Organizers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Con canceled their annual Furry gathering in Denver over fears that a group within the Furry community would cause mayhem and violence.
Furries are people who dress up in elaborate plush animal costumes. It's a strange hobby, but people like it apparently.
A group called the "Furry Raiders" adopted a symbol that consists of a black paw on a red background. The image triggered other Furries, making them think of the Nazi swastika and their objections to the "Raiders" started a clash.
Convention chairman Zachary Brooks said:
“People overreacted. As it got more and more heated, people started talking about beating up people wearing the symbol. They said ‘We’ve got a right to protect ourselves and we are going to bring weapons.'”
The fighting over the event caused security costs to increase so much that organizers couldn't afford to put it on anymore.
It also turns out that the Mid-American Anthropomorphic and Arts Corp. (MAAAC), the group that sponsors the convention, hasn't filed taxes for seven years because they used to have non-profit 501(c)(3) status.
MAAAC lost that status because of a "mess up in the books" and has paid back the money it owed.
The whole debacle over neo-Nazis and taxes has exhausted MAAAC and Rocky Mountain Fur Con so much that they're in the process of ending operation.
They're filing papers with the IRS to dissolve the corporation. Brooks said:
“Most of those involved have little interest in putting energy into this after all the issues we have been dealing with.”
The Furry world sure is strange...