who identify as a furry in your local grade school would shock you.
Yes, you’re right, preschool and grade school children do identify as animals a lot and they’re often not ashamed to express it, because it’s much more tolerated at that age. It’s viewed as wierd in adults though and it’s much more rare among adult people. Probably partially because it’s a juvenile trait and most people just grow out of that phase , partially because it’s viewed as juvenile (and wierd), so many of those who do not grow out of it are afraid to express it. I find it harmless, so I wish for more tolerance.
Probably because old folks know that mermaids are a myth and don’t identify as mermaids ( although ai think I saw a docuseries about a 30ish year old thinking he was one) Where as furries bleed the line between what might be fetish realm, and what might be some people actually believing/thinking they are a furry animal–which would be considered a delusion.
Somebody saying “I am a mermaid” would be looked at strangely too.
And dressing as a mermaid and going to mermaid convention to fuck other mermaids.
That would be strange. Mermaids don’t fuck each other, they get famously fucked by sailors.
It’s like one of those irregular verbs. I’ve got a cool fantasy, you’re a pervert, he’s in jail, etc.
