Why therianthropy should be divorced from Alt-H and possibly "otherkin" - "identity"?

@LycanTheory

Yes...
I think the main problem is although otherkin is an umbrella,imo, otherkin originally meant non-earthly animal or sapient being. This was your dragons, unicorns and elves,etc. This original group still exists, but fictionkin for example, is now it's own thing/experience due to the original otherkin wanting to make that distinction. There exists distinctions and they do need to be made much clearer.

The alt-H community as elinox said isn't really taken seriously by true (the original and serious) otherkin. I have seen it on the forum I am in (which is why fictionkin and such have their own subforums). That forum may get a bad rap from here, but there are many otherkin that are mature and look at these alt-human teens with skepticism. They are grilled or questioned, and advised if they are in the wrong place. There are well meaning otherkin out there but even they are drawing a line. I cannot speak for amino or tumblr however.

these types of articles always feel insulting I've never felt like this was some escape or a virtual life to live its been a very integral part of me and to try and suppress it is comparable to cutting off ones own arm... I wonder how many people actually understand just how deeply woven the spirit is with our daily lives sometimes.

Never even heard of alterhuman until now.

The whole 'alterhuman' movement feels like it has become an 'everyone is valid and welcome' movement more than one that provides for our communities. At first it seemed a useful term for those who had overlapping experiences but now? Seeing that basically anything can be classed as 'alt-h', why use the term at all?

I also don't agree with the selection of communities that are being sucked under the label. This whole idea of 'you are alth if you call yourself alth' reduces the concepts of otherkinity and the like to stickers we can choose to slap on our chest.

With my somewhat limited experience in the therian community I feel like separation from Alt-H would be very beneficial, especially for new folks who may be confused by the ideas given off by Alt-H. Let them experience grilling, show them history, let them see what animality is like.

As for otherkin.. a separation feels logical. There are such distinct vibes between our communities that it seems odd to constantly define therianthropy as a 'subgroup of otherkinity'. Kinda erases the history and development of weres as their own group, I find.

But I am just a lizard with more experience in the youth spots like Instagram and Amino, so not sure if what I feel is considered the norm or not

(2020-10-06 11:57)Emi Wrote:  ...youth spots like Instagram and Amino, so not sure if what I feel is considered the norm or not

What you feel is certainly the norm among the older crowd, at least those of us who started in the therian community. Due to the nature of it, most folks who started in the otherkin community feel therians are otherkin, where most folks who started in the therian community would suggest they aren't.

At this point, I believe they are different, but which group one chooses to be in (or both) is ultimately up to the individual. I think the use as an umbrella term, including therians, should be dissolved. Therianthropy has historically been about experiences that led one to feel they were an animal. Animalistic experiences.

I agree for the most part, i just dont really understand alt-h

(2020-10-06 11:57)Emi Wrote:  As for otherkin.. a separation feels logical. There are such distinct vibes between our communities that it seems odd to constantly define therianthropy as a 'subgroup of otherkinity'. Kinda erases the history and development of weres as their own group, I find.

But I am just a lizard with more experience in the youth spots like Instagram and Amino, so not sure if what I feel is considered the norm or not

I agree with this, especially how otherkin and therian should be separated. It might be confirmation bias but I just feel like that there shouldn't be an umbrella term for either one of them, you know? Each of them have their own definitions (I believe in the whole otherkin = sapience and therian = animality) and as such should be regarded separately.