Furries are not a persecuted minority.

I'm sorry, Sam. In order to choose the next topic, you must first correctly answer the previous question.

(Plus it gives me time to think of a daily double)

Sorry, but if you told me I had to wear any avatar but the one that represents me in SL, I'd tell you to where to take your venue and stuff it, and I'm human. I've worn others, and am uncomfortable until I can return to the avatar that has come to represent me in world.

Now, bear in mind, this is my real world place of business, not a game to me, so perhaps my perspective is a bit different from yours. I would refuse to enter said cathedral for any number of reasons, but discriminatory practices would be very near the top of the list.

I do not discriminate based on age of avatar, sex of avatar, apparent race, species or molecular, mechanical, electrical or 'other' makeup of their avatar. Rather I judged each individual based on their behavior and then deal with them accordingly.

Oddly, I expect the same in return.

And I don't give a rip if this is second life or first life, that is the way people should behave towards each other. It'd go a long long way towards that whole peace on earth and good will towards man thing churches are supposedly representing. I don't have much use for hypocrisy.

Char

I'll be opening a new store soon. Thank you for reminding me I need to be sure and make it Dalek accessible.

Well. Yes and no. Many many people wear furry avatars as you do, for fun or beauty, and switch back and forth freely. Cool.

Some use furry AVs as their totem animal, so in fact they feel that their furry avatar is closer to their soul than a human one. Again, fabulous.

And some have had a furry persona since the 80s. Some term themselves furry "lifestylers" --- see wikipedia. And there does seem to be bias against such in some circles, and as usual such bias seems to revolve around questions about sexuality. Some people seem to feel that furriness betokens an interest in sex with animals. I have heard bdsm proponents say things like: well ok i'm kinky but at least i only do it with consenting humans, for god's sake. Again, look at the section on sexuality in the furry writeup in wikipedia, and consider that many, if not most, furs would regard the term "yiff" as a pejorative.

Note the source of the difference drawn above between neko and furry.

I am sure that others in this thread can be much more articulate about the sources of anti-furry prejudice. But I did feel that Elmore deserved to have the veils lifted a bit.

Your amateur sociologist,

nikums

Wow, turn my back for a minute to work for a change and a thread can really take off!



Hmm...tough choice. I can't guarantee the first choice would fit so I'll go with the biplane. Although, I actually already have a biplane. It has just one set of wings but tends to swing from one side to the other when I try to fly it. Very hard to control, tends to want to fly into anything that does or doesn't move.

Daleks can Levitate up stairs, they don't need ramps. See "Revelation of the Daleks" Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, Season 25, or 26.

Angel.

Season 25.

And the nitpicker in me wants to remark that it's "Remembrance of the Daleks".

I'll go get me an anorak now.

You are Quite Correct, Thank you.

Don't feel too bad, i have the Entire 26 year run on video tape, Including the K-9 and company Spin-off series Pilot, Both Peter Cushing movies, and Both versions of "An Unearthly Child" (It was performed live twice because the first time Coencided with the Kennedy assassination, and it was preempted in many locations).

Angel.

I could have said that as well, the DVD is actually LYING here on my desk! *goes to get her anorak too*

Biplanes have two sets of wings, but your plane and my biplane might have the same flying script. It's a little sketchy when I'm flying it, but put someone on the wing and all sorts of hilarity ensues.

I think Elmore's issue (he will certainly correct me if I'm wrong) is not necessarily with furries. It's the fact that the church banned them and people decried the church for doing so. The problem I see is that you can't defend the church's right to ban furries on the one hand and then not defend people's right to decry the church's actions on the other. I choose to defend both. It's the church's land and they should be allowed to do as they please. I disagree with them and think it's a bad choice, but it's their right. On the other hand, there are consequences for those actions, and the consequence is that non-furry people are refusing to support them by visiting their sim and are asking others to do the same. Just as they have the right to do as they please with their land, I have the right to refuse to visit and to publicize their poor decision. It's the exact same right, and it works exactly the same in RL. Expressing an unpopular opinion is your right under the First Amendment (assume you are in the US for this argument), but you are only protected from government retaliation. There are consequences for expressing an unpopular opinion. People might boycott your business if you own one, you might lose your job, people might say awful things about you. That's their right.

Anyway, that's my .02. Or my 5L. Whichever you like. It's not like furries are persecuted minorities, but when they are banned from a build, it's not like the people doing the banning are persecuted either.

I feel indeed much better now. Phew!

If you REALLY want to see what a Dalek can do, Watch the new series, They are fantastic.

Oh, and back on topic, The Cathedral is a privately owned property, despite it being Open to the public, and as a representation of the Real cathedral they are requesting the Same level of Respect for the Site (They wish it to be treated as a REAL Church). You wouldn't get into the Real one dressed as Nipples the big blue bear, and they won't let you into this one Dressed like that For the Same Reasons (I Know where-of i Speak, because when i Went to St. Peters in Rome, they didn't like my Blouse, and i was asked to Wear a Cover of Acceptable Modesty that they Issued to me, I Knew Where i was, and i wore it without hesitation or Complaint) .

In Going there, you are a Guest In Their House. You Live by Their Rules. You don't have a "Right" to be there, and you are under No Compulsion to Go there. If you can't respect their rules, Stay home.

Angel.

He, he ... My Dalek avi is the one from the "Dalek" episode ...

Alyx has Dalek Caan.

I do understand the furry plight, as they are singled out by certain sectors of SL's populace for griefing, rooted in typical gender-based bias ("furfag". It's wrong, disgusting, and odious. But at the same time, my view (I don't speak for anyone else) is that there is a line to draw so that one does not lose their grip on reality. Elmore is right - you are not your avatar, and neither is your avatar you. It takes nothing off us to respect others beliefs, even if we do not agree with them. Travel to a Muslim-dominated country? Follow the custom. Travel to a furry sim? Follow the custom. Travel to a Gorean sim? Follow the custom. Following custom doesn't change who you are on the inside. I may not agree with Muslims but I am not going to ridicule them for what they believe. Ridicule is too much fun, though, for some people to pass up.

Oooooh! *Looks at you adoringly*

(I have a little talking Dalek standing here on my desk, too...it can say "Exterminate" and a lot of other useful things too!)

OI! I'm Dalek Sec! (BEFORE his mishap in NY)

Would now be a good time to mention my Dalek tie that says: "You are an enemy of the Daleks! Exterminate!" ...?

Oh, right. Sorry.

Was ahead of the times ...

I do believe tho that there is a difference between taking your shoes off in a mosque or your hat in a church, and saying furries shouldn't enter a church. The latter has no roots in belief. At least that's what my Catholic dad said, who works in a monks' abbey.

I also have a complete set of lead Miniatures. I've loved the show since i was a little Girl.

A.

Sure it has a root in a belief; the belief of whoever made the rule.

FWIW, I'm far more troubled by RL religious places that exclude women behind curtains or walls than a SL church that asks you to click a button and change some pixels on a monitor. But then, I'm crazy like that.

Cool! i always thought there weren't that many girls into Who - I had a crush on Sylvester McCoy when I was sixteen...

...or putting them in a dingy extra room....as a Muslim, i have seen that far too often, and it actually isn't part of belief, but of tradition.

It depends on how you view a furry. If you view it as a costume, then I understand the ban. But if it's of the "evil sick furfag" nature, that's a completely different situation.

go back under your bridge troll.