As sex scandals go, this one captures the imagination.
Not because a 45-year-old Fort Collins mom stands accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy. Rather, it’s the question of what they were wearing.
Richael Michels is a “furry,” the term for folks who take special interest in anthropomorphic animals. She and her teenage sidekick — the son of a woman who police say was her friend — reportedly frequented “furmeets.”
I’d never heard of furry fandom before news of Michels’ arrest. So I called around to check if I missed something in health class.
“It means getting hot for that Rocky the Mountain Lion (mascot) at Nuggets games,” a friend explained.
I’m blushing as I write this. And feeling especially stodgy.
Michels goes by the online nickname “Kitteh,” and apparently partakes in the crafty side of the movement. She seems to have asked on her Amazon wish list for a book called “Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits.” The list also seeks the title, “Boundaries: A Guide for Teens — Spiritual Version,” a sign of her interest in the emotional lives of kids.
She awaits a hearing on charges of sexual assault on a child. After getting bailed out last week from the Larimer County jail, she was unavailable for comment.
For their part, others offered plenty of chatter about what makes them furry.
“I’ve always been a tiger deep inside,” explained a Denver software engineer who identified himself only as “Tie-ger.” He says he spent $6,000 on his latest fursuit.
A grad student told me the stuffed bunny she cherished as a young girl led to her “fursona” as what she calls a “she-rabbit.” And a man from Littleton revealed that he’s most relaxed when dressed as a Smurf.
“Not even an animal, really, I admit,” he said.
Many furries have lifelong affinities for certain animals or cartoon characters. Some dress up as a way to overcome shyness. Some wear street clothes but have fetishes for people in costume. Some refer to themselves as “furverts” and chat online about group “furpiles” in which they cuddle up in a furry mass of bodies.
Given Michels’ arrest, Colorado furries no doubt will have much to discuss at the Rocky Mountain Fur Con at Denver’s Crowne Plaza Hotel in August. Organizers say they strive “at all times to be a family orientated convention.” You know, the kind of shindig where a guy like Chuck E. Cheese can mingle and kick up his paws.
The event bans groping and “tongue battles” in public, imploring furries to please use their common sense.
“Collars and leashes may be worn discreetly,” reads its policy.
“As a rule, a minimum of a nonthong bathing suit must be worn at all times in public areas. ‘Anatomically correct’ costumes must be likewise clothed.”
In other words, if you absolutely must express your manhood or womanhood as a cartoon character, please get a room.
Susan Greene writes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach her at 303-954-1989 or greene@denverpost.com.
