I don’t know about you, but I’m stoked for Anthrocon this year!

What’s Anthrocon? From the experts: Anthrocon is the world’s largest convention for those fascinated with anthropomorphics, which are humanlike animal characters, the like of which have fascinated mankind since the dawn of human imagination. We are a collection of artists, animators, writers, costumers, puppeteers, and just everyday fans who enjoy cartoon animals and their kin. Membership is open to any and all who like to imagine what it would be like if animals could walk and talk as we do. And, no, you do not have to wear a costume to attend!

This year’s Anthrocon theme is “Movie Monsters”. The convention starts July 5 and goes through July 8th. The weekend will be full of dance parties, gaming, raves, a parade, discussions, a dance competition, workshops, and…did we mention games? SO MANY GAMES!

I’ve attended Anthrocon since 2013 and am ever in awe of the creativity and artistic talent, purely joyous and playful encounters, and the safe inclusive nonjudgmental atmosphere. Plus, the rave is a wicked good time.

Just like the queer community, the furry fandom faces stereotypes, misunderstanding, and a general lack of compassionate understanding around the culture. We met up with a few folks at the intersection of queer and furry to see what they’re up to during Anthrocon weekend. We got some profiles, some details about their weekend shenanigans, and some etiquette tips for the non-fur folks.

Meet the fandom!

Manik Nux

Species: American Shorthair Tabby cat with glasses
From: Pittsburgh in Millvale!
Anthrocon attendee since: 2008
Orientation: Demiromantic/pansexual
Gender Identity: Cis-male
Character Personality: “He tends to be a reflection of me, with what I believe to be my positives amplified and my negatives, mitigated a bit. Hopefully we come off as friendly and kind but also rather dorky and eccentric.”

QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Nux: This year I’ll hopefully be bringing down my father and my Model T to drive around in fursuit and to drive other fursuiters (people who dress in full-body animal costumes) around!

QueerPGH: Do you get into any fun Pittsburgh stuff outside of the convention?
Nux: My friend Whitek and I run the Pittsburgh furry bowling meet down in Mt. Lebanon every month.  I’m also heavily involved in Western PA Furry Weekend (WPAFW) which is held in October in North Park!  I run registration and act as treasurer.  We’ve done a lot for charities over the years.

QueerPGH: Where do go grub while you’re in town?
Nux: Oh, goodness…so many places.  But during AC I tend to get over to Nicky’s Thai Kitchen, down to Industry Public House, place in Market Square and sometimes others!

QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Nux: Just ask to hug or get a photo.  Not only is it polite, we may not be able to see you as easily as you think we do and just catching us off guard might startle us.

QueerPGH: What would you say to a first-time attendee?
Nux: Try not to make too many plans, be willing to chill out in the lobby and other common areas, and frankly, try to take as much of it in as you can.  It’s hard…my first year wasn’t too exciting, and sometimes it takes a bit to feel immersed.

Muttie (Tobi)

Species: Alaskan Malamute and Sergal hybrid
From: Buffalo, NY – “No not New York City or anything exciting, just Western New York which is the best place to get hot wings in the states.”
AC attendee since: First time attendee!
Orientation: Pansexual “just like myself, he just likes what he likes”
Character Personality: “Muttie is a very mischievous character, pulling pranks and causing light hearted trouble seems to be his favorite pastime.”

QueerPGH: Where can you be most often found during Anthrocon?
Tobi: The majority of my time at Anthro will be spent goofing off with fellow fursuiters, chugging down water, and having a nonstop fun time.

QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Tobi: Probably the dance competition. I’m going to participating this year and I hope to at least stand out among my fellow contestants.

QueerPGH: Do you get into any fun Pittsburgh stuff outside of the convention?
Tobi: Well I do enjoy their hockey team quite a bit, nothing beats sitting at home and watching a good game.

QueerPGH: Where do go grub while you’re in town?
Tobi: Mainly Chick-fil-A because we don’t have it where I’m from and it’s far too good not to enjoy at least once while I’m there. It’ll be a nice treat.

QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Tobi: When interacting with fursuiters, please don’t try to actively destroy their suits. They cost quite a bit of money and can be very difficult to repair, let alone replace.

QueerPGH: What would you say to a first-time attendee?
Tobi: As a first-time attendee myself I would say to enjoy yourself and drink tons of water, not to mention enjoy the lovely city as well!

Komos (Joe)

Human me is a guy named Joe Strike, whose fursona is an anthro ‘gator named Comus, but suits as a very cool, sinister Komodo dragon with glowing hypnotic eyes named Komos.

