Guest Blog by Orchid:
Where is Furry?
By Orchid
A guest submission for the August 2026 Midway Menagerie, on the theme "Where is furry?"
"Where are you when you feel the most comfortable as your furry self?"
The answer is quite simple. It is when I'm with/in the presence of my friends. The people I surround myself with.
The detailed answer is my friends; who I love and care about deeply, and community; that being the communities/people I associate/surround myself with daily; and, to some extent, the furry community.
My friends and my community is the place where I feel my most authentic furry self. Whether out and about in suit or just casually hanging out/around someplace or at an event, it doesn't matter to me as long as I'm surrounded by my friends or with my community. That's not to say that I am furry for my friends, but that I am able to be furry because of my friends.
My friends and community provide the safety and comfortability for me to come out authentically as myself. Never once before in my life have I felt like I had a safe place to experiment with or be myself; wearing what I want to wear, creating outfits that make me feel cute, and accessorizing like I haven't before. For years I experimented in secret because of how embarrassed I felt and how much I worried what might happen if my peers or family found out; if I painted my nails, if I wore a skirt or dress, if I liked wearing a piece of clothing perhaps a bit too "weird" or graphic.
But now? I've found a place where this is normal. A place where, as far as I'm aware, everyone has always been their authentic selves, all the while I'm still playing catch up. I am catching up though. And I am 100 meters from your location and approaching rapidly! But sincerely, I'm learning a lot of new things about myself because I have my friends and community to support me! Furries together strong!
"Where is Furry?" Furry is with my friends and community because they make me feel like myself. They provided a safe, comfortable space for me to be more open with myself and I've never been happier! I am cringe and I am free! :3
To my friends and to my community, thank you for all you've done for me in this past year. It's only been a year, but it feels so much longer with all you who I've had the greatest pleasure of hanging out with and befriending. To say what all of you have done for me is life-changing would be an understatement. The impact you all have had on me is so much greater than I can put into words. Thank you all for being an integral part of my life and entire being!