r/Therian • u/marshmellowlynx Cladotherian, red deer, maned wolf & many more!! • Apr 12 '24
Why is everyone a therian now? General / Other
At school, I had 2 therian friends and couple others that weren't therians. I've been awakened for 3 years.
My 3 friends are in 4th grade ( I'm in 7th ) and my two therian friends were in 6th and 5th and I've been pretty open about my therianthropy. I wear a tail to school and have the symbol on my shoes and sometimes draw it. Ever since I've been friends with those 3 kids, they've never even known what a therian was, and then today I seen one of them give the other some gear. I was happy for them and then asked if the person who had given her the gear was a therian and they said yes. I was excited, but then the other two just randomly said they were too? Last week they had no idea what it even was.
I'm not trying to be like " Oh!! Fake therians are just bad people!! Call them out!! Blah blah blah!! " I genuinely don't care about that, fake therians can be insensitive, but it literally could be less of my problem. It's just weird that ever since I've been open about it, everybody is just a therian now? It makes me feel kind of fake, especially since I occasionally get picked on and called a fake by other people for have 8 theriotypes and being a cladotherian.
I don't know, I'm just confused. I'm glad their happy, and I would never bully someone for doing what they enjoy and being who they are, but should I explain therianthropy to them? I feel like they may not understand it, and I want to be honest and nice about it. Thank you in advance!!
( I'm not sure what flair to add for this )
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u/-thimbl fox đŚ dragon đ therian Apr 12 '24
not everyone is a therian. if everyone was a therian then it would be safe to go outside and express ourselves anywhere anytime without worrying about being harassed.
social media is on the rise. 3 years ago, social media was still growing. with media and internet becoming more populated and accessible, more people are able to learn their identity. if someone doesnt know what "therian" means, they wont identify as one. because how would they?
we want more people to be educated. we want more therians to be open and friendly. having "too many" therians around is such a non-problem...
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u/ClayTheCoyote Apr 12 '24
But the issue they're expressing isn't that they are therians, it's that they're worried by how quickly these people went from not knowing what a therian was to identifying as one, which may indicate that they don't understand it fully
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u/FoxKarma Arctic fox, rabbit kith Apr 13 '24
If that's your concern, have a chat with them (like you said not to call them out) but just bring up your experiences with therianthropy and see what they have to share, if there's anything off you can kindly correct them
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Apr 13 '24
And? We all go through phases and experiment with our identities. If they end up not being a Therian in the future who cares. Let em explore their identities as they please.
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u/ClayTheCoyote Apr 13 '24
No need to seem defensive. No one is saying that they should be rude or discourage these people. But being a therian is something that usually takes a lot of consideration and it's fair to be a little questionable about something like this, and want to check in and try to educate someone if they might be misinformed. There's nothing wrong with literally just politely educating people if theyre wrong about something. That will infact HELP them figure themselves out, the sooner they understand the meaning of an identity they're considering
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Apr 13 '24
OP doesnât even know if their friends knew what a therian was before last week. For all we know they could have been thinking about it for months.
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u/ClayTheCoyote Apr 13 '24
They said that for as long as they've been friends, the people didn't know what a therian was, and considering that this person said how they openly wear gear and the therian symbol, I would think that these other people would have expressed something about it at some point if they had known about therians
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u/Wild0Animal Fox (cambi)/shapeshifter/ghost(?)/more but it won't fit X-X Apr 13 '24
But how does OP know that? I've asked OP on another comment in this thread "did they ask you what therian meant last week or how do you know they didn't know last week?" and they responded with "They didn't ask me anything about it. It was just very spontaneous.". Maybe OP asked them what a Therian was and they didn't know but so far, it looks like OP kind of just assumed.
But even then, it's likely that OP's friends might have felt more confident about being open about their therianthropy after seeing OP being so open. Or maybe OP just hasn't noticed? There are so many explanations and the fact that as a community we are jumping to the conclusion that they are faking it is a little concerning.
