I was offline most of last evening, so I was surprised by the hack of FurAffinity and their associated Twitter accounts. It’s shocking that someone would do this, but don’t let it throw you.

What they want is to discourage us. We are a community. We found each other and encouraged each other to explore and be our true selves, in a lot of ways that make bigots uncomfortable and scared. Stand fast. Nobody online can hurt us in a way that matters.

Don’t lose hope or back down. We’re not a website—we’re not going anywhere. We are goddamn proud of who we are and what we do, and we are right to be. People who hate furries usually hate us because we’re not straight, white, cisgender, allosexual, allistic, or because we have the gall to want more than hustle culture and capital. They consider these things unacceptable in polite society. We will continue to do our thing—and we will do it LOUDER.

I am a furry, among other things. The alt-right considers me a degenerate and a deviant. In accepting myself as I am and in finding my community, I am happy and proud. I will be happy and proud out of spite, at the very least.

Now, what we can do personally: Make sure your art is posted somewhere you control. Use social media, but keep copies somewhere safe. Consider a personal website. Use 2FA and secure passwords. Talk to your friends, check in with friends who are being quiet, help each other, and continue to create and do what brings you joy. Illegitimi non carborundum.