In what will almost definitely be the most heartwarming story today involving displaced children and a subculture of people who dress up as anthropomorphic animal characters, sometimes but not always for the purpose of sexual gratification, a group of Syrian refugees settling in Canada were coincidentally placed in the same hotel as the 2016 “VancouFur” furries convention. The chance encounter between the two factions could have gone one of many ways, especially considering the healthy dose of culture shock the Syrians were no doubt experiencing after being transported halfway across the world.
But incredibly, something magical happened.
One furry attending the convention, Chris Jantz, described the scene to the New York Daily News as the bus full of refugees pulled up to the hotel and emptied out into the lobby.
Jantz, who himself was not dressed up, said that despite the initial wariness of their parents, the children among the refugees were immediately drawn to the gang of oversized kittens, foxes and dogs. About 171 “fursuiters” attended the event.
“They saw people in giant animal costumes. To the children they were just cartoons from stuff like Yo Gabba Gabba!, etc., and they wanted to say hi,” he said. “I don’t think they had any concept of the furry fandom.”
Jantz thinks he has the key to why the two groups got along so well, saying that the anthropormorphic community is just looking for a place to feel safe, “and that’s what the Syrian refugees were seeking so it lined up perfectly.” It’s okay if you’ve got something in your eye, we won’t tell anyone.
(Via New York Daily News)