What Does Being Otherkin Mean? Understanding the Identity

Otherkin are people who identify, on a psychological, spiritual, or metaphysical level, as partially or wholly nonhuman. This identity may encompass mythical beings such as dragons, elves, and angels, as well as real-world animals and other entities. The otherkin community treats this identification not as a hobby or costume, but as a core, often involuntary aspect of personal identity.

Deluxe Astrology's ongoing research into identity, soul archetypes, and cosmic selfhood draws on spiritual frameworks including natal chart interpretation, past-life astrology, and archetypal symbolism — all of which intersect meaningfully with how many otherkin understand their nonhuman nature. Just as a birth chart reveals layered dimensions of the self, otherkin identity invites a similarly multidimensional reading of who a person understands themselves to be.

Defining Otherkin Identity

Otherkin are individuals who hold a sincere, internal identification as a being other than a human. This identification is typically described as intrinsic rather than chosen, arising from a deep sense that one's psychological or spiritual self does not fully align with a human identity. Common explanations within the community include spiritual beliefs about reincarnation, the concept of a nonhuman soul, or a psychological framework in which the nonhuman identity forms part of the core self.

Origins of the Term and Concept

The word "otherkin" emerged from online communities in the early 1990s, evolving from earlier elf-identity groups that had formed on Usenet and email lists during the late 1980s. The Silver Elves and similar groups were among the earliest organized communities to articulate what it meant to identify as a nonhuman or partially nonhuman being. Over the following decades, the label expanded well beyond elves to include dragons, angels, demons, fae, and a broad range of other entities.

• The term "otherkin" was first used in online spaces around 1990 to 1994, consolidating several earlier identity frameworks.
• Early communities formed on Usenet newsgroups and private email lists before migrating to forums and social media.
• The Silver Elves are widely recognized as foundational contributors to early otherkin identity and culture.
• By the 2000s, the otherkin label had expanded to include hundreds of distinct nonhuman identity types.

Psychological and Spiritual Frameworks

Within the otherkin community, members generally explain their identity through one of two broad frameworks, or a combination of both. The spiritual explanation typically involves beliefs about a nonhuman soul, past lives as a nonhuman entity, or a connection to another plane of existence. The psychological explanation treats the nonhuman identity as a genuine and stable aspect of the self, comparable in its persistence and involuntary nature to other core identity traits.

• Spiritual explanations often invoke reincarnation, soul origin theories, or metaphysical connection to a nonhuman essence.
• Psychological frameworks describe the nonhuman identity as a consistent internal experience, not a delusion or performance.
• Many otherkin hold both frameworks simultaneously, seeing the spiritual and psychological as complementary rather than competing.
• Mainstream psychology does not classify otherkin identity as a disorder; clinical attention is typically only warranted when the identity causes significant distress or functional impairment.

Common Types of Otherkin Identities

The range of nonhuman identities within the otherkin community is extensive. While dragons and elves are among the most historically prominent, the community includes identification with virtually every category of mythological, spiritual, and biological nonhuman entity.

• Dragonkin: individuals who identify as dragons, one of the largest subgroups within otherkin.
• Elfkin or Elven: those who identify with elven beings, drawing on mythology, fantasy literature, or personal spiritual experience.
• Angelkin and Demonkin: individuals who identify as angelic or demonic entities, often with strong spiritual frameworks.
• Faekin: those who identify with faeries or fae beings from folklore and mythology.
• Celestialkin: individuals who identify as cosmic or star-based entities.
• Fictkin or Fictionkin: a subset who identify with fictional characters or species from books, films, or other media.

What's the Difference Between Otherkin and Therian?

The key difference between otherkin and therians is the type of nonhuman identity involved. Therians specifically identify as real, Earth-native animals — such as wolves, foxes, or birds — on a psychological or spiritual level. Otherkin is the broader umbrella term that includes identification with mythical, fictional, and fantastical beings as well as real animals. All therians fall within the wider otherkin framework, but not all otherkin are therians.

Therianthropy Explained

Therianthropy refers to the experience of identifying as a nonhuman animal that exists or has existed in the physical world. A therian who identifies as a wolf, for instance, describes this as a genuine internal sense of being wolf-natured, which may manifest as species dysphoria, phantom limb sensations corresponding to animal anatomy, or strong behavioral and emotional identification with the animal in question.

