beedle wrote: a bit like here in many respects then
Exactly.
I think it's pretty appalling that a group of people (such as "bronies") are being made the scourge of internet insults and jokes by another group of nerds (such as "Shenmue fansite forum members").
"Result of homosexual tension?" It's saddening to see that an attempt at slurring a group of people by calling them gay is considered acceptable, especially in an environment like this in which one of the things we all have in common (Shenmue) makes us minorities in our own right.
The largest Anthrocon ("furry") convention in the world takes place in my city every summer. 98% of the population doesn't understand the phenomenon, but we embrace it because they bring a lot of people downtown and it's fun to see. I had the chance to talk to a more well-known member of that group and she brought some pretty interesting points to the discussion. That even though thousands converge for a 3-day event in a very small space, there isn't one single fight. They're one of the most accepting groups of people you can find. And while most furries make it a point to differentiate themselves from the "bronies", they accept them as well.
It's not something I'll ever really understand myself but I can't help but be slightly disgusted to see the lot of you - Sega Dreamcast and Shenmue enthusiasts (and there are a lot less of us than there are bronies by any means) throw insults around, behind the anonymity of your computer screens and online aliases.
Let people be who they are.