kitchi-the-canine-blog

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Therianthropy Day 2018 (November 23rd)

It’s that time of year again, when Tumblr starts to have random reminders that there is a “therianthropy day” coming up – but folks don’t remember when it is, choose other dates, or think it’s some kind of attempt to piggyback on other folks’ celebrations.  I’ve seen a few posts about it, so I figured it was time to drop some history! Therianthropy Day is a remembrance of the first Howl held by members of AHWW during the first full moon of November. This year, that date is the Beaver Moon, Friday, November 23rd.   The first full moon of November has been a sort of de facto “Therianthropy Day” since the mid 1990s. It was when, 24 years ago, on the weekend of November 19 & 20, 1994, the first official AHWW howl was held.  Ultimately, AHWW decided to use it, and it stuck.  It went through a few iterations of names, “International Werewolf Day”, and then the less species-specific “Awereness Day” (since were is the older term for therian), and after the term therianthropy caught on, “Therianthropy Day”.  

If you want to read further on AHWW, you can check it out in the archives, here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.horror.werewolves/full%2420moon%2420November%2420holiday%7Csort:date/alt.horror.werewolves/eOvzhlG3IaI/SPrkyFAaAA4J

I was unable to attend it, although I did make the two that followed. I was a broke college student and had no transportation at the time. It was fun reading the post-howl reports on the newsgroup, though. I always felt it was a good time to have an official celebration of therianthropy, since the AHWW newsgroup itself was created in November, 1992. Very momentous for therians, November is.

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The coffee isn’t coffee, it’s blood

The more you look at this picture, the more anxious it becomes.

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😍😍😍

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My husky family

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^^

A Month of Kin Pride

Hello there! 

I’m here to introduce to you: Kin Month!

For the month of October, all types of kin, from fictives to therians, will be able to celebrate being kin! 

Every day is All Kin Pride, but each day will have a different type of kin as a highlight. This way, we can all learn about new kintypes we didn’t even know were there! 

Then, on the 31st, Halloween, we can all dress up as our kintypes and go celebrate outdoors! It’ll be a day of positivity and fun, where we can all take off our human “costumes” and become who we wish we were.

If you have questions, suggestions, or any thoughts on this event, feel free to send in an ask or DM me! Anon asks are open, so even the most shy of us kins can ask questions!

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Summer is gone, but the start of Autumn means no less beauty in the Pacific Northwest. Colors are changing as the weather does, and it’s as fine a time to get outdoors as any.

At Lake Valhalla in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

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Another reason to stop ‘cringe culture’

I’m a teacher. Today I was covering for a grade 9 science class. Decent kids, if a bit rowdy, and didn’t want to do their work. Wtv, it was textbook work. Not the point.

1 girl (reminder that these kids are, like, 14/15) was doodling bust portraits (head & shoulders) in an art book. I had a squiz and asked her if they were her characters. She said they were and excitedly told me she had so many characters for this one story of hers. I laughed about how I wished I could draw mine, and moved on.

Later in the class, I hear her enthusiastically telling her friend all about her main OC - a gay kitsune prince with a tragic past. It was so, pure, classic Deviant Art: my first OC. And you know what? I loved it. I was just sitting there half overhearing, smiling to myself and glad that her friend was engaging and interested in her story and characters.

This is a girl who will become a creator. She will draw and write and imagine, get better and better. She’ll probably move past this stage and start making more nuanced characters (she was already lamenting she didn’t have enough girl OCs). But this is where she started. This is where so many of us started. I had a tiger catgirl, goth witch/sorceress OC in high school. I found my original design for her recently. Look what I create now.

Let kids be kids. Let them explore and invent and go wild and be cliche and make overpowered OCs. Let them have their anthropomorphic animal OCs. Let them try everything before they settle into maturity.

For fucks sake; let them have fun.

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Don't you just want to go home?

I don’t mean your current home. I mean your real home, out in the nature. To feel the dirt beneath your paws, wind blowing against your fur, to feel free in the heart of wilderness. That, that’s home to me.

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I see, I genuinely didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying this, and I apologize, but all of the people claiming to be trans-species I have run into so far appeared to be trolls. It is quite frowned upon at least in the parts of the community I frequent but perhaps there’s another side to it.

If you don’t mind me asking, what specifically causes you to identify as trans-species instead of otherkin? Is there a difference? Or is it just the label you prefer?

Otherkin Vs. LGBT

Alright, so after being in the kin and therian communities for awhile now, I’ve noticed a fundamental misconception going around about the community and the nature of nonhuman identity, especially on websites such as tumblr.

Over time as both the LGBT and kin communities have grown and grown more recognized, there’s been increasing conflict between the them. This conflict is not only unnecessary but can be harmful to both communities.

What exactly is the cause of this conflict? This is where the misunderstanding lies. I’ve heard some talk of how Otherkin should be accepted into the LGBT+ community/or just being compared to the community in general. Now, the LGBT community is about gender and sexuality, none of which is in any way related to Otherkin. Otherkinity is not a gender nor is it a sexuality, and being otherkin does not make you transgender, just as being transgender doesn’t make you otherkin.

There are many different ways for an individual to identify. You can identify as a teacher (occupation), a christian (religion), a liberal (political views), a female (gender) etc… they are all different aspects of identity. Otherkin, is just another way to identify, known as species identity. You can both be otherkin and trans but those are different facets of ones identity that do not effect each other. For this reason, I do not agree with the use of kinself pronouns such as “wolfself,” as it gives others the wrong idea about our community.