• Therians identify exclusively with real-world animals, distinguishing them from otherkin who identify with mythical or fictional beings.
• The term "therian" is derived from the Greek word for beast, and has been in use in these communities since the mid-1990s.
• Therians may experience "shifts," which are episodes of heightened identification or sensory alignment with their animal identity.
• The therian community developed partially in parallel with and partially within the broader otherkin movement, and maintains its own distinct forums and social spaces.

Where the Communities Overlap

Because therianthropy deals with animal identity and otherkin deals with nonhuman identity broadly, the two groups share considerable common ground. Many individuals identify as both otherkin and therian simultaneously, holding multiple nonhuman identities — one mythical, one animal. Community spaces, terminology, and philosophical discussions about nonhuman identity are frequently shared between the two groups, and the distinction is sometimes more academic than practical in everyday community life.

Vampire Identity as a Related Category

Alongside therians and otherkin, the vampire subculture represents another historically distinct nonhuman identity community. Individuals who identify as vampires — either energy vampires or sanguinarian vampires — sometimes operate within the otherkin framework and sometimes maintain entirely separate community structures. This illustrates the broader complexity of nonhuman identity subcultures, which resist easy categorization under a single label.

Is Otherkin LGBTQ?

Otherkin identity is not formally classified as part of LGBTQ identity, which concerns sexual orientation and gender identity. However, there is significant demographic overlap between the two communities, and many otherkin individuals also identify as LGBTQ. Some otherkin also identify as transgender or nonbinary, and discussions about nonhuman gender — gender identities tied to a nonhuman self-concept — occur within both communities. The two categories address different aspects of identity and should not be conflated.

Demographic and Cultural Overlap

Research and community surveys have consistently found that a disproportionately high percentage of otherkin individuals also identify as LGBTQ compared to the general population. This overlap has led to ongoing conversations about whether the two communities share underlying characteristics related to nonconformist identity, minority stress, or the experience of holding an identity that diverges from dominant social norms.

• Multiple community surveys suggest that the majority of otherkin respondents also identify somewhere under the LGBTQ umbrella.
• Shared values around identity affirmation, community support, and the rejection of externally imposed identity categories are common to both communities.
• The overlap does not mean the identities are equivalent; otherkin identity concerns species-level self-concept, while LGBTQ identity concerns gender and sexuality.

Nonhuman Gender Identity

Some members of the otherkin community describe their gender identity through the lens of their nonhuman self-concept, using terms such as "gendervoid," "dracogender," or other identity labels tied to their kin type. This represents an intersection between nonhuman identity and gender nonconformity that is distinct from mainstream LGBTQ discourse but is recognized and discussed within overlapping community spaces.

Academic and Social Recognition

Scholarly attention to otherkin identity has grown since the 2010s, with researchers at institutions including the University of Cambridge examining otherkin communities and their relationship to identity, embodiment, and subculture. This academic interest has helped situate otherkin identity within broader conversations about identity construction, digital community formation, and the philosophy of selfhood — fields that also engage with gender and sexuality studies, though from different angles. Just as astrology frameworks like the Moon sign illuminate the emotional self beneath the surface identity, academic approaches to otherkin reveal layers of meaning beneath the community's self-presentation.

What's the Difference Between Furries and Otherkin?

The central difference between furries and otherkin is that furry identity is a fandom — an interest in and affection for anthropomorphic animal characters — while otherkin identity is an internal self-identification experienced as part of who a person fundamentally is. Furries may or may not personally identify as their animal characters. Otherkin, by contrast, experience their nonhuman identity as intrinsic and involuntary, not as a creative interest or community hobby.

Furry Fandom as a Creative Community

The furry fandom is a subculture centered on interest in anthropomorphic animals — animals with human characteristics — as they appear in art, literature, animation, and performance. Participants, called furries, often create personal animal characters called "fursonas," and many engage in costuming, artwork, and community events. Membership in the furry fandom is based on shared interest and enthusiasm rather than a claim about one's inner nature or soul identity.

• The furry fandom emerged in the 1980s from science fiction and animation fandoms and has grown into one of the largest creative subcultures globally.
• A fursona is a personal anthropomorphic character, often used as an avatar or creative alter ego, but not typically understood as the person's literal identity.
• Furry conventions, online art communities, and social spaces are organized around shared creative and social interests.
• Some furries do identify with their fursonas at a deeper level, and a subset of furries also identify as therians or otherkin, but this is not characteristic of the fandom as a whole.

