Self-proclaimed ‘family friendly’ furry group meets at Southern Illinois University

A student group at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) is offering an outlet for students and members of the broader public who are part of “Furry Fandom.” The organization claims it is “family friendly.” 

According to a picture of a poster obtained by Campus Reform, the group – The “Saluki Furry Society” – meets on Wednesday evenings.

“Furries” are those who have a desire to dress up as animals, often as part of a fetish.

“We are a small, family friendly student organization at SIUC for those in the Furry Fandom,” the Saluki Furry Society at SUIC says on its Facebook page.

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The university’s Student Multicultural Resource Center provides a more detailed description on its Registered Student Organizations page.

“The purpose of this organization is to provide a safe environment for SIU students and Southern Illinois Community Members to discuss and partake in ‘Furry’ related topics and events,” it says. “All meetings and events affiliated with Saluki Furry Society are treated as LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces.”

Several members of the Saluki Furry Society gave their reasons for attending the group’s meetings, as seen in a 2018 article in The Daily Egyptian, the school’s student-run newspaper, 

The society’s founder said he wanted to give the “furry fandom” a home on campus. 

“I wanted to do it because I love the furry fandom for what it is,” he said. “I wanted to contribute to the fandom by making a place where members could connect with each other and have a safe place to talk about the fandom.”

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Another said she found the group brought her relief from obligations. 

“For me, it’s kind of escaping the responsibilities that come with being a human adult,” the student said. “[To] just go out, just have fun for once. Not anyone nagging at you to do this, to do that.”

The Saluki Furry Society is not the only “LGBTQ+ Safe Space” at Southern Illinois University. Another group called The Intersectionality Project is dedicated to “queer Black students” and “others with intersecting identities.”

“The organization is essential to be used as a structure to guide students who are Black or Brown, male or female, transgender, or non-binary and to give them essential guidance and positivity,” the student group’s description says.

Campus Reform contacted Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.