Furry ban in Cologne cathedral

This, I think, is where you and I would always differ. In a public space (including a priovately-owned sim open to the public), this is like seperate spaces, seat, toilets, etc. for different races. You don't create a public space and then ban certain people from that space.

I`m nice but not German

It is not the same - the point of view is that it is "masquerading" - it is not a statement of superiority, or that "all furries are evil" or some other kind of bias. It is the failure to make the translation from RL to SL. There is the key difference. How many corporate knobs come here but don't understand SL?

You know this. I know this. But my bet would be that THEY don't know this, that whoever made this rule is somewhat naive about how an avatar can be an identity and not a costume. I hope that someone German who understands can explain it to them, clearly and without hysteria, before feelings run too high.

Obviously they were not thinking this through; in banning hats they surely did not mean to ban all the Catholic women who traditionally wear head coverings in church. When traveling in South America, I always take along some sort of veil (for the head, not the face) so I can visit a church without offending anyone - customs differ congregation to congregation, but my experience with Catholicism is that a woman with an unostentatious veil is welcome everywhere, worldwide.

Let's not overreact.

Oh, that explains it) Just joking

http://www.koeln.de/en/index.html

If the city itself gets enough negative feedback, perhaps something could be done to welcome ALL residents to all area regardless of skin/hair color and body shape.

btw... if "furry" was a "mask" and not like any other avatar, why would the Lindens have "Default Furry Male" and "Default Furry Female" listed under Avatars in the library?

Oops, because I posted a few words in German on the first page...but you understand German?



@Chas: OI! But I am!


@Raynor: Oh for GOD'S (honestly!!!) sake, what's wrong with Tinies now???

Have you considered the possibility that they're using the term masquerading simply to exclude anyone they don't consider acceptable. And why did they target furries in particular? I'm off in my vampire guise to check it out.

Answer to that question: All of them, including LL.

~Jessy

I wonder how much more effective a calm, composed notecard to the owners of the sim would be, versus the high drama of a protest that immediately assumes prejudice on their part? Everyone rushes to condemn them because they are a religious entity, instead of giving the benefit of the doubt that they don't understand SL. (and as Jessy already pointed out, neither does LL!)

I actually think these people understand quite well what they are doing, though.

Everyone is focusing on the second "DON'T" which is being translated to "no masks" (or somesuch). Look at the pic in the OP, 4th DON'T: "FURRY-AVATARE".

Now, my Duetch is basically non-existant, but I do have a brain. I'm fairly certain that translates to "Furry Avatars".

Whether they understand jsut what a furry is, may be open for debate (a lot in SL, and RL, have no freaking clue), but it's not a matter of "masks". They are being discrimatory, whether by intent, or by just being stupid.

~Jessy

Chances are it's just stupidity. As I said before, it's not like they have said "NO GAYS" or any other discriminatory statement. This is the point of the calm letter - EDUCATE, don't condemn them off the bat.

&
It isn't that, for me at least; I would hardly call myself some immense "furry rights" activist. In certain cases it is quite appropriate to say "if you wish to come here and interact you must have a certain appearance, otherwise it will ruin it". I can certainly understand that, say, weapons are banned, as would presumably be satanic symbols and so on.

The issue is more that it is comical that furry avatars are banned for "masquerading" whereas a seven-foot SL Muscle Mary with a chest five times wider than his pelvis presumably, _isn't_. The concept may be being mistranslated here (it would be unlikely that there was a direct analogue to a word in English) but it does seem basically a bit daft when you consider avatars. What does "masquerade" or "pretense" mean in a world where everyone defines their own appearance consciously? Perhaps only Ruths should be allowed....

I'm tempted to send my alt in and switch to its angel avatar - wings, halo, long robe, the works. I suppose I might put away my Sword of Vengeance for the occasion. But I am getting curious about what they might do to winged guardian angels...

The "mask" explanation IS given in the notecard, under a special heading "Why No Furries?"

I'm going to found the First Church of Ruth.

An Angel - even Jesus himself -would be regarded as very dangerous by the Church. Undoubtedly perma-ban.

Well, I think that in this context, that would legitimately count as, as the demotic phrase has it, "taking the piss".

This is the kind of on going descrimination that makes any fur shudder.
When a fur dies do they not go to heaven? are we not human behind these pc's?
Do we not have familys and friends who are human? do we bleed blue blood?

When jesus died, he died for all of us, not some of us.. not a select few. ALL OF US.
He didnt care what we were as long as we were happy.

Man took the earth and its leadership and it turned some greedy, its very very sad to see that even a house of god has this greed, i know god himself would frown upon it.

ALL FOR FURS *raises paws*

Tinies are fine. It's FURRY Tinies that are so problematic that they need to be forbidded without discussion.

The question was never answered, so I can't say.

I did try to visit just now to see, but instead I was handed off to some other region, where the first thing that I heard was



And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I spend most of my time in Caledon.

er *sigh* >_>
its ok, i understand.

And do they place Hybrids, in the same category as Furs.

After all their human face shows.

Annabelle, I like your Dragon idea. Hope you morph into a fire breathing Hydra.