When Cinema & Television Arts major Jae Hoon Hwang transferred to CSUN from the Bay Area, he set out to do something that hadn’t been done before: co-founding the first furry club on campus.

Now serving as President of the MataFurs, Hwang and his officers want the student body to know that everyone is welcome.

“Based on our initial search, there were many people ready to join a furry club,” said Cyan, the alumni advisor of MataFurs.

Interest continued to grow as more students heard about the club’s inception.

“It started off small, but it grew exponentially from there,” said Vice President of MataFurs, Max Mason. “And most recently, we have gotten community members to join, where our numbers grew to like 100 members.”

Cyan explained how the furry fandom exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 lockdown. When they entered CSUN, they were eager to join a furry club, but none existed. They later attributed the lockdown to the delay in forming a furry club.

When the MataFurs debuted at Meet the Clubs, the team was stunned by the immediate response.

“The moment I took out one of our members’ suits to showcase, I was super nervous,” said Hwang. “But as soon as everyone started to interact with us, I was super excited and pumped.”

At Meet the Clubs, the club hosted games including “fursona roulette,” where participants spin a wheel to discover what animal their fursona might be. At one point, they were approached by Sundial staff, where Hwang jokingly shared that the club’s mission was to impeach Matty the Matador and replace it with the MataFurs toro mascot.

“It lowkey felt like a sitcom,” said graphic designer Mav, who was swinging around tables at the time. “It had me hype for the rest of the day, and I was just looking forward to the first meeting.”

Despite their successful launch, club officers believe a common misconception continues discouraging students from joining the club.

“It’s something you have to touch in your day-to-day life with caution and care,” said Cyan. “Even if you are only a part of the fandom as a casual interest, you don’t know how the person you’re talking to carries some misconceptions.”

According to the members, common stereotypes, such as the belief that furries think they’re animals or are linked to zoophilia, continue to plague the community. Hwang and Cyan shared that because people allow their misconceptions to plague their judgment, they misrepresent what the club stands for.

Being a member of this club allows furries to connect with anthropomorphic characters that reflect who they are, according to Hwang and Mason.

It’s about harboring a safe space for those who are for refuge of expressing themselves,” said Hwang.

As the MataFurs continues to grow its community, Hwang and his team hope to build a long-lasting presence at CSUN and welcome a space where creativity, identity and friendship can thrive.