Terminology changes and adapts. Sometimes, it comes from not-so-pleasant places. Sometimes, it gets reclaimed. That doesn't fucking change whether or not it is currently used.

So let's go over this!

Fun fact: "kin" and "kinning" are often used as shorthand, this is rather common, and controlling other peoples' language is a shit thing to do!

"I kin xyz", "I'm kin with xyz", and "I'm xyz kin" are ALL very often shorthand for "I am otherkin/fictionkin and my kintype is xyz".

"I'm kinning xyz" is often shorthand for "I'm kinfirming xyz"

"my kins" is often shorthand for "my kintypes".

"I've kinned xyz for years" is often shorthand for "It's been years since I began being aware of my xyz kintype".

"kinning" IS OFTEN SHORTHAND FOR "the act of being otherkin/fictionkin" !!!!!!

And if your argument is that this'll make other people think we're "crazy"? Surprise, anti-otherkin ALREADY THINK THAT. We're a DID system, we're already what they think is "crazy". We've been with the otherkin community for 10 years now and the amount of people trying to control others after the KFF boom is DISGUSTING. Get a fucking grip. We are the ones the sanists hate. Self-flagellating at their doorstep won't make them respect us.

The fact that many people write this off as "oh well you might be treated differently in the community" is outrageous. Treating anyone as "less real" because of their terminology is horrible. Get a grip, leave behind your paranoia about KFFs, and stop judging others' validity based on what terms they're used to.

>Being fictionkin is racist and believing it's a past life is the same as saying you can transition into another race now_

I love this community, from those who identify via spiritually to psychologically & everything in-between and outside of that- literally everyone. BUT, we need to address the elephant in the room that is TikTok therians and otherkin doing genuine harm to the community.

Our population is growing due to their work, and although it makes me happy to see so many others discovering themselves, it also makes me sad because we are seeing the meanings of words changing and yes that's how language works, but these changes are not going to be healthy long term.

I originally wasn't going to make this post until something happened the other day that made me realize how big of an issue this is. I come from a personal experience that's actively going on irl for me

Now I won't get into details out of respect for everyone's privacy, but it's important I address this. One of my siblings has discovered the otherkin label through TikTok and is now identifying as wolfkin... BUT they are now having daily meltdowns because they cannot eat from a bowl on the floor during family dinners. They are adamant at doing strictly quads because "that's what otherkin is" and they have become so mentally distressed because they feel the need to prove themselves due to what is being advertised on TikTok. They believe that they need to outwardly appear as a wolf 24/7.

I personally believe that I am a faerie shapeshifter, I believe I am one 24/7, but I'm also aware of time and place. I do not bark at people in public (yes my sibling is now doing this). It is causing them genuine mental health issues, as they are genuinely screaming and crying every day, and it doesn't help that our family is not very understanding of it, especially since my sibling is an adult still living at home. They are autistic, and take things VERY literally, they are also very lonely due to their disability and have always been desperate to find a sense of community. I've attempted to explain to them that they don't need to prove anything to anyone, and that being otherkin can mean more than quads, but they're adamant that this is right for them despite the daily breakdowns and overwhelming dysphoria, (that they admit that they didn't have before). They're in therapy, but I'm not sure how that's going since I do not live with them, everything that I know is from what I've seen during visits and what my family has told me, as they're at a loss as they were in the middle of trying to get my sibling into college. Now that they're a wolf, they have no interest in education 🙃

I'll be honest, I am worried about their safety, my whole family is. We live in the south, and people are not kind to the mentally ill being in public. (if anyone has any advice I'm genuinely willing to hear it btw)

And although I know this is an individual problem with a lot of factors outside of the otherkin community, I know my sibling is not the only person experiencing this. There have been a lot of new members of the community expressing extreme dysphoria and pressure to be like the TT creators. AND I'm seeing a lot of confusion on what being nonhuman/alterhuman is now (especially now that a lot of these TT creators are backtracking in order to save face), and I think we're in a really awkward spot as a community.

Do NOT send hate to these creators, and do not think I am advocating for their hate, trying to gatekeep, or saying that they're not part of the community- they are. They're valid, and they're real, there's just some harm coming from the lack of transparency, and I think we as a community need to stop ignoring it. We need to prioritize education.

Firstly, it's a boundary. That's personal anyway and doesn't need to be tied to any moral basis. If someone doesn't like X and they say DNI, you can't expect them to be friendly when you interact.

Secondly, I am so tired of the "it's delusional" argument. So what if it is? A person has a genuine mental health condition that causes them to act a certain way. You cannot be surprised when they act accordingly. Everyone has a space in our communities.

I feel a lot of it comes from the more recent "Oh we don't actually think we're our kintypes rhetoric - only the crazy kins do that!" Which... kin literally means identifying as your kintype, you ARE your kintype. And trust me, any outsider that dislikes proper kins, will not be any kinder to this "I'm not like them!" routine.

On the other side - don't harrass doubles. Hope that goes withouth saying.

I'm talking mostly about other platforms as Tumblr is still reasonably understanding, but I've seen it here too.