Any other otherkin?

[Strawberry Swirl]

...Wow, that title could have been worded better for sure. My mistake. :|
Also, just a side note, yeah maybe it's weird to you to meet somebody that doesn't
identify as human but please don't come here to troll or call people names or anything of the sort. I want this to be a safe
space for otherkin and our allies.

But anyway, I'm quite curious- are there any otherkin besides me on these forums? I've met furries, for sure(not
related to otherkin so please don't equate the two), but I don't believe any kin. If I did, I haven't realized it.

I think I may the only one. I'm bearkin(fictionkin, actually, but I can't be specific due to ratings) and a BLU Scout.
My kintype is very anthro- I've never felt like a feral creature but I do like to be called a good girl and be patted on the head sometimes. =u=
But that's just me. I like being referred to as a bear but you can call me a person too and it wouldn't bug me.

Are any of you kin? Do you have kintypes that are horses or maybe even ponies? :O

[Rainfeather]

Interesting! I had to look up what it meant

Wiki was little bit unclear; do otherkin's actually believe they are not human or like furries like to live as an otherkin now and then. What's the difference between a bearkin or a furrie who dresses up as a bear?

And what does 'antrho' mean?

Thanks

[Strawberry Swirl]

Wiki was little bit unclear; do otherkin's actually believe they are not human

Well, yeah. I haven't heard of any kin that believe that they are physically nonhuman(and I'm not going to try to imply they don't exist because I genuinely don't
know if that's the case)but mentally and/or spiritually yes. Or you can be like me and just really want to be your kintype, and feel like being born
human was a mistake of some sort. :P

like furries like to live as an otherkin now and then

Furries don't "like to live as an otherkin." Actually, most furries hate otherkin for similar reasons the rest of the Internet does.
I think the only difference is that when a furry says that they hate otherkin, one of the reasons is for sure going to be "they make us look bad!"
...Even though the two are completely different and unrelated to each other...

What's the difference between a bearkin or a furry who dresses up as a bear?

A furry believes that they are completely human and like to play pretend. Otherkin identify as nonhuman.

And what does 'antrho' mean?

Anthropomorphic.

[Rainfeather]

Sorry I didn't mean furries wanted to be otherkin,
I meant for furries it's a dress up thing, So I meant: Is is a dress up thing for otherkin too

I'm not an otherkin, but if I was I definately would be a cat. Or a lobster. An Atya gabonensis, wich is technically a shrimp. That would be so awesome. I would have a hard shell to protect me from harm, chilling in warm water gathering some food. Just having the simple life. yeah.

[Strawberry Swirl]

I meant for furries it's a dress up thing, So I meant: Is is a dress up thing for otherkin too

Well, most furries don't actually own fursuits. But I don't know if dressing up is very popular in the kin community?
We tend to keep to ourselves. /u\

I'm not an otherkin, but if I was I definately would be a cat. Or a lobster. An Atya gabonensis, wich is technically a shrimp.

I'm friends with somebody who is catkin(tortoiseshell), but I've never met a lobster or shrimp before. :O

[Zapper]

Sorry for being so ignorant, but what is a fictionkin?

[Strawberry Swirl]

Sorry for being so ignorant, but what is a fictionkin?

You're not ignorant, it's fine. :O

Fictionkin are kin that identify as something that doesn't exist. It doesn't necessarily have to be something like a Pokemon
or creature like that, something as recognizable as a unicorn or dragon are considered fictionkin.

[Zapper]

Interesting. But if you know it's just fiction, why identify with it like that? Isn't this just like Furries? Furries often identify as a certain animal because they think they share traits or because it's their favorite. Aren't otherkin people who *feel* they are something else or have been something else in a past life? So how do the fictional characters factor in?
It's hard to wrap my head around this.

[Tiffymh1fan]

Sorry for being so ignorant, but what is a fictionkin?

You're not ignorant, it's fine. :O

Fictionkin are kin that identify as something that doesn't exist. It doesn't necessarily have to be something like a Pokemon
or creature like that, something as recognizable as a unicorn or dragon are considered fictionkin.

Thanks for clearing this up, Ive learned something new today  I was really confused at first.

[Strawberry Swirl]

Interesting. But if you know it's just fiction, why identify with it like that?

It's not a choice for most kin. It just happens.

Isn't this just like Furries?

No. Again, please don't equate the two because they're completely different and most furries hate kin. (I mean, most of the Internet
does anyway but yeah....it's hard to be both at the same time lol)

Furries don't believe they are animals. It's a game for them. Otherkin is much more serious, and way less squeaky. :P

Aren't otherkin people who *feel* they are something else or have been something else in a past life? So how do the fictional characters factor in?