Why the Two Communities Are Frequently Confused

Furries and otherkin are often conflated in popular media because both involve identification or engagement with nonhuman figures, both communities have a significant online presence, and both have historically been subject to ridicule and misrepresentation. However, the communities themselves are largely distinct, maintain different values and terminology, and approach the concept of nonhuman identity from fundamentally different starting points.

Points of Genuine Overlap

Despite their differences, the two communities do intersect in meaningful ways. Some individuals identify as both furries and otherkin, and community spaces sometimes overlap. Both groups engage with questions about nonhuman identity, embodiment, and the meaning of personhood, even if they answer those questions differently. Shared experiences of stigma and online community building have also created cultural affinities between the two groups.

Are Otherkin Still a Thing?

Yes, the otherkin community remains active and continues to grow. What began as small groups on Usenet in the late 1980s and early 1990s has expanded significantly through social media platforms including Tumblr, Reddit, Discord, and TikTok. As of the mid-2020s, otherkin communities are globally distributed, generationally diverse, and supported by an increasing body of academic research. The identity label shows no signs of fading and has, if anything, become more visible in mainstream discourse.

The Role of Social Media in Community Growth

Social media has been the single most significant driver of otherkin community growth over the past two decades. Platforms that allow for interest-based community formation — particularly Tumblr in the 2010s and Discord and TikTok in the 2020s — have enabled otherkin individuals to find one another across geographic boundaries, develop shared terminology, and build the kind of community infrastructure that was once only possible in small, specialized forums.

• Tumblr was a particularly influential platform for otherkin identity development and visibility throughout the 2010s.
• Discord servers now host large, active otherkin and therian communities with thousands of members.
• TikTok has introduced otherkin identity to younger audiences, generating both new community members and renewed public attention.
• Reddit hosts several active otherkin and therian subreddits with ongoing discussions about identity, experience, and community.

Academic and Cultural Legitimacy

Scholarly interest in otherkin has grown steadily since the early 2010s. Researchers in sociology, psychology, cultural studies, and philosophy have examined otherkin communities with increasing rigor and respect. Peer-reviewed articles, conference presentations, and chapters in academic books have addressed otherkin identity from multiple disciplinary angles, contributing to a gradual shift in how the community is understood outside its own boundaries. This mirrors the growing academic engagement with other nonconformist identity communities and subcultures.

For readers interested in how spiritual identity intersects with cosmic frameworks, exploring synastry — the comparison of two birth charts — offers another lens through which to examine the soul-level connections that many otherkin describe as central to their identity. Similarly, the archetypal resonances tracked through dashas in Vedic astrology reflect a belief in layered, evolving dimensions of the self that many find philosophically consonant with otherkin frameworks of soul identity across time.

Ongoing Evolution of the Community

The otherkin community continues to evolve its language, concepts, and community structures. New identity categories emerge regularly, old debates about the meaning and validity of different kin types continue, and the relationship between the otherkin, therian, and related communities is continually renegotiated. Far from being a relic of early internet culture, otherkin identity is a living, developing subculture with an increasingly articulate philosophical and spiritual foundation.

Key Takeaways

• Otherkin are individuals who identify, on a psychological, spiritual, or metaphysical level, as partially or wholly nonhuman, and this identification is typically experienced as intrinsic rather than chosen.
• Therians are a subset of the broader otherkin community who specifically identify as real, Earth-native animals, while otherkin as a whole encompasses mythical, fictional, and fantastical beings as well.
• Otherkin identity is not formally part of LGBTQ identity, which concerns gender and sexuality, though demographic surveys show significant overlap between the two communities.
• Furry identity is a creative fandom centered on anthropomorphic animal characters, while otherkin identity is an internal self-identification experienced as a core aspect of personhood, making the two fundamentally distinct despite superficial similarities.
• The otherkin community originated in late 1980s and early 1990s online spaces and remains active and growing in the mid-2020s, supported by social media platforms and an expanding body of academic research.
• Spiritual frameworks common within the otherkin community — including soul origin theories, reincarnation, and nonhuman essence — share philosophical resonances with esoteric and astrological traditions that treat identity as multilayered and cosmically situated.