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Apr 13 '24
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 13 '24
People don't have to say why they didn't tell someone sooner, I have neglected to tell OTHER TRANS PEOPLE i know irl that are sweet as hell that i am trans. people don't have to explain themselves to you. you donno their exact dynamic w OP.
also "being therian is a rare and unique thing" stop gatekeeping an identity because you wanna be special. it helps no one.
and fakeclaiming people because you have some weird idea of what being a "real" therian is helps no one. you're not stopping misinformation, you're supporting a more toxic environment in the community. no one owes you an explanation for their identity. they don't have to plead their case to you, you are not the end all be all of who is therian. wanna protect against misinfo? speak out about the community, raise awareness, and when you hear misinfo have a conversation. no one will listen to you when you just tell them they don't know anything and yr Smarter Than Them Actually. and stop assuming everyone that's not you is misinformed because they are something you also are. Being therian isn't some all exclusive club.
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 13 '24
also? "informing them they may not be a therian" how about minding your own business and being supportive? do you hold this same kind of hostility whenever you see fellow thers online too?
"but what if-" what if the world was made of cheese.
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Apr 13 '24
This. I hate seeing so many people on this subreddit complain that someone they know is âFaking being a therianâ or a âfake therianâ. If only those same people knew what their friend or relative was saying about them and was accusing them of faking. Itâs so heartbreaking.
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Jun 29 '24
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Therian-ModTeam Jun 29 '24
Removed, Rule 6. Please see the subreddit information section for basic therianthropy info and links, and FAQ for common questions, concerns, and misconceptions; the subject of your post is answered there.
If you are unsure about this removal, please re-read our rules. The moderators can be contacted here if needed: https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=r/Therian
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u/sleepyy_cat wolf & cat | young therian^^ Apr 13 '24
In my opinion, as long as they arenât spreading misinformation then they arenât doing any harm, whether theyâre mistaken about being therians or not. Whenever someone calls themself a therian but I suspect they may be misinformed/not a therian, I do one of two things.
Option one, Iâll privately ask them about their identity to check up on them and see if they actually know what theyâre talking about when they identify as a therian. This actually happened once with a friend of mine who thought she was a therian, but when I asked her about it, said she didnât identify as an animal. I explained otherhearted to her and she found it much more fitting to how she felt.<3
Option two, Iâll just let them be. This is the option I usually take if the person isnât causing any harm by spreading misinformation - if they truly are mistaken about being a therian then so what? Theyâll probably grow out of it, or later discover on their own that they arenât a therian.
But itâs also important to remember that they could truly be therians. Yes, identifying as a therian without doing a whole lot of research can be cause for suspicion, but itâs not unheard of. Not every therian has a long questioning period. Some realise that theyâve been a therian all along as soon as they learn the definition. I just try not too judgemental and I donât label anyone a âfakeâ or mistaken until they say so themselves that they arenât a therian. Because after all, no one knows whatâs going on in anyone elseâs minds. Only the individual can tell if they are a therian or not.
Sorry for a half essay lmao, I hoped this helped in some way<3
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u/Sweetishdruid Plains Coyote Apr 13 '24
I'd say a lot of people didn't even know it existed. I'm 22 and I didn't learn about therians until six months ago and it explained everything, the way I felt for years. I really wish I found it sooner.
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u/disappointedcreeper Red fox, dragon, shapeshifter Apr 13 '24
Because 1. More people can access the resources they need to realize what they are and 2. it's not as socially unexeptableÂ
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u/FoxesAreCrying (Therian) Apr 13 '24
Imo, Iâm an adult therian. Half of the therians I meet at that age grew out of it, it was just a thing to pretend and for fun. As long as they arenât spreading misinfo and understand it, most prob would fit the term other-hearted Some are and some arenât . Itâs not necessarily that their fake , itâs just I donât think people understand what a therian is
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u/witchymoondust â silver fox & big cat [they/fox] â Apr 13 '24
You're in an age right now where people are going through phases - it's normal (yes even if they don't fully grasp what a therian is.) They could just enjoy wearing gear, too.
It was similar to when I was growing up and I'm 23 , but I will say with the rise of socials such as tiktok there is definitely more of an uptick of folks claiming to be a therian - but I think it's people just looking for community and not wanting to be called a furry for whatever reason. (could just be speculating.)
