psst: as someone who came out of the Something Awful/4Chan trolling pogroms against furries and fought for both sides, you should have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that early internet anti-furry stigma was really just anti-queer stigma with a more socially-acceptable angle

the trolling groups I was involved with before switching sides openly discussed this during raid planning. there is a reason so much of it used specifically anti-queer slurs, and a reason most of it disproportionately targeted visibly, earnestly sexual individuals.

queerbashing was not an incidental goal; it was the primary one. at the time, trolls correctly assessed that the seeming 'silliness' of furries would allow them to get away with much worse harassment without risking backlash from less esoteric queer communities.

I say this as someone who has seen the impact this had: queer groups have to take care of their most marginalized community members. Even if they're into stuff you don't get, or have aesthetics that don't meet your individual approval. One broken link snaps the whole chain.

it is, to this day, INFURIATING to me that people accuse furries of being 'overly defensive' about trolling and people taking shots at them. Even moreso when cis furries throw more visibly queer community members under the bus; look up the 'Burned Furs' if you have any doubt.

'Anti-weirdness' stigma is, invariably, going to end up aimed primarily at queers. Protect your weirdoes, because you're always next.