ATTENTION OTHERKIN AND NON-KIN ALIKE
Oh boy here I go, I’ve been debating on wether or not I should post this here. But I think it’s an important topic and I would like to help stop this war. So otherkin or not please take some time to read this, I’ll try to keep it short.
There is a conflict between the current three main branches of otherkin: Therian(terrestrial animals) Traditional Otherkin(mythical creatures) and Fictionkin(fictional characters). There are other branches like inanimate objects and abstract concepts but I won’t talk about those here.
So Are fictionkin otherkin? YES they are, wether old-timers like it or not “otherkin” has become an umbrella term used to describe someone that identifies as something else, it used to be for non-humans only, however since some of this characters, fictional or not, are definitely human this is no longer true.
I believe this three otherkin types belong in the same tree but are very different branches, with their own unique characteristics. Why? Well, from what I have seen and experienced, fictionkin believes and practices are different from the believes of their otherkin and therian cousins. And that is NOT a bad thing. Fictionkin are relatively new, not only that but their lines are mainly formed by very young kin, it is very difficult to find old-timer fictionkin, they are still figuring stuff out, creating their identity, constructing their believes, building their community. I believe we all still are. The REAL problem is that fictionkin blogs are very popular and attract a lot of attention, eventually newcomers and non-kin are going to ask this blogs the big question: what is otherkin? And if they do not specify that what they are saying only applies to fictionkin or to themselves it means they are talking for the otherkin community as a whole. And that is when traditional otherkin and therians start to get pissed off. They are saying that they believe in things that don’t, that they experience kin in a way they don’t. And this people will take what you say and run with it without doing any more research, and will take for granted that all otherkin live their kin in the same way, when they don’t.
Being asked this question is a big responsibility, if you are not sure yourself talk only about YOUR personal experience and SPECIFY it, or redirect the question to a more experienced kin. This is not the first time this happens, I remember a while ago there was a battle between otherkin and therians because some of their beliefs collided, it went on and on to the point that “therian only” forums and chat rooms where created and if you were not a terrestrial animal you were not welcomed. With time the issue calmed down but still today you can find Therians who dislike been called otherkin.
I think it is important to clarify that this can happen the other way around, therian and traditional otherkin also sometimes speak in the name of fictionkin and that is equally wrong.
We are all otherkin, we all have a common ancestor but we have evolved, and we still are, into different branches. And that is not a bad thing, diversity makes everything more fun and interesting.
Be kind to fellow kin and help us clean our name teaching those outside and inside our community how diverse we are.
Thank you
I love you all-Greece the centaur.
…fictionkin are not new. Our communities formed off tumblr completely over a decade ago, and have many older members involved. It’s obvious you haven’t been involved long yourself.
@fromfiction do you wanna jump in?
Also, no “old-timers” are against the technical differences between otherkin, therian, and fictionkin. Those distinctions have always been there, which is why those labels were coined to begin with. I was there when “otakukin” was scrapped and “fictionkin” came into being, for heaven’s sake. But yes, otherkin has become something of an umbrella term. Individuals specify what labels they feel they fall under, and that’s that.
There are no set “beliefs and practices” between the groups. Everyone is different.
Therian elitism, and to some degree from otherkin towards fictionkin, isn’t new either. But those therians and otherkin are allowed to have their own spaces and believe or not believe in whatever they want to. They also have to coexist with us in mixed spaces. Those who can’t handle it and feel the need to preach, from either end, don’t get a friendly reception.
We’re distinct groups of people with similar ideas about our identities. We’re not a family, we’re not a religion, and we’re not all united in anything. You have to deal with the fact that some therians and otherkin don’t like or believe in fictionkin, same as non-kin not believing in any of us. That’s just reality.
Happy to assist! I already responded to this before I saw your reply, but one thing I’d like to add is a link to the excellent History of the Fictionkin Community.
Its frustrating to see how much negative buzz that copingkin/wishkin/tumblrkin have created for the actual fictionkin community. It seems like everybody sees them, and forget about those of us who have been here for a while.