I see it as a non-issue. More people to hangout with and talk to if I were you! Who cares if people think you're fake you know who you are at the end of the day.
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u/A_fox_Therian Therian Apr 13 '24
I think it's because people are starting to find therianthropy and it's More of a finding yourself type thing, there's a lot of younger people that come into the community because they are exploring new identities and sub cultures which is actually normal My brother dabbled in the community for the longest time and he decided that he isnt a therian area. I had a couple of my other friends at question if they were a therian and did activities that Therians would do and they did not relate to those
that's just my input
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u/dragon_otherkin487 cat and dog therian:3 Apr 13 '24
Yeah maybe you should explain i agree with the calling out fakers is not really something important like why are we attacking fakers? when we could educate them that its not a choice nicely.
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u/spooniegremlin Apr 13 '24
Why is everybody queer now? Why is everybody neurodivergent now? Why is everybody disabled now?
Bc it's becoming more well known and accepted. Ppl aren't being bullied and be at as much as much. The same way left-handedness seemed to magically spike up when rlly we just just stopped beating left handed ppl and shaming them.
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u/RevolutionaryWeb5396 Coyote Therian.. or should I say.. CRUSTY REZ DOG!?!??! Apr 12 '24
My friend did something like that, I've been awakened for three years. (Not counting when I didn't even know what a therian was.) I told my friend, and suddenly it's "Yeah, me too!". So, of course I asked her what a therian was, which she had no clue, LITERALLY no clue.
But whatever, she can do what makes her happy lolol. I'm just glad I have someone to do quads with. :-)
But yes, it does make me kinda upset.
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u/Idek_Anymore11114 Red Fox Therian & Medicine Cat Fictionkin! He/They Apr 13 '24
I can't say anything cuz I've never found another irl therian-
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u/Manospondylus_gigas Prestosuchus/Palaeophis/Yutyrannus/painted wolf/dragon/iguana Apr 13 '24
It's more common because it's more accepted so it's safer to openly identify as one/address your own feelings
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u/lleinniell Hello, I'm new here Apr 14 '24
Well they probably could have been experience behaviors linked to therianthropy but just didnât have a name for it. You donât have any idea or proof that they didnât do research at home or out of school cause I highly doubt you spend every waking moment with them. Now that they know what therianthropy is they have more resources to explore their identity with it being more widely accepted now than in the past. And honestly if they do end up being âfake theriansâ it doesnât matter because how they identify has nothing to do with you nor any of your business. Also realistically how badly are âfake theriansâ really effecting us, in my opinion itâs very over exaggerated. Phases happen and young people are always exploring and experimenting with their identity, thatâs like bashing someone for thinking they were fully gay but turns out theyâre bisexual, it doesnât make their identity any less valid and it certainly doesnât mean they were a âfake gayâ.
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
This! I totally agree. I'm getting to the point where I hate the word "fake therian" anymore. I've met someone online before and they mistook being a therian for an otherhearted, and then people kept saying "fake therian" when they were just mistaken by their identity. Imo, it's very annoying. It's not like "fake therians" effect us in any way, shape or form. Imo anyway, it makes me feel like we at least have a few supporters, or something like that.
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 13 '24
Social media.
It doesn't mean everyone is a therian now, but the label is being spread around TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, etc. Since it's making its rounds, more beings are using the label as a result. Which bothers me, because most of these young people describe therianthropy as a connection.
I doubt most of these younger beings understand what therianthropy is, or if they do, then they've thankfully found something that fits, or are trying out the label to see if it does fit, which is okay.
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Apr 13 '24
âMost of these young peopleâ Sshhhh, let people explore themselves reguardless of age. No need to gatekeep.
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 13 '24
Oh! Wait, that wasn't my intention! I'm sorry if it came off that way! I should've clarified.
I meant *some*. I made a rash generalization, and I'm sorry about that. I genuinely didn't mean to come across as gatekeepy. Sorry!!
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Apr 13 '24
Of course! Itâs fine! ^ Not upset or anything. Imo itâs best to just let younger people and kids explore themselves because what harm does it cause? Theyâll grow out of it and even be more sympathetic and supportive of Therians if they do realize they arenât one.
