An Australian police officer’s revelation that he identified himself as a cat during his off-duty hours has caught the attention of his colleagues.
According to an article published by the Adelaide Advertiser, the officer made the disclosure to his superiors earlier this year.
According to the report, the officer, who is reportedly in his late 20s, enjoys dressing up as a cat for weekends and has been referred to as a furry within the ranks.
Despite the furor caused by his revelation, the police force is not aware of his private life.
A spokesperson for South Australia Police said that the force is committed to making its workplace more inclusive.
It allows employees to come out and identify themselves at any given time.
According to his friends, the officer’s personal preference didn’t affect his or her duties.
The article also claimed that the police force is aware of the officer’s unusual persona.
Furries are individuals who are fond of animals with characteristics similar to humans, such as facial expressions, intelligence, and clothes.
According to an expert on the subculture, the broader generalizations about the furries are inaccurate.
She said that around 70% of the members of the community identify as LGBTQ+, and more than 25% of them are gender-diverse.
In her article, Professor Roberts noted that the inaccurate stereotypes about the furries are caused by the sensationalized portrayals of the subculture in the media. She said that if people learned about the subculture through social media or television, then the information they’ve been provided is probably not correct.
Although being intimate may be a part of the furries’ fandom, most of them are motivated by their social belonging. According to Professor Roberts, who referred to them as Star Trek fans or passionate sports fans, the furries are often neglected in the community.
According to her, the furries are bullied more often than the non-furries. Research has also shown that up to 15 percent of these individuals are on the autism spectrum. In Australia, various cases of individuals adopting similar identities have been reported in recent years. One instance was the case of a private school in the country that allowed a non-verbal student to identify himself as a cat.
According to a report by the Herald Sun, the school had a policy that allowed students to identify themselves as animals if it didn’t disrupt the school. TikTok and other platforms showcase the vibrant world of furries through the #furry hashtag, which features individuals wearing elaborate animal costumes. It’s believed that there are thousands of furries in Australia.