Otherkin

[the]

What is it, and why it been has my experience with people who self identify as otherkin also self identify as genderqueer/asexual and aspergers? Is there some kind of relation to thinking you are a dragon and being queer?

 

[tfg345i4u5lw]

Maybe its just an exaggerated expression about how they feel. Maybe they feel so different as queer people that it manifests itself into something extreme like not being human, etc.

Like a Picasso painting but with self-identity. They take an abnormal aspect of their own personality and exaggerate it for the purpose of expression.

 

[Trifoilum]

What is it, and why it been has my experience with people who self identify as otherkin also self identify as genderqueer/asexual and aspergers? Is there some kind of relation to thinking you are a dragon and being queer?

otherkin is genderqueer with species. And...well, once you feel you are the wrong species, having the wrong gender / sexual orientation doesn't seem to be so weird, does it?

At the very least, it's a psychological feeling of dysphoria in GRAND amounts.

and asperger's...well, I dunno from what aspect we're going to approach this.
From the socially stunted angle, it's easy to see one as a symptom of another;

that they are diagnosed with asperger's due to their 'otherkin' status (simply put; being socially stunted because they feel different), or that their otherkin status is part of the effect of their asperger's. Perhaps it was some sort of social alienation, or a feeling of social detachment that manifested themselves in such a way that they feel like stuck in the wrong body.

I do not know what else to say. A part of me was sympathetic to their alienated status, to their status of being laughing stocks of the internet, but another part of me feels it's hilarious. Not hilarious because they're pathetic, but a bit... something you saw but just don't understand that you can't help but laugh.

But what I wondered is this; where do you meet an otherkin, [MENTION=731]UBERROGO[/MENTION]?

 

[the]

otherkin is genderqueer with species. And...well, once you feel you are the wrong species, having the wrong gender / sexual orientation doesn't seem to be so weird, does it?

At the very least, it's a psychological feeling of dysphoria in GRAND amounts.

and asperger's...well, I dunno from what aspect we're going to approach this.
From the socially stunted angle, it's easy to see one as a symptom of another;

that they are diagnosed with asperger's due to their 'otherkin' status (simply put; being socially stunted because they feel different), or that their otherkin status is part of the effect of their asperger's. Perhaps it was some sort of social alienation, or a feeling of social detachment that manifested themselves in such a way that they feel like stuck in the wrong body.

I do not know what else to say. A part of me was sympathetic to their alienated status, to their status of being laughing stocks of the internet, but another part of me feels it's hilarious. Not hilarious because they're pathetic, but a bit... something you saw but just don't understand that you can't help but laugh.

But what I wondered is this; where do you meet an otherkin, @UBERROGO?

My gfs brother is a "bird dragon", mentally stunted in that he has a mental capacity of a 16 year old at 21, and asexual so he seems to fit the bill, And a guy at school is a furry (which I assume is an otherkin or related somehow. I was unaware of the word otherkin to verify that with him at the time) and also asexual, though not mentally different that I can tell. However aspergers and otherkin as explicitly stated in the op is a phenomenon I only encountered online.

 

[Trifoilum]

My gfs brother is a "bird dragon", mentally stunted in that he has a mental capacity of a 16 year old at 21, and asexual so he seems to fit the bill, And a guy at school is a furry (which I assume is an otherkin or related somehow. I was unaware of the word otherkin to verify that with him at the time) and also asexual, though not mentally different that I can tell. However aspergers and otherkin as explicitly stated in the op is a phenomenon I only encountered online.

That was certainly interesting...you met interesting people.

I doubt furry is the same with otherkin, although I can see the two areas overlapping. Perhaps they are related.
I assume the difference between furry and otherkin is akin (*rimshot*) to transsexual and transgender.

My observations regarding otherkins are these
I don't see a lot of them (I know a lot of them go around Tumblr these days, though) but most of the otherkin I saw / read about are somewhat troubled....or at least hiding some amount of it.
I haven't seen any otherkin who are open, the way some transgender people are open about their situation (even those who doesn't have any operation)
And I noticed a lot of them seems to be in their teens / twenties.

Right now I'm still wondering if otherkinness is in the other side of being psychologically and/or socially well adjusted or there are well-adjusted otherkins as well.
And see above Re: I don't know whether if otherkinness was a cause or an effect.

