What makes/is a therian? What makes them not fake?

I completely agree with all of this, well spoken

This is really well written, and I'm sorry that your first experience in a supposed safe space was so awful. I have a little more tolerance for those that are just misinformed, and ill try and explain to anyone i come across who i think could be a fake therian what therianthropy actually is, but if they have already had this explained and are spreading more misinformation, then that crosses a line, and definitely pisses me off lmao

Plus, the whole 'let kids be kids' feels really infantilising for older therians. (ik I'm only 16, but I'll explain) It pretty much disregards therianthropy as if its some phase people go through when they're young, which just isn't true for actually therians- its a lifelong identity. Plus it just makes adult therians less and less seen in the community, which i think is really sad. These are the people us pups should be looking up to for advice and knowledge, not disregarding the existence of!

(2024-03-08 11:22)CrystalAvian Wrote:  This is really well written, and I'm sorry that your first experience in a supposed safe space was so awful. I have a little more tolerance for those that are just misinformed, and ill try and explain to anyone i come across who i think could be a fake therian what therianthropy actually is, but if they have already had this explained and are spreading more misinformation, then that crosses a line, and definitely pisses me off lmao

Plus, the whole 'let kids be kids' feels really infantilising for older therians. (ik I'm only 16, but I'll explain) It pretty much disregards therianthropy as if its some phase people go through when they're young, which just isn't true for actually therians- its a lifelong identity. Plus it just makes adult therians less and less seen in the community, which i think is really sad. These are the people us pups should be looking up to for advice and knowledge, not disregarding the existence of!

Yeah, I agree. I try to be gentle with people who fake unknowingly, but as soon as they start spreading misinformation I lose my pity for them pretty quick.
I definitely think that adults should be at the helm of the alterhuman community and not kids who only discovered the community weeks ago. When outsiders only see kids in the community, it makes it all seem like a childish game.
I wish there was more we could do to help stop this, but all we can really do is continue to try and educate the people willing to listen.

How is it possible to know what a "real therian" is?

(2024-03-08 19:24)Tdae Wrote:  How is it possible to know what a "real therian" is?

A therian is someone who identifies as a non-human creature on a non-physical level.

It seems like there are more and more people claiming to be therians, but they don't seem to understand what it really means. They've been misinformed and are spreading false information without even realizing it.

As someone who values the therian community and what it stands for, it's disheartening to see this happening. I think it's important for us to educate others about what it truly means to be a therian and to dispel any misconceptions that may be circulating.

I think it's important for us to have a clear understanding of what it means to be a therian and to respect the experiences of those who truly identify as such. It's not something that should be taken lightly or used as a trend or a way to fit in.

(2024-03-08 20:02)★NewsPaperTiger★ Wrote:  It seems like there are more and more people claiming to be therians, but they don't seem to understand what it really means. They've been misinformed and are spreading false information without even realizing it.

As someone who values the therian community and what it stands for, it's disheartening to see this happening. I think it's important for us to educate others about what it truly means to be a therian and to dispel any misconceptions that may be circulating.

I think it's important for us to have a clear understanding of what it means to be a therian and to respect the experiences of those who truly identify as such. It's not something that should be taken lightly or used as a trend or a way to fit in.

Agreed! Far too many critters simply brush it off and do not try to educate. I think we all need to play our part in doing what we can to help lessen the spread of misinformation.

Hi,

I'm usually skeptical about these types of posts, but what you say sounds legit. Moved it to a more appropriate forum, where it'll get more attention.

Perhaps it will do some good for people to hear it coming from someone closer to their age.

Thankfully TG is easy enough to find just using Google these days, one can hope we are one of the young therians' first experiences with a therian community (I've also advocated for a "TG kindergarten" for therians younger than 13, but it's not currently feasible).

LP,
Dusty

(2024-03-08 20:08)DustWolf Wrote:  Hi,

I'm usually skeptical about these types of posts, but what you say sounds legit. Moved it to a more appropriate forum, where it'll get more attention.

Perhaps it will do some good for people to hear it coming from someone closer to their age.

Thankfully TG is easy enough to find just using Google these days, one can hope we are one of the young therians' first experiences with a therian community (I've also advocated for a "TG kindergarten" for therians younger than 13, but it's not currently feasible).

LP,
Dusty

I love the idea of a TG "Kindergarten," maybe it'd lead to less misinfo spreading around... it'd also be nice to give pups and kits under the age of 13 their own space

(2024-03-08 19:24)Tdae Wrote:  How is it possible to know what a "real therian" is?

I think there is no real way to know if somebody is a real therian, unless we strap them to a lie detector, which will obviously not happen. All we can really do is question them ALOT. here is a list you could start with.

1. How long have you identified as a therian?
2. Can you describe your theriotype in detail? (this one is ok to not know)
3. Have you had any experiences of shifting or feeling non-human?
4. Do you participate in any therian communities or events?
5. Have you done any research on therianthropy?
6. How do you feel when people question your therian identity?
7. What is your opinion on otherkin and fictionkin?
8. Have you had any negative experiences related to being a therian?
9. Do you feel a strong connection to nature or animals? (Note: being a therian is not just a connection to animals)
10. How do you cope with the challenges of being a therian in a human world?