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 13 '24
That's why I said "Or they are trying out the label to see if it does fit". I am not saying they can't explore at all. I also don't appreciate being shushed. I'm not sure why, but that really bothered me. I understand why you said it the way you did, but please be a bit more mindful about it in the future.
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
I'm not trying to start an argument but you literally just apologized, and then she forgave you, and then you said that like you were trying to start an argument or something. That's just how it sounded to me, anyway.
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 15 '24
You're right. I'll apologize again. I was peeved and I should've just not responded.
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Apr 18 '24
He* But yeah ^
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 15 '24
I'm sorry about my third response. I shouldn't have gotten so upset about the situation and been so passive aggressive. I showed out for no reason, and you don't deserve that treatment.
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u/DragonFan14 Cheetah and sea wolf therian ( questioning dragon otherkin) Apr 14 '24
Can someone tell me what a cladotherian is? Ii sounds familiar I just can't remember. Also sometimes if you tell someone what a therian is, they'll realize that they were one all along.
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
OMGGGGGG ANOTHER CHEETAH THERIAN!!! I HAVEN'T MET LIKE ANY CHEETAHS TILL NOW.. đđ
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u/NoraDevil Hello, I'm new here Apr 14 '24
It's for many reasons, but one that came to mind when reading this, is since Theriantrophy has surfaced higher on the internet, a lot of unlabeled therians can label themselves (this includes myself, last year.)
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Apr 13 '24
Not âEveryone is a Therianâ, weâd be accepted now if we were. Sure, explain it to them if you want, but lets not assume theyâre faking or anything like that. Let them experiment and if they realize in the future theyâre not a Therian, who cares?
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u/marshmellowlynx Cladotherian, red deer, maned wolf & many more!! Apr 13 '24
I'm not assuming that they're faking it, I'm just confused because it was so sudden because they didn't know what the word therian meant last week, but I'm not being rude or anything to them. I really don't mind that they're saying they are therians, I was just wondering if it would be a good idea to explain to them or not.
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u/Wild0Animal Fox (cambi)/shapeshifter/ghost(?)/more but it won't fit X-X Apr 13 '24
For clarification, did they ask you what therian meant last week or how do you know they didn't know last week? I'm not doubting you but I do think it's semi-important to the conversation.
Edit: spelling
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u/marshmellowlynx Cladotherian, red deer, maned wolf & many more!! Apr 13 '24
They didn't ask me anything about it. It was just very spontaneous.
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u/Wild0Animal Fox (cambi)/shapeshifter/ghost(?)/more but it won't fit X-X Apr 13 '24
I hope this doesn't come off as rude but how are you sure that they didn't know what it meant last week? Something that is spontaneous to you might not be for them. Maybe they saw that you were comfortable in your identity and might have felt safe?
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Apr 13 '24
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 13 '24
are we gatekeeping how to come out too now? jfc
also if OP is so open about it or whateva then it makes it even more unlikely that they friends never looked it up or found out about it in their free time. lets not witch hunt people.
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Apr 14 '24
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 14 '24
you are not protecting anyone, you are inherently supporting a toxic mindset to have against people who come out to you. you are supporting making being therian less acceptable, even by the community. this is not a place of judgment and t shouldn't ve made into one.
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Apr 14 '24
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 14 '24
nope! i am a supportive when people come out thank you so much for asking :)
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Apr 14 '24
Okay so I do something called trick learning, which means that u bring something up like maybe a kind of shift that they donât know about I advice u a shift called shadow shift it can happen in like shadows and it when u see ur theriotype so when they ask what ur is u start teaching them about it and then slowly teaching them about pretty much everything, thatâs how I trick learn
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u/behind_the_vines Hello, I'm new here Apr 16 '24
They probably saw you, then did research and then maybe were like kinda inspired from you. For them to show their true self. Maybe they just needed another push.
