Tag: News

  • Lone Star Fur Con brings gritty and hopeful weirdness to Austin

    Collaborative guest post submitted by Ash and edited by Patch O’Furr. Ash is a bunny, propagandist, and performance artist in Austin, TX. After you read, please vote for the Ursa Major Awards for the best furry creations of last year. Please consider the Fur And Loathing podcast for Nonfiction, featuring investigation by Dogpatch Press.

    Extreme times

    Lone Star Fur Con picked the right place for a furry convention. Austin has always been a haven for the freaks and weirdos of Texas. The timing is a little bit less than ideal, because furries are now in the crosshairs of reactionaries in the state government.

    The convention is at Holiday Inn Midtown, a stone’s throw from the bus station shown in the opening scene of Slacker, the 1991 movie that helped spark the 1990’s independent film movement. Austin has spawned counterculture staples like Eeyore’s Birthday (an annual citywide party for 60 years), the Armadillo World Headquarters, and counterculture-turned-gentrification staples South by Southwest or ACL Fest. Austin has touted its slogan of “Keep Austin Weird” and cashed in on it in equal measure. It has been no stranger to controversy or moral panic about queer issues; Leslie Cochran, a former trans activist and politician, has a day named after him by the city and is considered the personification of “Keep Austin Weird”.

    It’s been 20 years since furries ran their own con in Austin. In 2004, Texas Furry Con launched its first and last event. It was officially sponsored by Shiner Bock Beer, and a target of “infiltration” by the Something Awful forum, achieving mainstream crossover at both the most and least friendly extremes.

    In 2025, we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it; but some people refuse coexistence to the point of official government oppression. Texas senate just introduced the hoax-fueled F.U.R.R.I.E.S. act, “an attack on roleplaying as a form of expression” that is “deeply reminiscent of the Satanic Panic that gripped the nation in the 80s” (Rascal News.) Texas governor Greg Abbott piled on by naming furries in the same breath as trans people, as a pretext to defund public education.

    News from Texas: right after a ridiculous proposal to ban furries from schools, the governor is piling on by citing furries to remove funding from public schools to pay private ones.

    It’s “just politics” until they carve up education to enrich their cronies and deprive the poorest students.

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    — Dogpatch Press (@dogpatch.press) March 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM

    Weeks before the political news, Lone Star Fur Con’s launch was successful and large for a first time con, with over 800 members attending. They raised four thousand dollars for their charity.

    Setting itself apart from other conventions that support animal causes, their charity was Queertopia: a local non profit dedicated to outreach to LGBTQ homeless people. Events organized to fundraise for the con included camp cleanups and packing hygeine supplies, while pumping the funds directly to the most vulnerable. The partnership wasn’t just one-way. One congoer named Cy said Queertopia helped them with vocal training at the con, adding “I think resources like this are very important for this community to have access to in these times.”

    Austin may not ask to be a bellwether, but that’s the effect of being a punching bag for government reactionaries, and mined for fodder by alt-right media trolls. Texas governor Greg Abbott effectively declared open season on its residents with the pardon of Daniel Perry. In 2020, the far-right former Army sergeant ran a red light, drove into a crowd of protesters against police brutality, and immediately shot one, Garrett Foster. Perry was convicted for the murder, and then exposed for a history of violent and racist messages, sexually preying on minors, and owning a FurAffinity account that attracted fellow furry hatemongers to post support for his crime. The politically-motivated pardon was denounced across the country. (Dogpatch Press reports: original story and Daniel Perry tag.)

    Extreme hopes

    Furry groups in Austin have not been insulated from national culture war and political controversy internally. 5 years ago, one of the popular event organizers was outed as a devout neo-nazi, splintering them apart. What does a con mean in such a place?

    Lone Star Fur Con’s chair, Mango, says: “We are hopefully going to bring a spark of community that the rest of the Austin and Central Texas furry community can take to heart and make into a larger, more vibrant flame.”

    This goal prompts the question: how to kindle that spark with two panel rooms, a game room, a dealer’s den, and an artist’s alley? Member DJ Perrito says: “It would have to embrace the diversity and culture of the city, especially the ‘Old Austin’ — making sure it goes beyond the traditional ‘Keeping Austin Weird’ slogan people throw around”.

    Lone Star Fur Con logo: It’s a bat, but it’s Texas! Austin is known for its bat colony.

    Supplementing the trans and BIPOC meet ups are discussions on soda, dissertations on Batman being a furry, bad movies, and pickles. Eccentric, at times rule breaking, and weird from the heart.

    A con means different things to different people. It’s a time to party, to show off, to learn, to meet friends, to relax. All of the above and more. But what does it mean now, when furry is growing and has become a queer boogeyman for reactionary movements? What does it mean to be furry, when the queer civil rights movement is on the defensive? Can we continue to pretend to be apolitical? To be apart from our fellow LGBTQ people?

    There’s been a lot of discussion about the charities that cons support. With some people wanting to support more material organizations and help gain traction with causes in the area. This has reflected a change in furry culture as a whole, from being a niche subculture to a very vocal and vibrant part of the queer community. Organizers who started out in their 20’s as college kids back in the 2000’s now have years, if not decades of experience under their belt. It’s time for them to apply those skills to the mainstream, and to the community at large as well.

