It's very irritating to see people dismiss some sexualities or genders because 'Tumblr came up with it'.
It's sickening to hear people say 'I bet you weren't otherkin, a furry, aromantic, or gender fluid before you logged on to Tumblr.' While it is true some people claim they are something for attention, most of the time it isn't. Besides, how can you tell someone is lying about it if you refuse to even accept it or learn about it?
Therians, otherkins, furries, and gender identity has been around for a long time. It's just that only now people are giving those things names, and with the internet, more and more people can share their experiences. I feel like giving non-binary, pansexual, asexual, and gender fluid people some recognition. I thought the whole point of giving something a name was so you can make it inclusive, but it seems that the naming of these things has done the opposite.
No matter what someone identifies as, they are still human and we have to stop treating them as weird or scary. I used to think otherkins were ridiculous before my friend came out to me as angelkin. I respected her belief, even though it took me a while to educate myself and understand why she thought of herself in that light. I want to respect vampirekins and horse Therians too.
The best way to become open-minded is do research and ask questions. Don't shy away from furries, bronies, or gender fluid people if you don't understand it. It may be awkward at first but you will always be awkward if you don't know how to behave yourself when around these individuals.