Lumping then together also ignores the unique histories of both communities, which, have always been seperate and always will be.

There’s another reason why otherkin and LGBT should not be linked together. LGBT people in the past and even many today had/have to fight hard for their rights, and in some places, being gay can get you killed. It’s rather disrespectful to then place yourself under that category when there’s no need to. Otherkinity, as I’ve repeated has no relation to gender or sexuality, and while highly unpopular, are not an oppressed group as a whole.

Now, about “kin pride.” I’ve seen a lot of pride and pride month things popping up for otherkin. By all means, being proud of your identity is not something that belongs to the lgbt community, but do take the time to realize that this is not the same as LGBT+ pride. Pride is a very very significant and hard fought for right of LGBT peoples. I’m not going to ban you from using the word “pride” or anything, but please do keep that in mind.

For those of you who want a “otherkin pride month,” (I’ve seen this everywhere,) try November! The first full moon of November holds its own significance in the therian community, as it was when the first irl gathering of therians (known as a “howl”) was held in 1994. A poll held on Therian Amino awhile ago was in favour that the whole month of November be made “Howl Month,” a time for having fun, gathering with friends, having “howls” and self reflection. It is an extension of Therianthropy Day, an already established anniversary of the first howl. The word “pride” was avoided in the name to respect the LGBT community, and instead was given a name that reflects something significant in our own community.

The comparison between communities was made in the first place when otherkin searched for the language to describe their experiences. They felt like an animal in a human body and the closest thing they could compare it to was transgendered people being born in the body of the wrong sex. So yes, comparisons were made, although the term “trans-species” has lessened in usage and is now generally frowned upon in the community. Most of us acknowledge that being otherkin and being transgender can be quite different things.

But, about “Species Dysphoria.” Dysphoria is a medical term, it is not exclusive to the trans* community. Gender dysphoria is the most commonly known of but not only type of dysphoria. The definition of dysphoria itself is: “a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life.” The use of “Species Dysphoria” is a way for some otherkin to express what they feel—dysphoria… about their species!

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Otherkin Vs. LGBT

Alright, so after being in the kin and therian communities for awhile now, I’ve noticed a fundamental misconception going around about the community and the nature of nonhuman identity, especially on websites such as tumblr.

Over time as both the LGBT and kin communities have grown and grown more recognized, there’s been increasing conflict between the them. This conflict is not only unnecessary but can be harmful to both communities.

What exactly is the cause of this conflict? This is where the misunderstanding lies. I’ve heard some talk of how Otherkin should be accepted into the LGBT+ community/or just being compared to the community in general. Now, the LGBT community is about gender and sexuality, none of which is in any way related to Otherkin. Otherkinity is not a gender nor is it a sexuality, and being otherkin does not make you transgender, just as being transgender doesn’t make you otherkin.

There are many different ways for an individual to identify. You can identify as a teacher (occupation), a christian (religion), a liberal (political views), a female (gender) etc... they are all different aspects of identity. Otherkin, is just another way to identify, known as species identity. You can both be otherkin and trans but those are different facets of ones identity that do not effect each other. For this reason, I do not agree with the use of kinself pronouns such as “wolfself,” as it gives others the wrong idea about our community.

Lumping then together also ignores the unique histories of both communities, which, have always been seperate and always will be.

There’s another reason why otherkin and LGBT should not be linked together. LGBT people in the past and even many today had/have to fight hard for their rights, and in some places, being gay can get you killed. It’s rather disrespectful to then place yourself under that category when there’s no need to. Otherkinity, as I’ve repeated has no relation to gender or sexuality, and while highly unpopular, are not an oppressed group as a whole.

Now, about “kin pride.” I’ve seen a lot of pride and pride month things popping up for otherkin. By all means, being proud of your identity is not something that belongs to the lgbt community, but do take the time to realize that this is not the same as LGBT+ pride. Pride is a very very significant and hard fought for right of LGBT peoples. I’m not going to ban you from using the word “pride” or anything, but please do keep that in mind.

For those of you who want a “otherkin pride month,” (I’ve seen this everywhere,) try November! The first full moon of November holds its own significance in the therian community, as it was when the first irl gathering of therians (known as a “howl”) was held in 1994. A poll held on Therian Amino awhile ago was in favour that the whole month of November be made “Howl Month,” a time for having fun, gathering with friends, having “howls” and self reflection. It is an extension of Therianthropy Day, an already established anniversary of the first howl. The word “pride” was avoided in the name to respect the LGBT community, and instead was given a name that reflects something significant in our own community.

The comparison between communities was made in the first place when otherkin searched for the language to describe their experiences. They felt like an animal in a human body and the closest thing they could compare it to was transgendered people being born in the body of the wrong sex. So yes, comparisons were made, although the term “trans-species” has lessened in usage and is now generally frowned upon in the community. Most of us acknowledge that being otherkin and being transgender can be quite different things.

But, about “Species Dysphoria.” Dysphoria is a medical term, it is not exclusive to the trans* community. Gender dysphoria is the most commonly known of but not only type of dysphoria. The definition of dysphoria itself is: “a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life.” The use of “Species Dysphoria” is a way for some otherkin to express what they feel—dysphoria... about their species!

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The Pacific Northwest is fucking Perfect

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“i am a monument to all your sins” is such a fucking raw line for a villain it’s amazing that it came from halo, a modernish video game, and not some classical text or mythos

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Basking in the leaves!

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Waiting to find true love… 

Credit: Kiel James Patrick

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Who’s a good boy?