A group of Kazakh parliamentarians are calling for action to be taken against ‘Furry Fandom’, a phenomenon in which groups of young people go around dressed as animals theorizing that this is the true expression of their personality. In a Currentime investigation, their stories and the accusations of those who claim that they are “a problem for society.”
Almaty () – For some time now, measures have been sought in Russia to limit or eliminate the fashion of “quadrobers”, quadrupeds that dress up as animals, an apparently harmless game but considered by state and ecclesiastical authorities as a serious violation of “traditional moral values” and a pernicious Western influence. Now, animal masquerade is also becoming increasingly popular in Kazakhstan, especially in the form of Furry Fandom, the “furry fairy tale” centered on anthropomorphic animal characters, which reworks popular images from cartoons or video games, and advertises repressive measures.
An investigation by Currentime tried to understand the motivations of those who are dragged into this type of drama. Young Erlan, from Almaty, works as a computer scientist in a bank in Kazakhstan, but prefers to be called by the name of the character he has chosen, the raccoon Racoon, and is interviewed with the costume that he himself has prepared and that , as he says, “does not represent an alter ego, but rather completes my personality.”
To be part of this community of fantastic beings, it is not enough to find an animal costume: you have to describe your hero, give him a name and a personality that cannot be a mere copy of the comic, and then you can prepare the mask . A stuffed animal costume costs about $200, and many are limited to the face part, perhaps adding legs and a tail. As Racoon explains, “I got into this by reading a lot of stories, I think it’s a very creative way to express my soul.” She prepared the raccoon costume with the help of a painter friend, and each day she completes it with several pieces of sewing.
The Quadroberians of Kazakhstan like to walk around in masked groups and organize themed parties, becoming more and more relaxed in front of video cameras and overcoming their shyness and modesty. In Almaty, the fashion has prevailed for several years, although the first furries appeared in America still in the eighties. The difference with quadrobers is the anthropomorphic choice, without imitating the quadrupedal movements or the eccentricities of various animals.
In the Astana parliament, the issue became the subject of debate with a view to possible restrictive measures. Deputy Daulet Mukaev intervened, stating that “the worst thing is the psychological trauma that young people suffer from this fashion, who stop being truly human and thus escape real problems,” citing a Russian-Kazakh proverb according to which man “does not “It is a beast to be shot, nor a cow to be cut down,” and warned of the danger of “losing an entire generation.” A call is made to all competent organizations to seek appropriate solutions, because “it is not just a problem for parents, but for the entire society and the entire State.”
In the parliamentarians’ calls for the Government to intervene, they do not distinguish quadrobers from furries, which is not easy for adults in the institutions. The young people of Almaty express their concern about the possible forms of repression and public ridicule to which they want to be subjected, believing that they do not pose any type of threat to society.
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