'Furries'

[pombear]

OK, seeing as everything is going 'pooof' this evening, just one more flag (sorry MNHQ but I think it's important that the connection is highlighted)

this person twitter.com/Feefers has a social media trail back to other activity this board may have concerns about right now.

Hopefully I've kep it so top-level it doesn't warrant a deletion?

And no mention of the fact that all the Coventry Green Party mail went through this address, or that the Green Party were not made aware of the accusations at the time they first came to light

Why are the calling it sex offences and not child abuse which it is?

Yes, it was def taken down and put back up again. But it links Aimee Challenor to David Challenor - yesterday all links appeared to be being removed.

MNHQ does this mean we can talk about it?

Yes, it's an awful, white-washy statement.

If the Green Party are stating that they knew nothing of these crimes until he was sentenced then that calls into question ACs behaviour in failing to inform them.

Why are the calling it sex offences and not child abuse which it is?

I think the word is 'whitewash'.

Yes they’re minimising.

Why are the calling it sex offences and not child abuse which it is?

I suspect they are trying to whitewash the situation somewhat, and I suspect that Aimee will have had input into the statement.

Speaking of minimising, has there been any sort of statement from the NUS re Bradley yet?

Feeling rather uncomfortable.

My autistic son (NHS diagnosis) identifies as a furry. He is pre-pubescent, it's not sexual and it is nothing to do with personal hygiene or 'inadequacy'.

It is more about not being the same as the neurotypical peers. A bit like feeling like an alien in the old days but for him it is better because he is part of a community rather than an isolated individual.

I've tried to 'joke' in previous posts that transgender is so passé - my son is trans species.

There are two separate issues - autistic kids feeling different and predators preying on the vulnerable.

There are two separate issues - autistic kids feeling different and predators preying on the vulnerable

Yes.

My autistic son (NHS diagnosis) identifies as a furry. He is pre-pubescent, it's not sexual

It may not be for him, but he may well be at risk of being groomed or playing a part in someone else's fetish.

There are two separate issues - autistic kids feeling different and predators preying on the vulnerable.

I would say that’s actually quite a worrying overlap TBH! Autistic children feeling different are vulnerable to predators who will use this as a way to engage with potential victims.

I agree totally. Being autistic makes young people especially vulnerable to predators.

But the message is confused if negative views about autistic people are expressed under the guise of expressing negative views about paedophiles and predators.

This actually makes young autistic people more vulnerable as the only people that seem to be on their side and not making snide remarks about personal hygiene and social inadequacy are the predators.

There are people (men) on twitter openly tweeting that lgbt children whose parents don't understand them should contact them, and they will buy them ice creams and clothes they like.

I imagine they're the same ones who threaten women online when women try to uphold women's rights and the safeguarding of children.

Predators are targeting vulnerable kids over social media. Autistic and socially awkward kids are especially vulnerable to this. It's really disturbing.

I would say that’s actually quite a worrying overlap TBH! Autistic children feeling different are vulnerable to predators who will use this as a way to engage with potential victims.

It's a problem for any teen that is a bit vulnerable or feels different (so, all of them, pretty much). Kids questioning their sexuality. Kids who've been or are being abused. Kids who are being bullied. Kids whose bodies are changing fast. Kids under pressure from exams or knowing they'll likely fail. Kids whose families are falling apart; kids already ill with depression, anxiety, anorexia; struggling because they're SEN and aren't getting support; really ANYTHING that makes a teen feel isolated and sends them off looking for "people like me". They're going to run across tribes at school or on the internet and somewhere in those tribes are gaps where peer pressure and predators can be. For my generation the major risk was drugs. For this generation it's abusive sex.

Tbh alcohol and drugs went hand in hand with abusive sex when I was a teenager! Just didn't meet the abusers via social media.

keepon oh, sure, but it has a different feel now - very much coming from outside rather than peer groups. Predators not even in the same country these days.

I really feel for parents on this issue. How do you keep them safe from online predators when most of them carry a portable means of accessing the internet around with them?

But you do enormous damage when you talk about an ASD label losing its shine. It's a diagnosis not a label and for parents and those affected it never had any shine. It's a life long disability. There is no advantage, you don't need to feel jealous. Predators telling lies and targeting vulnerable kids doesn't make this the case.

KeepOn I absolutely agree with you, and I know how hard it is to get that diagnosis and support. I am truly sorry not to have made that clearer.

What I'm trying to express is that I think there has been appropriation of ASD by people with no diagnosis save their own looking for some reason to make themselves seem special and to excuse shitty behaviour. Similar to those idiots who call themselves "a bit OCD" because they like to tidy up, but have no understanding of how awful and debilitating OCD actually is.

As more people are actually diagnosed properly, the "uniqueness" fades and these people move on to the next thing (currently writing over transsexual with transgender or using non-binary, stealing the word "woman", and possibly even nicking furry). I honestly think it's a pattern of narcissistic behaviour.

I hope that makes sense now.

I understand why people get upset about any threads that link any particular group with paedophilia.

As someone with ASD myself, I find it offensive. But I've just googled and found this article. Tony Attwood is an autism expert, especially in girls. The gist is that people with ASD are not more likely to be paedophiles than anyone else but are more likely to get caught. The part about escaping into fantasy and imagination due to difficulties forming relationships is interesting.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/taboo-subject-of-autism-and-paedophilia-must-be-tackled-to-improve-lives-qcxjfxs82?#=

I also wanted to say that my ex gymnastics coach was later convicted for sexual offences against girls but at the time, he was hiding in plain sight. It was only when a friend confided in me that she spent the night having sleep overs in his house that a few other rumours clicked into place. Even then, it was several years later after he'd moved on to teach elsewhere that he was caught and prosecuted.

So, no knowing who actually knows what's going on under their nose.

Kiwi Farms website has a lot of info on Furries.

This is Aimee's Trans Fur website:

Yes, Aimee ran a trans rights website that directly equated trans & furry

twitter.com/TransFurNews/

www.facebook.com/TransFurNews

"Trans Fur News aims to bring you latest news, features and opinion articles from the trans and non binary communities and the furry community"

I would say that’s actually quite a worrying overlap TBH! Autistic children feeling different are vulnerable to predators who will use this as a way to engage with potential victims.

This is why any weakening of safeguarding is so dangerous.

Trans fur?

Trans bears are dogs! Trans wolves are badgers! Trans caterpillars are unicorns! Etc etc etc.