From: New York City
AC attendee since: Save for 1 or 2, been to every Anthrocon since the first one in Albany NY (Before that, hanging out with other furs at the mainstream Philcon sci-fi convention in Philadelphia, from whence Anthrocon sprang forth.)
Orientation: bi; Komos’s: very straight, a real ladies’ lizard
Personality: Me? friendly easy-going, world-class wise guy. (Komos is my id unleashed. Watch out for him!)

QueerPGH: ‪Where can you be most often found during Anthrocon?
Joe: All over the freaking place. If there’s one drawback to Anthrocon, it sprawls throughout the Lawrence, on several floors of the Westin and just about every hotel downtown.

‪QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Joe: I’ve written Furry Nation, a history of furry fandom that I’ll be previewing Sunday morning at the Lawrence. (The book will be released in October by Cleis Press.) Most people don’t realize furry fandom began in the mid-1980s and was originally a group of dedicated “funny animal” cartoonists and cartoon fans. Furry simply exploded when word started spreading via the internet and thousands of people all over the world who thought no one else could possibly love or identify with anthropomorphic animals as much as they did discovered no, thousands of other people felt the same way.

When I started writing the book I didn’t realize it would evolve into my own story as much as the fandom’s: how a fur with a crush on me worked up the courage to text me “How are you, you sexy gator?” and turn me from a “mostly straight” (my response to him) into someone in a very deep, loving and romantic relationship with another man. I never saw it coming.

Second to that is marching in the fursuit parade as Komos. It is such a thrill to become him and let fly all my cynicism and repressed arrogance. A lot of people seem very taken with him and more than a few want to be dommed by him; it’s that “bad boy” thing—they just can’t help themselves.

QueerPGH: ‪Where do you grub while you’re in town?
Joe: Furnando’s of course; August Henry’s on Penn Ave for a nice dinner, the Subway store just down the street for a quick lunch, Pizza Parma at the corner of Penn and Teller (sorry I couldn’t resist), Penn and Ninth, Primanti Brothers in Market Square (they do not put french fries inside the burgers in NYC)…and on Sunday night my friends and I walk down Smithfield Street & over the bridge to Station Square & watch the sunset while we enjoy a farewell dinner at Bar Louie.

‪QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Joe: Fursuiters love to ham it up and show off for non-furs; if you come by the Westin with your camera you won’t be disappointed. Etiquette? Don’t be a jerk; that about covers it.

‪QueerPGH: What would you say to a first-time attendee?
Joe: With 7,000+ attendees Anthrocon can definitely be overwhelming; try to stick close to your buds or link up with some like-minded folks to enjoy the con with. Attend some of the smaller sessions & panels in the Westin meeting rooms where you can meet other furs who share your interests in a quieter setting. Also, there’s no shortage of hotel room parties people post flyers for, so that’s another great way to meet people.

Dell (Bertie)

Species: White Angora ferret
From: “I’m originally from Illinois, but I’ve lived in Bethel Park for about 13 years and recently moved closer to town.”
AC attendee since: Fifth Anthrocon!
Gender Identity: Genderfluid, genderflux trans man, and I use he/him or they/them pronouns
Orientation: Homoflexible
Personality: “Enthusiastic and unapologetically weird. Anybody who knows me would likely tell you that few conversation topics are off-limits with me. I especially enjoy frank discussions about sex and sexuality, including safety and kink. Except for when I’m working, I’m usually up for an adventure! Relative to my actual self, Dell is a little more timid, but he has his life together a lot more.”

QueerPGH: Where can you be most often found during Anthrocon?
Bertie: Ever since my second Anthrocon, I’ve spent most of it in Artists’ Alley. This year, however, I’m foregoing that in favor of just enjoying the con! I’ll probably spend a lot of time in the Zoo (hangout area) this year, hanging out with friends, but I do plan on going to some panels as well.

QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Bertie: I’m going to be hanging out with friends from out of town, out of state, and out of country! A few of these friends are ones I’ve never met in person, and I’m very excited and very nervous. Wish me luck!

QueerPGH: Do you get into any fun Pittsburgh stuff outside of the convention?
Bertie: I usually don’t bother, since I already live in the area and I could do fun Pittsburgh stuff any other weekend. I have some friends who are going on some sort of furry cruise thing, though, and I’m excited for them.