 

[Jill Hives]

I had a friend in high school who identified as a "therian". She believed sincerely she had the spirit of a wolf. Perhaps this is the same thing, except with a non-mystical creature?

She was neither gender queer nor gay though. Just, a wolf, apparently.

I can relate somewhat to the "animal spirit" belief. Not that I think this literally, but I identify strongly with whales and always have. I was very drawn to them even as a baby. Perhaps it is something like this?

As of now I think of these sorts of beliefs in the terms that I stated. I think that it is just a strong spiritual affinity with said creature. A strong enough magnetism so that a person might actually believe they either were one of those creatures in a past life, or are one now but stuck in another species body.

I don't think genderqueer is exclusive to it, but perhaps if someone feels ostracized from society, this is a way for them to feel some sort of kinship.

 

[SealHammer]

Socially maladjusted mental children want an excuse for why they don't fit in, so they create a subculture to explain away that social maladjustment.

Might be the result of a personality disorder. A lot of members of subcultures like Otherkin tend to be very exclusive, reclusive, and defensive or outright hostile about the boundaries of their community. If you look around the internet at the types of people who identify as "therians" and other wacky bullshit, they'll use that as an excuse to act like temperamental trainwrecks in public instead of learning to behave with some modicum of decor or self-esteem.
Emotional instability breeds some extravagant ideas, for sure.

 

[barbad0s]

...Okay this is the first time I've heard of otherkin and it sounds like total bullshit to me. A person must have to become extremely bored or would have had to have been abused or something to want to cultivate the belief in an animal identity for themselves. Genderqueer is something that you're born with though, is it not?

Idk, I guess having one abnormality will act as a "gateway" for other abnormalities.

 

[Trifoilum]

I can relate somewhat to the "animal spirit" belief. Not that I think this literally, but I identify strongly with whales and always have. I was very drawn to them even as a baby. Perhaps it is something like this?

As of now I think of these sorts of beliefs in the terms that I stated. I think that it is just a strong spiritual affinity with said creature. A strong enough magnetism so that a person might actually believe they either were one of those creatures in a past life, or are one now but stuck in another species body.

I don't think genderqueer is exclusive to it, but perhaps if someone feels ostracized from society, this is a way for them to feel some sort of kinship.

The fundamental question is, do you still feel human?
I think it's quite different with a spiritual affinity...I tend to see it as more psychological 'feel'. Although perhaps we are just referring it using two different terms.
Dunno if there are the otherkin equivalent of bigender (bispecies?!?), but AFAIK most otherkin felt the species equivalent of gender dysphoria.

Socially maladjusted mental children want an excuse for why they don't fit in, so they create a subculture to explain away that social maladjustment.

Might be the result of a personality disorder. A lot of members of subcultures like Otherkin tend to be very exclusive, reclusive, and defensive or outright hostile about the boundaries of their community. If you look around the internet at the types of people who identify as "therians" and other wacky bullshit, they'll use that as an excuse to act like temperamental trainwrecks in public instead of learning to behave with some modicum of decor or self-esteem.
Emotional instability breeds some extravagant ideas, for sure.

Yeah, as stated above, I'm wondering about this.
Are they socially maladjusted because of their otherkin status, or are they branding themselves an otherkin to cover their social maladjustment?
You seem to think on the latter.
I don't see much of them otherkins, but from what I'm seeing i also saw the same thing as you; that they are often highly exclusive, reclusive and defensive.
There's really no way to know...I think?
Although I found that logic train ultimately problematic in structure, because you can apply that 'extravagant ideas' with 'emotional instability' to a lot of things and a huge amount of people who are socially different.

Oh another thing I wondered is their understanding of their defined animal. I wonder, do they know the biological and physiological anatomy and behavior of their chosen animal, or are they just....based their 'identity' from media portrayals and stereotypes? Are there any lantern fish otherkins? Black widow otherkins? Do I want to know?

If they truly understand the animal's psychology and biology, I think they would make a good animal researchers and doctors, wouldn't they?

...Okay this is the first time I've heard of otherkin and it sounds like total bullshit to me. A person must have to become extremely bored or would have had to have been abused or something to want to cultivate the belief in an animal identity for themselves. Genderqueer is something that you're born with though, is it not?

Idk, I guess having one abnormality will act as a "gateway" for other abnormalities.

Welcome to the internet, niffs.

