First Advisor

Ben Anderson-Nathe

Term of Graduation

Spring 2024

Date of Publication

5-23-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work and Social Research

Department

Social Work

Language

English

DOI

10.15760/etd.3757

Physical Description

1 online resource (x, 344 pages)

Abstract

Queer and trans youth of color are often the target of surveillance, bullying, discrimination, and abuse. However, in an attempt to navigate such violent and discriminatory circumstances, the queer and trans youth of color in this dissertation found refuge in furry art and performances, both online and offline, where they were able to express themselves freely and thus acquire a sense of belonging among others with similar experiences. In this dissertation, "a furry" is used to refer to an individual who self-identifies as one who has an affinity for anthropomorphic animal characters. A common practice among furries is creating a fursona, or a furry persona, which serves as an anthropomorphic animal representation of oneself. Each fursona is unique to the individual, allowing for complete customization to reflect personal needs and desires. This dissertation seeks to explore the role of the fursona for queer and trans youth of color in order to inform professional educators, social workers and child and youth care workers on the empowering and transformative aspects of creating and embodying anthropomorphic animals. Utilizing hermeneutic phenomenological research methods and drawing from queer and queer of color theoretical frameworks, the dissertation seeks to explore the essence of creating and embodying the fursona in order to explore its function for queer and trans youth of color in navigating, resisting, and alleviating anti-queer and trans violence.

This dissertation identifies three main themes from the results of this study related to the creation and embodiment of the fursona for queer and trans youth of color: 1) The fursona was used to explore different ways of existing in the world and to expand the participant’s ability to express queer and trans desires, 2) the fursona was used as a way to help the participants navigate negative emotions such as pain, stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety in order to escape certain conditions and process trauma, and 3) the fursona was used to explore one’s individual relationship to sex and their sexuality in creative and powerful ways in safe and comfortable settings. From the themes, this dissertation seeks to highlight the importance of play and fun in creating and embodying a fursona which is understood as a powerful and creative act for freely feeling queer and trans desires.

The result of this dissertation focuses on the ways in which queer and trans youth creatively utilize furry art and performance to radically assert agency within oppressive environments for survival. In considering its implication for professional practice this dissertation emphasizes that the furry acts featured in this study are not solutions to stopping the continued erasure and silencing of queer and trans of color life. Instead, they are rather survival practices for navigating and mitigating various iterations of anti-queer and trans atmospheres that are felt in the everyday. This dissertation therefore argues that in supporting queer and trans youth of color in their efforts for self-expression and affirmation, creative and undomesticated pursuits for agency and autonomy should be valued and supported as they are proven to be a vital practice for sustaining queer and trans of color life.

Rights

© 2024 Hazel Ali Zaman

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42241

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