QueerPGH: Where do go grub while you’re in town?
Bertie: I’m a big fan of The Sharp Edge, but I often go to Pizza Parma, which is right up the street from the convention center. I’ve also been to Tonic a few times, and that’s always fun! There’s also China Wok, I think? All popular with furries. Many restaurants have furry-based promotions and specials.

QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Bertie: As a general rule, you should never touch anyone without permission, but this goes TRIPLE for fursuiters. Fursuits are expensive, difficult to clean, and may be delicate. Fursuiters also have a very limited range of vision and hearing, so approaching them from the back is not good. Don’t hug or touch a fursuiter if you have stuff on your hands or if you’re wearing makeup that could rub off on them. Even if you’ve been given the go-ahead to hug them, never touch the face of the suit. Even if your hands are clean, the oils can make the fur, fabric, etc., dirty. No bops, no scritches, no belly rubs. Part of the head may be hard and up against their face, so a careless bop without permission could conceivably give the person wearing it a black eye. Scritches damage the material of the suit. The belly of a suit may not correspond to the belly of the wearer, and you could be groping them. Don’t do that. Many people won’t talk while they are fursuiting, and this is normal. Don’t try to get them to break character, it ruins the fun. On that note, while someone is suiting is not the best time for a conversation. The convention has a lot of background noise sometimes, and it’s very difficult to hear and talk in a fursuit. I know most of that was fursuit-based, but basic human decency is also necessary at all times. Don’t stare, and don’t point and laugh. That should go without saying, but it needs saying anyway.

QueerPGH: What would you say to a first-time attendee?
Bertie: Plan out your days. Choose panels that interest you. You’d still have a good time wandering around, but you won’t feel like you’ve done much. My #1 suggestion: Don’t miss the fursuit parade! It’s magical. Just generally enjoy the con, though! Whatever makes you happy and comfortable. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.

Mysteko Nightpaw

Species: Black house cat with purple markings
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
AC attendance: 2012-2014
Gender Identity: Female She/her
Orientation: Bisexual
Personality: She’s very playful and curious, enjoys adventure, but also, like any cat, enjoys napping and being lazy. She doesn’t like drama or conflict and tries to be friends with all.

QueerPGH: Where can you be most often found during anthrocon?
Nightpaw: Floating around, making friends, checking out cuties, and just having fun. The gaming rooms are also often a good bet.

QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Nightpaw: In general, just meeting new people and hanging out with fellow fuzzballs.

QueerPGH: Do you get into any fun Pittsburgh stuff outside of the convention?
Nightpaw:Not usually during Anthrocon, unless its going with friends to eat.

QueerPGH: Where do go grub while you’re in town?
Nightpaw: Furnandos (if its still open) otherwise McDonald’s is cheap and fast.

QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Nightpaw: Don’t hug or pet fursuiters without permission. It’s actually very easy to catch them off guard because the suits have a minimal range of view. Suits are expensive and some suiters don’t like their suits being touched too much.

QueerPGH: What would you say to a first-time attendee?
Nightpaw: Its big. Take a look at the schedule and plan out your day roughly but leave room for variation and try to make a friend who has attended before.

Buck

Species: Whitetail deer
From: Scranton, Nova Scotia
AC attendance: since 2009
Gender Identity: Male
Orientation: Bisexual

QueerPGH: Where can you be most often found during anthrocon?
Buck: I really enjoy going to panels and I like hanging out on the roof and the waterfront.

QueerPGH: What are you most excited for with Anthrocon?
Buck: I’m excited to see some of my good friends I haven’t seen in over a year.

QueerPGH: Do you get into any fun Pittsburgh stuff outside of the convention?
Buck: This year I’ll also be going to Kennywood. It’s one of my favorite amusement Parks!

QueerPGH: Where do you go for grub while you’re in town?
Buck: My favorite place to eat is the Korean BBQ joint that lets you cook your own food on the little table top grills.

QueerPGH: Do you have any etiquette tips for non-fur folk?
Buck: Please ask anyone for permission to take photographs or give hugs. Especially in fursuit. Visibility is super low.

QueerPGH: What would you say to a first time attendee?
Buck: Have fun and don’t be afraid to go to cons ops if you need help.

QueerPGH: What’s the queer community like at Anthrocon?
Buck: It seems really honest and opening. I’ve made some great friends with deep connections. It’s worth giving anything a try.

This article was originally published in June 2017, and has been updated and republished for further sharing of the stories and experiences. 

This article originally appeared on QueerPgh.com. This article is preserved as a part of the Q Archives project. Please consider donating to help preserve Pittsburgh’s Queer history.