Mutual respect between attendees, the convention, and the public

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T”: Not only a memorable lyric from Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit song, but also a basic tenet for convention attendees to follow. As Anthrocon grows, the more important it becomes to show mutual respect within our large, diverse community, the environment surrounding the convention, as well as the public.

Anthrocon and the public

You may be asking “why the public?” – a very valid question! The public, or non-furry citizens of Pittsburgh, become uniquely involved with Anthrocon unlike other anthropomorphics conventions. This is due to lots of positive press coverage, and events such as the Fursuit Parade and Block Party where locals are invited to join in the fun. Many of them are learning about and experiencing aspects of our fandom for the very first time, and giving them a positive experience or interaction to remember goes a long way towards achieving mutual respect.

Beyond individual members of the public, the City of Pittsburgh already respects us greatly, and for good reason! Anthrocon 2024 is expected to bring in more than $15 million in tourism revenue, far and away the biggest economic contributor to the city’s coffers. These kinds of numbers earn the respect of local shops and eateries, who offer special menus, offers and discounts to attendees. We are directly influencing downtown Pittsburgh’s culture and future growth, a very exciting prospect!

For furries, by furries

Respect within our community also involves the convention itself, which includes being respectful of your fellow attendees. Keep in mind the convention is put on for furries, by furries – all of Anthrocon’s staff and volunteers are part of that community. Respect for common sense policies like not vandalizing city or hotel/convention center property with stickers is also important, as well as working to make a positive difference. One way to do so is by supporting the convention charity, which this year is Gray Paws Sanctuary. Since Anthrocon moved to Pittsburgh in 2006, attendees have raised well over half a million dollars for charity, directly helping improve the lives of our animal friends through local nonprofits, as well as Pittsburgh institutions like the Toonseum. Donating to charity is a great way to show respect, and can be done in a myriad of ways: Donating directly at the charity table or buying raffle tickets in the Dealers Room, giving cash to the Bucket Brigade fursuiters who will be roaming the convention, or participating in charity events such as the Charity Auction or Charity Comedy Show.

Growing the community together

Amid the challenges we will see this year and in the future with the fandom’s growing numbers, Anthrocon’s longstanding goal has always been to be the best convention experience offered in furry fandom, not the biggest. Attendee feedback, which can be given in the post-con survey emailed to attendees, is a large part of that improvement. With many key changes being implemented for this year’s convention, along with many more to come, it’s vital for staff to know what did and didn’t work so things can be made better for the future. By simply being a good ambassador of our community and doing the things highlighted in our “Being a Good Guest” guide.

Speaking of making things better for the future, it should come with no surprise that future growth means more demand for help to realize it. By lending a paw as volunteer if you have spare time, you become part of the solution to the growth challenges. In some cases, you might even be offered to join as staff should there be a need for it; regardless of your title, everyone has the ability to contribute to their community and convention’s growth. It will also give you the opportunity to help shape the future of the community in a way that benefits everyone, and makes you a role model of what it means to give back to furry fandom and the joys we’ve experienced from it. Anthrocon is always looking for eager and motivated volunteers, and you can find more examples of volunteer opportunities on our Volunteer page.