Being a furry in Pittsburgh takes money, time and planning

Being a furry in Pittsburgh is not as easy as it might appear. It involves more than just showing up, putting on an animal costume, and walking in a parade.

For example it takes a considerable financial investment to become what is known in furry circles as a “high dollar member” at Pittsburgh’s 2023 Anthrocon Convention taking place this weekend. There are different classifications of furries based on how much participants are willing to spend. There are regular attendees, sponsors, super sponsors and ultra sponsors.

On Saturday morning at the Westin Hotel, husband and wife Joseph and Cassie Bryant of Lansing, Mich. were enjoying a buffet brunch, one of the perks of being a super sponsor. which cost them $375 apiece. Organizers say the money goes toward various animal rescue groups; this year it’s an organization that protects rabbits called The Rabbit Wranglers of Pittsburgh.

The Bryants also received first dibs on a king suite at the Westin, which goes for $1,000 for the weekend. There was also the cost of transportation from Lansing, which is 350 miles from Pittsburgh. Joseph and Cassie traveled separately. He drove and she took the train.

And then there are their costumes, which cost from $3,000 to $5,000 apiece.

Joseph’s costume is what he refers to as a “bion,” a combination of a bear and a lion, because he had a difficult time deciding between the two.

In order to keep cool in the summer, he has a unit that pumps cool air into the costume head. Both he and his wife also wear military cooling vests that pump water and ice to keep them cool from the neck down.

Cassie’s costume is a white tiger. The heads of each costume were placed on adjacent dining room chairs as they ate and spoke with a reporter.

So, what makes the expense of participating in Anthrocon in Pittsburgh worth it to a married couple who both attend college?

“For me, it’s making new friends,” Joseph Bryant said.” I’m an extreme extrovert. The Tiger here (his wife) is an extreme introvert.”

“It’s not that I don’t like people,” Cassie Bryant said. “It’s just that I don’t like socializing. This kind of gives me a controlled environment where the people around me, the Furry Fandom, all share a common interest. It’s one big community. So it’s just like hanging out with your friends as opposed to going to a mall or a bar and you don’t know anybody and you don’t know what you have in common.”

Joseph said furry conventions in general are like a giant, nerdy family reunion.

“When you talk to your family and, say, you’re really passionate about Dr. Who, you can only talk to your family for so long before they’re like ‘I don’t care. I’m so tired of hearing this story.’

“Whereas when you come to a convention like this, you meet more like-minded people. You can literally talk for hours about the same thing and you’re loving your interaction. It’s like a giant furry fandom reunion.”

Seated at a nearby table, Charles Askew, 50, Atlanta, and his husband, Luke Emerson, 34, Atlanta, were joined by fellow super sponsor Nyla Bates, 30, Cincinnati.

“People will spend $1,500 to $2,000 to take a beach vacation. This is the same thing for us,” Askew said. “We get to surround ourselves with people who are very like-minded, so it’s our vacation. But it’s also a big annual event.

“So, there’s really no difference between spending all that to go out to the beach and coming here. It’s a big family reunion.”

Another super sponsor, recent college graduate Ryan Jackson, 22, Madison, Wisc., carpooled to Pittsburgh with friends. He considers himself part of a new and younger furry generation; he was able to hold his costs down to $600.

“Anthrocon is our vacation,” Jackson said. “It’s a time to see friends and travel out to the East Coast. It was the first time that I was able to find a community that was accepting and LGBTQ focused.”

Jackson said having the furry convention in Pittsburgh makes it all the more enjoyable.

“It’s very lovely. We got to do the incline. My favorite experience is the food. I came here last year and really enjoyed the food. Being able to walk down the street and get really nice Korean barbeque is awesome.”