cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/2733818
I know that therians are not furries but I’m looking for any input I can get.
I’ve read through some of the top posts for r/therian. I have a vague understanding of otherkin in general but hadn’t heard of therians in particular. If my kid said they were a furry, I’d be well within my comfort zone. I fuck with furries. But this seems like people who feel they are trans-species and talk about having species dysphoria. I just don’t know what to make of it but I’m also trying to not overreact or let my snap judgements alienate my kid. I assume they feel like they’ve just had to come out to me, which is something I’ve gone out of my way to not make necessary in terms of gender and sexuality stuff. Just didn’t see this coming.
If the worst thing that happens is they enjoy making animal noises and spend more time out in nature, I’m super down. If they start experiencing alienation from their own identity because of this, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
Hey - I haven't posted on this webbed site in years but this post motivated me to crawl out of my lurk-cave.
I am not a Therian, but I am certainly an adjacent thing - I tend to just use the term 'transspecies' instead of therian because my particular form of species dysphoria has nothing to do with being an animal. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask me them, even if they seem insensitive or something.
In contrast to the other commentator, I will say that there are a surprising amount of 'based weirdo adults' who are into this - it definitely is the kind of thing that is a phase for some folks, I won't deny that, but for just as many it's not. And I do have to wonder how many of those for whom it ended up being a phase only left such identification behind because it's broadly socially viewed as completely non-serious and mocked by.. basically every demographic.
Regarding your worries of your child 'beginning to experience alienation from their own identity because of this', while I do not know your child's personal situation obviously, from my personal experience I would suggest that if they have come to identify as a Therian at all - some degree of alienation from their own identity probably already exists.
That's how it was for me - I have always felt alienated from the concept of 'humanity' and of being a 'human', and coming upon the idea of being transspecies made that make sense, it provided an explanation, a label, a piece of identity in and of itself. If anything, it helped with the alienation, in the same way that realizing that I could be transgender helped with the dysphoria I had around that - it gave it a name, a reason, and once it had that, I could begin to process it and figure out how to really deal with it instead of just feeling ambiently Wrong and Alien for no clear reason.
For concrete advice, above anything else I would be supportive, but you seem to already understand that. As I said - if you have any specific questions of your own, feel free to ask - I would not mind answering at all.