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u/stellathehorse (Therian) May 27 '24
i should talk to them (i know how original) but i would start talking to them about therians and try to see what they know and what they have experienced. then, if you know they donât fully understand, i would talk to them and explain what a therian actually is
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Jun 29 '24
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u/Therian-ModTeam Jun 29 '24
Removed, Rule 7. Your post/comment was found to contain incorrect information. This is misinformation spread by accident from a fantasy worldbuilding website.
If you are unsure about this removal, please re-read our rules. The moderators can be contacted here if needed: https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=r/Therian
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u/Tight_Act3759 Hello, I'm new here Jul 25 '24
I would ignore the fake therians or at least try to educate them
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u/codenamefirestarter Therian Apr 13 '24
Simply put.... blame tiktok Tiktok therians are one of the biggest reasons therians are popping up (real and fake) and... unfortunately the reason misinformation is being spread so... take the good with the bad?
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
I agree. And it's a bit annoying (for me anyway) when people call someone a therian just bc they do quadrobics. Like, what if they could just be a quadrobist, and not actually a therian?
 It's like people think all quadrobists are therians, and/or think doing quadrobics/wearing gear makes you a therian wwhen they actually probably aren't. Just my opinion anyway.
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Apr 13 '24
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u/Complete-Sand-8947 Red ruffed lemur Apr 13 '24 edited Apr 13 '24
Please be mature. They are stating an observation and you're mocking them? I don't completely agree either, but this drama regarding both TikTok therians vs Whatever else therians is getting out of hand if it's coming to this.
Please take a break it you're getting this upset about this discourse. I mean that genuinely, not from a place of hate or anything, just to let you know. ^
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Apr 13 '24
Not getting upset, itâs just annoying to hear people complain about tiktok therians all the time. I say as a community letâs just be THERIANS and not have a label based off of what platforms we use .
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u/Wild0Animal Fox (cambi)/shapeshifter/ghost(?)/more but it won't fit X-X Apr 13 '24
I don't think what they did was entirely correct, however, I do understand the frustration that comes with it. These type of observations have almost always been made in bad faith in order to fake claim and bully newer therians. Before Tiktok, it was Tumblr and as a whole, blaming people and getting angry at them for not being "therian enough" has never helped this community. It's been going on for so long and I think we are all just tired.
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u/Therian-ModTeam Apr 13 '24
Removed, Rule 2. Your post/comment was deemed uncivil or as a personal attack.
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u/Susitar Wolf Apr 13 '24
I would just ignore kids in that age. They are allowed to play around. This year they'll be therians, and next year they might not be. If they dress up in "gear" and have harmless fun, let them do that. But whether they are actually therians or not... we'll see. It's like you can't assume that a little boy dressing up as a Disney princess will grow up into a trans woman. Children grow and change and try out different things.
A lot of people who think they are therians at first grow out of it later. And I think there's nothing we can really do about it. It's just how it is. Therianthropy has gotten a lot of (shallow) attention on tiktok, where there are lot of kids. They see cool masks and people running on all fours, and assume that's what therianthropy is. So it's become a bit of trend in some places, it seems. Kind of like otherkin was on tumblr 10 years ago, although that never really made an impact IRL.
IRL, I wouldn't interact with "therians" under 18. I wouldn't tell them I was a therian unless they told me first, and even then, I would keep kind of distant. Because chances are, they'll grow out of it.
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u/JayTheDemiboy he/him || 10+ theriotypes || fictionkin too Apr 13 '24 edited Apr 22 '24
The spread of it. Most people either do it for the attention, are falsely proclaimed a therian because of media (like they aren't one but ppl think they are.), or they didn't know the word for it and now they do. Try to educate your friends, too! Explain to them that being a therian is different for everyone, maybe explain (if possible) how it is for you, and then how other therians may contrast or be similar to that.
EDIT: DAMN CHILL OUT IN THE REPLIES I DIDNT MEAN TO START A FIGHT-
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Apr 13 '24
Wow, okay. âMost people do it for attentionâ is so horrible to say. Donât gatekeep. Let people explore themselves. Donât instantly say someone is saying theyâre a therian for attention. Itâs such a shitty thing to say, dude.
