Zoophiles believe it’s acceptable to be intimate with an animal, and want the LGTBQ+ movement to add a Z to its name. RT spoke to one about their secret world, and with members of the ‘furry’ and ‘therian’ communities.
Pride Month has just come to an end, following four weeks of global parades and celebrations featuring gay, bisexual, queer, trans, de-trans, asexual and other marginalised communities.
But one group not welcome, for the most part, is the zoophile community. In a nutshell, this comprises people who have a sexual attraction to animals, although this may not always necessarily be acted upon.
This exclusion has caused the zoophile community to hold its own Pride celebration, which this year is from July 1 to July 7.
There are also two other related animal-loving identities, those who consider themselves therians or furries. The former are people who feel they have a non-human element, spiritually or psychologically, while the latter have an adoration of only certain animals.
There is a degree of overlap between both groups, and some wear animal suits and masks to celebrate their identity, although to make the situation even more complicated, some therians and furries are also zoophiles.
Many from the three communities shun publicity due to the automatic assumption from outsiders that they enjoy sex with animals.
Those who do engage in sexual intimacy could face criminal charges or violent reprisals from the public should their identities be revealed. Some contemplate suicide or have even killed themselves due to the stress of being relentlessly harassed.
However, one figure in the zoophile community did agree to speak to RT. Toggle is from Pennsylvania, and wanted to put on record that he was contributing only because of his dissatisfaction at how zoophiles are portrayed in the media. He was adamant that they cannot be excluded from Pride, no matter what the masses say.