Shit Otherkin Say

Let me explain before you get upset. 

Otherkin, fictionkin, therian… these are things you are, not things you do. 

“Kinning” as a word indicates that it’s something you do. 

You don’t kin as something, you are kin because you identify AS something. 

This rephrasing makes me profoundly uncomfortable because the core of being kin of any kind has always been, “it’s not something you do, it’s something you are”. 

Casual reminder that psychological otherkinity/fictionkinity/therianthropy is a thing and it is certainly just as legitimate as spiritual otherkinity. So if you’re an otherkin who doesn’t believe in past lives, souls, or any of that spiritual stuff, know that you are still otherkin so long as you identify as something other than human.

-”Being other-/fictionkin is a choice” + “You can choose your kintypes”

Otherkin and fictionkin alike is being defined as an ivoluntary identity. No one can simply choose to identify as non-human or fictionkin. Those who consciously choose to identify as non-human or a fictional character in order to cope are copinglink (which is just as legitimate as otherkin).

-”Other-/fictionkinity is a coping mechanism”

Again, if you take on an identity to cope, you are not other-/fictionkin, you are copinglink. A coping mechanism is something you do. Being ‘kin is an identity, something you are. 

-””Kinning” outside one’s race is racist”

This argument does not make sense and those who throw it around are generally misinformed about the nature of otherkinity, since no one can choose their kintypes or simply drop them. Additionally, “kinning” isn’t a real word.

-”Other-/fictionkin are people who feel a connection or strongly relate to something”

This is not what other-/fictionkinity is. Other-/fictionkin internally see themselves as their kintypes and identify as them, not with them. Feeling a strong connection or relating to something doesn’t make you other-/fictionkin. The correct term for identifying with something would be other- or fictionhearted.

-”Other-/fictionkin are people who believe in reincarnation”

Many people only acknowledge the spiritual side of otherkinity and think all kintypes or fictotypes are past lives. By far not all of us believe our identities were past lives, or spiritual in nature, though. The psychological/neurological other- and fictionkin are often completely ignored. People explain and percieve their identities in many different ways, e.g. a misplaced or “trapped” soul, past lives, a differently wired brain, past trauma, etc.

-”Otherkin are valid”

Why is any community subculture pertaining to do with animals (especially those including animal cosplay, roleplay or identity.) heavily sexualized by outsiders?

It’s actually dangerous to associate groups that have absolutely fucking nothing to do with bestiality with the illegal act, or paint them out to be “kinks”, it’s so bizarre?

Furries aren’t inherently sexual.

Otherkinity/Therianthropy is never sexual.

Alright. Let’s get something out of the way. I’m fictionkin and otherkin. This post isn’t about all kin folk being abusers, but it is a warning and something we all really need to be discussing. Let’s talk about who this community consists of, specifically on tumblr. Minors and nd folk. I don’t mean this in a condescending way, but kids are impressionable, they’re easily manipulated and are, as a result, at higher risk of what I’m trying to bring to light. In general, people in the kin community tend to be lonely and eaasily attach themselves to those who give them attention without actually putting in the effort to connect with someone substantially. The unfortunate reality is that this community is easily exploitable by abusive people, who can easily claim they are someone and use that as reason to weasel into someone’s life and make it difficult for said person to get away. Especially when this person can claim to share a past life or past lives with them, establishing a false connection that previously wasn’t there.

The sad truth of the matter is that anyone can say they share a past life with you, and kinnie culture has become more about projecting onto other people rather than seeking emotional value in who they are now. This is dangerous, and even if it isn’t a worst case scenario where you are projecting onto someone abusive and therefore making it harder to leave, you run the risk of actually hurting someone because you are not seeing them as a person. You’re seeing them as who they were/id as. Everyone jokes about the endless amounts of callouts and drama running rampant, but nobody seems to be asking WHY this is happening. Projecting is a major reason, and this is dangerous.

It’s not impossible to find someone that may have shared a past life, but I implore everyone to look beyond that. You don’t know who these people are now, and without that, you are running the risk of putting yourself in dangerous and toxic situations and no amount of allegedly shared past lives will ever justify abusive, manipulative, or controlling behavior towards you. You are not obligated to give someone time, attention, money, etc. just because they CLAIM to share past lives with you. If you are being used or abused by someone like this, please know you don’t deserve it or have to stand for it, do your best to cut them off, and learn the signs. If someone you’ve just met is trying to push that they’re your lover from a past life and they know you, or try to push you into kintypes from sources they claim to be from, ESPECIALLY if said character has power over the one they’re pressuring you to be, these are red flags. Acting as if sharing a past life alone is merit to be close is a red flag. I want everyone in this community to be safe and be aware, because the harsh reality is that there are dangerous people everywhere, and they know how to become social chameleons. In a community that is defined by people basing identities and personalities around characters, its so easy for anyone to say they are anything. You need to be ready to defend yourself from those that are lying or are using this as a means to keep you under their thumb.