A preschool teacher in Utah has opened up about her secret life as a "furry," revealing the challenges of balancing her teaching career with her passion for wearing kink costumes in her personal time.
The 22-year-old teacher, who prefers to use the/them pronouns, spends her days educating young children in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, by night, she transforms into a furry named "Flint" and immerses herself in the "Dutch Angel Dragon" community.
According to the Furry community's website, Dutch Angel Dragons possess horse-like anatomy, feathered wings, no genitalia or digestive tract, long ears, and fur coats. The website describes them as supernatural beings similar to poltergeists or ghosts, who walk among us invisibly as guardian angels.
These dragons exist on a higher dimensional plane and manipulate energy to grant themselves physical capabilities such as flight or elemental powers, allowing them to interact with people and objects.
In a recent interview, "Flint" revealed that she had kept her alter ego hidden due to the negative stigma surrounding the furry subculture. However, she now feels comfortable sharing her double life and encourages others to embrace humility.
"I don't talk about it very much," Flint admitted. "Just because there is unfortunately still a negative connotation to the hobby."
Flint's interest in the furry community began in the winter of 2020, but her passion for cosplay and costume-making dates back to the age of 12. In addition to teaching, she also crafts custom furry costumes, selling them for over $1,200 each. Flint personally handcrafted her own "Dutch Angel Dragon" costume, featuring orange hair, orange eyes, a gray body, and a yellow star on the chest.
"I've always made clothes for myself; my mom taught me how to sew very early on. But I wanted to challenge myself, so I started looking online and saw other people making these things," Flint explained.
It was during this exploration that Flint discovered her affinity for the furry subculture, a kink she initially considered "weird" until she conducted further research.
"I began to reflect on myself and realized that I was probably a furry because I wanted one of the costumes," Flint shared. "So, I just dove in and made myself a character because I just wanted to give it a try. Now that I'm here, I'm just kind of figuring it out and having a lot of fun doing it."
Flint urged people not to fall for the "misinformation" surrounding the furry subculture, emphasizing that the community is filled with intelligent and kind individuals. She encouraged others to conduct their own research and not dismiss the furry community based on preconceived notions.
"Please do your research. If you don't, then you're ignorant because you don't want to know," Flint stated.
The furry subculture gained attention last year when a Michigan school district had to debunk rumors of a litter box for children who identified as furries in one of its restrooms.
Dr. Sharon E. Roberts, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, emphasized that not all furries engage in kink activities. For many, being a furry is an innocent escape from everyday life.
"It is a shame that the furry community still endures negative media portrayals and public misperception as deviants because the truth of this remarkable and resilient community is far more interesting," Roberts commented.
In recent months, activists have advocated for furries to be recognized as part of the LGBTQ spectrum.
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