So it counts toward your required 37 pieces of flair?
Just curious if you think that everyone in, and close to, the culture splits the same semantic hairs that you do?
I’m admittedly not close to it at all (read: having only seen passing references to it in various internet sites etc), but thought it seemed universally to be called “furry” in a decidedly sexual context.
You may see the distinction as it applies to your own interests, but do you feel confident in objectively extending your definitions to the majority?
Yes. More than comfortable.
Because it is, in fact, the majority. There’s just a vocal and media-friendly subgroup that get enough attention to skew the perceptions of those outside the fandom.
I don’t really agree with this assessment. Sure, it’s a Wal*Mart vest so we’re not exactly talking about a rigid workplace dress code, but speaking generally I don’t think this is correct.
In business, and by extension in an employees work uniform/attire, you’re tasked with controlling the outside impressions of your customers. As such, “what anybody else thinks” is an important and reasonable consideration. I personally read the OP and made the assumption that it was a subtle form of cruising and/or advertising for sexual partners. I have nothing against the practice on one’s personal time, be it for kinky sex, gay sex, straight sex, bubble sex, or trekkie love, but if it’s possible that your coworkers and/or customers might interpret your “pride” as being overtly sexual it’s probably not a good idea to be wearing it in the workplace.
Is it the end of the world? Not at all. But I think it’s pretty unreasonable for someone’s implication of it being out of place being turned into some gay-bashing close-mindedness.
Saying it might be a little inappropriate is analagous to saying that some coed wearing a risque/suggestive logo T-shirt is inappropriate. [sub] I’m all for them wearing them elsewhere.*
Oh…to accentuate this point…
About 12, 13 years ago, when I was first hearing about Furry, the ‘media-friendly’ subgroup were the 'suiters who liked 'suiting in their day to day life (which strike me as somewhat more off-the-bubble than those that have sex in them). I can’t pinpoint at which point people got bored with that, and they switched to the sex focus.
And…just to add a sidepoint, there’s also more to the sexual side of furry than 'suitsex. The art, fiction, and RP also have sexual sides.
Of course you can call me swampy! Heh. I’ve gotten so used to it, sometimes when I see swampbear, I think, who is that guy? Cool user name. 
I’m wondering if chaoticdonkey’s Bear button is one like the fourth one on the page in the link. If so, I’m thinking that unless somebody actually knows what it means it’d be just another button on his vest.
OK-point made about the body hair.
I guess I am glad that heavily bearded, hairy men are attractive to someone–not for me. (no offense meant to all those Kris Kristoffersons out there).
Hey, if I worked at Walmart, I’d probably start piercing my body and tattooing it, too. And then I would agitate to be Greeter…heh. I hate Walmart.
I have no idea what you’re looking at, or if that was somehow meant as a joke, but, uh, an O’Keefe abstract piece is totally worksafe.
Except we will note that was not at work.
It’s while at work that matters here, I don’t care if he wears nothing but a gore suit with “insert hot beef injection here” written on his ass while out and about on his own time.
I was more along the lines of Groundskeeper Carl, from Caddyshack
(picunurse? you melt me. 
)
I agree, if the business owners and/or managers don’t deem it appropriate because their bread and butter depends upon attracting a certain type of customer, then you don’t wear it, whatever your meaning-- you agreed to follow their (legal) policies when you hired on. That said, times are changing and different regions may have different ideas about the very same thing. There are plenty of places where it would actually be an asset to wear something that would be wrong elsewhere. Where the OP works, it seems not to be a problem and who am I to second guess? To automatically apply my beliefs, standards, etc. would be close-minded.
Though I don’t believe this is one of them, there are issues where it’s correct when some people are upset. Sometimes the customer isn’t right and you’ll bend so far backward to please, your back ends up broken.
So, on this bear pride pin… is the bear, like, mounting another bear or something? Because otherwise, I’m having a heck of a time seeing why this is so objectionable. How is that “cruising” at work? And comparing it to the hanky code? Who the hell needs to “code” that they’re a bear? He’s a big hairy dude, f’rchrissake! People are going to notice!
Now, if you want to talk “not appropriate for work,” let’s start with that hideous O’Keefe… thing. You can hang whatever you want on the walls at home, but a big, pale, bloodless corpse vagina does not strike me as particularly work-appropriate.
To clarify, it’s exactly this at my cafepress store. (And yes, I did order it and my “A COCK HIDE TONY” shirt from myself.)
Agreed. If I didn’t know about bears/pride, I’d see nothing but a striped pin with a pawprint. Could be anything from ecological whatsiz to camping whosiz.
The O’Keeffe, on the other hand, screams “Look, here’s a picture of an enormous cunt.” And I like O’Keeffe. Come to think of it, I’ve never known anyone who didn’t think of vaginas when looking at O’Keeffe’s flowers.
You say this as if it were unusual.
Hey! Maybe we could use it for…
~checks forum~
Never mind. Carry on. :dubious:
Er, pardon?
There’s an “Og Smash” bumper sticker? Does that have any meaning outside of the SDMB?
Oh, nothing. 
But a suspicious person might have thought I was about to insult someone else I’d mentioned in the same post.
Oh, okay.
For a moment, I thought that person might be me and was thoroughly stumped.
SIG LINE!