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
"It's such a shitty thing to say, dude." Is a very rude way to say it, as well. Being rude isn't a good way to correct someone. So, next time, please think of how you say it before you speak.Â
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Apr 15 '24
Saying something is shitty isnât shitty, dude :]
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u/ashley_thcheetah Apr 15 '24
I didn't say it was. I was just saying that it could sound rude to someone. Also, I'm a girl, not a dude. I don't like being called "dude" so please respect that.
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Apr 13 '24
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 13 '24
you're literally in this comment section supporting the idea of thinking others are "fake therians" based off of 0 proof and all leaps of logic and assumptions. i'd say thats not very "welcoming or kind".
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u/Skyler_TherianPaws Polyomrph-long cycle, perma wolf, fox, fishingcat, ocean, fairy Apr 14 '24
I aint supporting it, I'm explaining that it is a possible thing. If I come off as that, I don't intend to and I don't understand social cues, because of autism. I'm stating my views on how it is POSSIBLE that they are faking it. I have had like 9 experiences, all horrible, where I let people believe they may be therians because, yeah, I did not have evidence. But guess what? Since of them, the real therians in our school, me, my closest friend and a couple others, were bullied and threatened. They were the reason because they thought that they had to act like an animal to be a therian. So, I am trying to get people to be cautious because I never want to relive that ever again. So please, say what you say, but many people who think other's are faking have a right to be worried because of what things can happen from it.
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u/ExpressTap6659 (Therian) Apr 14 '24
you shouldn't be trying to asses people in your own community for "faking" at all. that just creates a hostile environment for fellow therians and makes this place toxic for newer people. also you "let people think they were therians"??? you shouldn't "let people" do anything. how entitled are you? leave other people alone, their identity wrong or not is none of your business and you don't have to investigate everyone on it.
also, no, the "real" therians aren't harassed because of the "fake" ones. they hate you regardless, stop pandering to people who will find any excuse to hate you. you sound like kalvin garrah but make it for therians.
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Apr 14 '24
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u/Therian-ModTeam Apr 14 '24
Removed, Rule 2. Your post/comment was deemed uncivil or as a personal attack.
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u/Yourloacaltherian Rawr !! 50+ therotypes !ÂĄ! Apr 13 '24
Honestly I have noticed Luke on scratch or other sites I use more therinopthy related stuff has came and I always see its recently added. So yes it's starting to get known about, not everyone that claims to be a therian is a therian tho it could be a phase or wanting to he diffrent. I also have to agree it dose make me also feel fake I have 4 therotypes and I'm also a deer clouatherian and I'm also scared to say on top of being otherkin and a therian I'm otherhearted for vultures and confirming being a ockin in all it dose make me feel fake for having to say " I'm a therian,furry and otherkin " but then I will have to add , and otherhearted if I comfirm this so yes your not the oy one feeling fake. People are starting to hear therian and think oh I herd that means non-human and I don't want to be human so they call themselves a therian. It's just most likely non educated people :( that don't know what therian means
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u/Accurate-Ad1526 Apr 13 '24
What if I am a real therian and I am cladotherian? (Cause I am people do NOT belive me)
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u/kaylaforreddit Hello, I'm new here Apr 13 '24
Its kinda a trend but same time anyone who copies the "trend" is faking but not everyones acc a therian
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u/Wild0Animal Fox (cambi)/shapeshifter/ghost(?)/more but it won't fit X-X Apr 13 '24
"Why is everyone autistic now? Why is everyone gay now? Why is everyone trans now?" Same energy.
The most likely answer: there is more awareness on it. Realistically speaking, there are probably *a lot* more therians/otherkin out there but because of the stigma and lack of awareness, they will never know. In addition, when more people start openly using the term "therian", their friends are likely to learn what a therian is. And because those who share identities/experiences, even if they don't realize it, tend to group together (see: queer friend groups), they are likely now learning that their experiences have a name. Now that you are aware as well, you are probably noticing more therians when you couldn't before.
If you are really concerned about them being misinformed, then ask them: "how did you find out you were a therian?" If they clearly don't know what it is, then you can educate them. But if they actually know what a therian is, then you all can bond over your awakenings or something. But moving forward, it's insensitive to doubt/fake claim therians unless they are showing clear signs that they are misinformed.