We probably ought to separate Genderqueers and otherkins. But the similarity in pattern is where the line blurs.
If feeling gender dysphoria is an okay thing, why otherkin's situation is different?

 

[barbad0s]

We probably ought to separate Genderqueers and otherkins. But the similarity in pattern is where the line blurs.
If feeling gender dysphoria is an okay thing, why otherkin's situation is different?

Pretty sure genderqueerness is something associated with genes and having a different brain structure for your body...

It's like the difference between thinking it's your spiritual calling to curse loudly in public, and having Tourette's syndrome.

Although, if they aren't hurting anyone with what they're doing, I suppose it's alright. It just seems to me like something that someone who is emotionally damaged or has a disability would make up to mute pain or dysfunction within them.

 

[sprinkles]

Some people evoke a flavor in my mind when I observe them or hear them speak about things. It brings up sensations similar to when you eat something, like a lemon for example.

I've met some otherkin and usually they have a very strong flavor that I can pick up from across the room, and it tastes like torment.

 

[Trifoilum]

Pretty sure genderqueerness is something associated with genes and having a different brain structure for your body...

It's like the difference between thinking it's your spiritual calling to curse loudly in public, and having Tourette's syndrome.

I cannot say for sure about that...
Perhaps as far as genes and physiology goes, yes.
But there is also a social element playing in the whole thing.

And while yes, there's definitely a spiritual aspect in otherkin culture...how many of those are affected by the biological and the social aspect within the particular person's life?
I dunno, though. I'm reacting too much.
as much as I saw them as FUCKING WEIRD.... it just feels wrong to quickly paint the entire thing in a certain tone.

Although, if they aren't hurting anyone with what they're doing, I suppose it's alright. It just seems to me like something that someone who is emotionally damaged or has a disability would make up to mute pain or dysfunction within them.

Oh, yes, certainly. Again, I'd like to see an emotionally and socially well-adjusted otherkin.

Some people evoke a flavor in my mind when I observe them or hear them speak about things. It brings up sensations similar to when you eat something, like a lemon for example.

I've met some otherkin and usually they have a very strong flavor that I can pick up from across the room, and it tastes like torment.

Ah, that's interesting. I have a similar mental processes in mind, but since I never really met them...I have no idea.
So sorry it had to happen. Would you say the torment is due to their pain, or would you say it's more because of their toxicity?

 

[sprinkles]

Ah, that's interesting. I have a similar mental processes in mind, but since I never really met them...I have no idea.
So sorry it had to happen. Would you say the torment is due to their pain, or would you say it's more because of their toxicity?

I believe it is both in a self perpetuating cycle.

They seem to be generally harmless and mostly nice people if you can get to know them but it also seems that feeling outcast fuels the behavior which of course leads to being more outcast...

I mean if you think about it, this kind of thing really does self perpetuate. If they believe they are an animal stuck in a human body and find it so difficult to conform and others see this as a wild and possibly maladaptive behavior, this person will most likely take it as further evidence that they are some kind of animal that is foreign to normal humans.

 

[Trifoilum]

I believe it is both in a self perpetuating cycle.

They seem to be generally harmless and mostly nice people if you can get to know them but it also seems that feeling outcast fuels the behavior which of course leads to being more outcast...

I mean if you think about it, this kind of thing really does self perpetuate. If they believe they are an animal stuck in a human body and find it so difficult to conform and others see this as a wild and possibly maladaptive behavior, this person will most likely take it as further evidence that they are some kind of animal that is foreign to normal humans.

In that case, I guess social acceptance also plays a huge part over people's acceptance.

Although perhaps I shouldn't just group the entire spectrum of queer sociology into one huge mess, whether gender or sexual orientation or otherkin-ness...

 

[astrelune]

As someone who believes in reincarnation, I don't find the concept of Otherkin that hard to believe. I've heard many stories of things like phobias being transferred from one life to the next (e.g. someone died in a plane in their last life, and now they're scared of flying in this life), so if a soul that was in an animal body in their last life didn't properly let go of that condition when they died, they could still feel an attachment to their former identity in this life & body. However, if someone is truly Otherkin, it must be extremely difficult to feel that way, just like it's extremely difficult for people who are born in what they consider to be the wrong biological sex. I've never met an Otherkin, so I don't know what they're like IRL. I would guess that there are probably real Otherkin, and then others who identify as Otherkin for whatever reason but aren't really.