    Furry creators who travel internationally to US conventions may want to hear this warning from Comic con. If you travel on a tourist visa and accept any form of compensation, like a hotel room for guest appearance or sketches for cash, you could be detained by ICE. comicon.com/2025/03/18/f…

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    — Dogpatch Press (@dogpatch.press) March 19, 2025 at 8:38 AM

    Consider the cost of doing nothing, when conventions now include a risk of having artists detained by ICE if they cross borders for cons. Congressmen in other states are taking steps to defund colleges if they have furry clubs, and right-wing media is pushing hateful propaganda like the debunked litterbox hoax, while threatening ambushes on camera at our events. You can prepare now or be taken by surprise.

    In a midcentury Holiday Inn in central Texas there was a furry con. Where the queer community banded together for a party, and raised a bunch of money for a homeless charity. The charity helped people in that community, as well. It’s those ties that will make or break us as things unfold. It’s the relationships that we build now that will determine the future of queer movements in America. The furry community can either step into history or have it thrust upon us. An example was made in Austin, Texas. The former freak repository of the state had a glimmer of what the future could be.

    Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon.Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

  • Thaitails Con Book Cover

    Thaitails con book reveals another convention date before announcement.

  • go outside, get a juice

    cactus people voice acting by my friend MALLBAT !!
    this lil video and song was originally made as a submission for TRACK ATTACK by HELLAVISION
    was shper fun to make yippieeeee
    now im gonna drink some juice
    byeee :3

  • 7th Annual Good Furry Awards: Nomination Time

    What Is the Good Furry Award?

    The Good Furry Award is an annual award that debuted in 2019. Furries nominate and select a fellow furry (or furries, you may nominate as many as you wish) whom they wished to recognize for outstanding spirit in the furry community. The awards were hosted on the “Ask Papabear” advice column website until 2024, but they are now being proudly hosted here at Uncle Bear!

    Winners will be announced at this year’s Another Furry Con in Ontario, California, this September!

    Winners will receive a handsome trophy and a cash prize of $200 each!

    There are three category winners each year, plus the Lifetime Achievement Award:

    • The Good Egg Award: This prize is for furries who do charitable and other volunteer work, such as helping out at furcons, raising money for animal charities, or doing work in their non-furry communities. 
    • The Image Award: This prize goes to furries who present a positive image of the fandom through the media, including YouTube videos, documentaries, vlogs, podsts, websites and other similar means of communication.​
    • The Furtastic Award: This prize is basically for furries doing good works that don’t easily fall into the first two categories. A good example of this is Chise, who has done amazing research for the mRNA vaccines. It could also apply to a furry who you believe is just an all-around wonderful, lovely person, even if they might not do charity work or do something in the media. An example might be, for instance, a furry who offered their home to a homeless furry until they could get back on their feet again.

    So now is a good time if you know someone special who deserves recondition now is the time

    For more info and to nominate https://www.unclebearpublishing.com/good-furry-awards.html#/

  • FurcoNZ Camp 2025 (New Zealand)

    Haere mai e te whanau Furry o Aotearoa – FurcoNZ Camp is back for 2025!

    Camp is returning to Forest Lakes, Ōtaki from May 8-11th (Thursday to Sunday)!

    Registration opens 2nd January! Pay on registration or over Jan/Feb.

    Tickets cost from $225 to $440 from our bunkrooms to premium motel-style Villas. You can also add on additional Sponsor or Supersponsor perks during registration!

    For more info https://furconz.org.nz/camp-2025

  • Nominations Now Open for the 2024 Ursa Major Awards 🐾✨

    ## Nominations Now Open for the 2024 Ursa Major Awards!

    The furry community is abuzz with excitement as the nominations for the 2024 Ursa Major Awards are now officially open. This annual celebration of excellence in anthropomorphic literature and arts invites everyone to participate in recognizing the best works of the past year.

    From February 1 to February 28, 2025, fans and creators alike can nominate their favorite works across a diverse range of categories. These include:

    – **Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Novel**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Magazine**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Game**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Website**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Costume (Fursuit)**
    – **Best Anthropomorphic Music**

    To help guide your nominations, the Ursa Major Awards website has compiled the 2024 Recommended Anthropomorphics List (RAL), though nominations are not limited to works listed there. For instance, you might consider nominating a compelling animated short like “Pan De Noche” by Jovince Balanquit, even if it’s not on the RAL[1].

    When nominating a fursuit, make sure to include a link to a high-quality photo taken in 2024, along with details on where the photo was taken and who created the fursuit if that information isn’t already available on the RAL[1].

    The Ursa Major Awards, administered by the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association (ALAA), have been a cornerstone of the furry fandom since their inception in 2001. These awards are designed to honor outstanding achievements in anthropomorphic arts, similar to how the Hugo Awards recognize science fiction excellence[2].

    After the nomination phase closes, a voting phase will follow, likely starting in mid-March. Anyone interested in voting will need to register to receive their ballot number. The winners will be determined by popular vote, reflecting the community’s collective appreciation for the best in furry creativity.

    This is your chance to shine a spotlight on the talented creators and works that have enriched the furry community over the past year. So, don’t hesitate to nominate your favorites and spread the word to fellow furries!

    For more details and to submit your nominations, visit the Ursa Major Awards website. Let’s make this year’s awards a celebration to remember!

    **Source:**
    [Nominate for the Ursa Major Awards 2024](https://dogpatch.press/2025/02/06/nominate-ursa-major-2024/)

    Feel free to share your thoughts and nominations in the comments below 🐾✨

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