Some people just identify with fictional species, too. It certainly doesn't seem to be as common as kin who
identify as existing species (at least in my experience) but we do exist.

[Zapper]

Interesting. But if you know it's just fiction, why identify with it like that?

It's not a choice for most kin. It just happens.

But if you are one of those otherkin who feel phantom limbs or believe in past lives, how do you explain to yourself that the creature you lived as is just imagination?

Isn't this just like Furries?

No. Again, please don't equate the two because they're completely different and most furries hate kin. (I mean, most of the Internet
does anyway but yeah....it's hard to be both at the same time lol)

Furries don't believe they are animals. It's a game for them. Otherkin is much more serious, and way less squeaky.

Then what's more serious about it? I have met some Furries in my time who took being a Furry super serious. If one of their friends changed species they called them a fake.

I have worked for Furries as an artist for years. I have met many different people who told me lots of different stuff and many Furries sounded like otherkin to me. So, since this thread exists and you seem to be up for it, why not explain a little more? Is otherkin just a feeling? Because I know a bunch of relaxation techniques that could make me feel like a deer or a unicorn, but at the same time I would be able to say: "that's not real".

[Strawberry Swirl]

Then what's more serious about it? I have met some Furries in my time who took being a Furry super serious. If one of their friends changed species they called them a fake.

Furries don't actually identify as nonhuman. Sure, we've got fursonas and stuff but at the end of the day, they still feel 100% human.
Hmm...that doesn't sound like a good friend to me. Geez. I know somebody who has changed fursonas like, 5 times and he hasn't
gotten that sort of response thankfully.

But if you are one of those otherkin who feel phantom limbs or believe in past lives, how do you explain to yourself that the creature you lived as is just imagination?

We're trying to get others to stop using the term "phantom limbs" cuz it's appropriation to Native Americans.

I don't have those experiences or believe in past lives, so I can't really answer this question. sorry. :'(

I have worked for Furries as an artist for years. I have met many different people who told me lots of different stuff and many Furries sounded like otherkin to me. So, since this thread exists and you seem to be up for it, why not explain a little more? Is otherkin just a feeling? Because I know a bunch of relaxation techniques that could make me feel like a deer or a unicorn, but at the same time I would be able to say: "that's not real".

It's an identity. For us, it's very real and a part of who we are.

I think the best advice or explanation I can give is to try and avoid assuming somebody is kin, especially in furry circles where people like
to jump to the whole "they're making us look bad!" spiel. When in doubt, it's always alright to ask. :>

Heck I like it when people ask because it gives me a chance to gush a little. =u=

[Zapper]

Mhhh, no offense, but I fear I don't get it. If your identity is a unicorn (general 'you') and you know that unicorns are not real, then how can it be a real identity and not just a favorite animal?
If a Furry says they are a unicorn they often identify with it. They will tell me stuff about being shy or mysterious because that's what they see in a unicorn. This is something I can understand. But feeling that you are not fully human or not human at all sounds to me like an uncomfortable state of mind. How can an animal (Homo sapiens sapiens) have the identity of another animal or fake animal? :/
If you identify as a unicorn (still going with this example because I like unicorns), how can you know how being a unicorn is like? Isn't it more like a wish to patch up parts of yourself with something different because you don't feel complete? That's a psychological issue.

You see why I called myself ignorant. If you tell me you want to be referred to as a bear I'd find it kinda odd but I'd roll with it. But I would think it's just something you identify with, not something you actually are.

You see, I have troubles with the concept because so far you basically just told me that it is a thing and that it exists, but to me it sounds a lot like self-hypnosis. Not that there is anything wrong with it, if I envision a cheetah before sprinting I'm actually always a bit faster. I respect that it's real to you because you feel it, but to me it sounds like a combination of many things that include chanelling/self-hypnosis and a desire to find balance by identifying with a guardian creature.

I hope this didn't come off as snobby.

[BlackCurtains]

We're trying to get others to stop using the term "phantom limbs" cuz it's appropriation to Native Americans.

I'm not sure I see that connection since phantom limb syndrome is an actual medical thing but whatever. It's also appropriation of transgender individuals. In fact, the timing of this thread makes me wonder if you were recently on another forum.

[MikeysGrrrl]

I would really like to understand what "otherkin" is, I honestly had never heard that term prior to today, I don't know much about "furries" either, but based on what the previous posters are saying, I can see how they seem similar. Since Wiki doesn't explain it well, I would definitely like to hear more from you, no judgement or anything, I'm always open to learning and understanding things