With the bad blood that runs between the three...that is kind of why I prefer people to just keep them separate discussion wise. Each one is distinctly different.
Smart choice, though (assuming I am correct) you would be one of the only therians that I have met and had a proper discussion with.. and I tend to keep furries and otherkin as seperate entities, though lately I have come to agree with a close friend of mine, that in a lot of cases it can be argued that the two groups fall under the same umbrella, which is my experience of things.
As for an affinity for animals, I must stop and point out there that just because there are many people out in the fandom that have a shared interest, does not make that shared interest relevant or part of the fandom. I am a gamer. Gaming is not part of the fandom. In that same respect having an affinity for animals is not part of the fandom.
I was only using it as an example, there are a number of elements that furs and otherkin share in common, that in combination with otherkin hanging around sites like this, blur the lines between the two groups and make it very easy from someone from either side, to assume that the two are one of the same, or at the very least related to each other.
I enjoy being around furries sometimes because it can often be easier in my area to find other level headed gamers within it. I enjoy that shared thing. I enjoy being around other furries because at least in my area they tend to have an affinity for animals. However I am completely aware that both things are not really associated with being a furry or part of the fandom. I wish other would be high minded enough to stop assimilated every little thing they like into the fandom. If they did we wouldn't be the fetish dump we are.
Most otherkin I know either strongly avoid the fur fandom outright, or consider themselves just as much a part of it, blurring the lines between the two.
The closest thing each group has in common to each other is a shared use of Anthropomorphic Animals. Therians like Goldenwolf make art that has more to do with spirituality than anything else. I do believe Otherkin will do the same thing, and also engage in a sort of collecting or hoarding thing that so many furries engage in.
I respectfully disagree, otherkin dont share the use of Anthropomorphic animals with furries, in general, otherkin always portray their animal past-lives as I do, purely feral. Anthro, is a purely furry thing, but I wouldnt know if it bleeds into therianism much as I am neither a therian, nor do I know any or the group with any level of detail to say such. However otherkin artists like Silvermoon and Athus, draw as an expression of their spirituality, and they tend to put a bit of their soul into their art, and they have traits that tend to align with their animal counterparts. The best way I can put it, is that otherkin are like a blend of their animal and human sides, and express both.. which is probably why some confuse otherkin with Therians.
The very sites you don't frequent are the ones who give the Otherkin group as a whole a really really bad name. I keep seeing offshoots from some of these BS sites showing up in another place that I frequent online and it's inane how full of themselves these people are.
I couldnt agree with you more *cough* DR *cough* though not all the otherkin sites are as bad and I can name a few decent ones.
I can understand why you can be anti-fur, because at some points I can be that way too. I would ask of you to understand at least why I and others have an anti-otherkin thing going on too.
I dont have an anti-fur complex, at least, not anymore. While there are some aspects of the fandom that I do find repugnant for various reasons, I wouldnt consider myself anti-fur. I can understand, and you've explained things better than most others, but I hope you can understand my not wanting to be tarred with the same brush most furs and others tar otherkin with, because I can name many examples of otherkin/dragonkin who are fine examples of how otherkin should behave.
As for judging? Who is judging you? I'm not. I'm just stating my piece. At no point have I thrown out a fallacious blanket statement that "All Otherkin" are this, and several times I have pointed out "In my experience so far", and also pointed out "Not all are like that".
I was merely making a preemptive statement, calling for others not to judge me just because of their bad experiences with other otherkin, because they are not alone I can name a few who I can honestly say are no better than 4 year old children.
Otherkin have the same issue that furries do, it's something I cannot stand, in that just because something is similar does not mean you should auto assimilate it. If it is not part of us, it's not part of us. Diversity is the spice of life people, don't ruin it.
At least we can agree on that.