[00:00:00] Rhyner: [00:00:00] Hey everybody, what's going on. Welcome to the what's the fuzz podcast. I'm your host Rhyner and, uh, no snappy one liners this time for the show's intro, because last time that was kind of unnecessary whiplash with, uh, how the rest of the interview went on. So I just want to say that as of June 28th, 2020, the date of the recording.

There still has not been any arrests for Breonna Taylor's murderers. And the three names are Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankinson and miles cost growth, no justice, no peace. Anyway, my guest today is a well. You've probably seen them on your timeline at least a few times this week, maybe last week too. He's got outfits [00:01:00] that range from cordial to caveman, and he brings a lot of excitement onto your timeline.

Whenever you see him, you can catch him @ Digi Dyson, and he is, A wonderfull fellow, how are you doing today?

Dyson: [00:01:23] Lyrically. What is the

I'm confused? What, when did they do a Cape man, look,

Rhyner: [00:01:29] listen. I'm not like going through all of your videos to find the specific one, but I swear to God, there was one time, like at 2:00 AM.

I checked my timeline and I'm just like, what does this guy have? On, what is, what is this pattern? What is this?

Dyson: [00:01:46] I think there's one that kind of is very Fred Flintstone. Okay. I know what you're talking about.

Rhyner: [00:01:50] Yeah, exactly. Honestly, I probably could have said anything there. It would have worked out.

[00:02:00] Oh man, how's it going on your side of the world? What's going on over there.

Dyson: [00:02:04] Very well, I mean, I, there was a, like a Nazi rally, um, in Boston, so yeah. Yeah, there was a counter protest. I wasn't out there. I'm not I'm inside them. I'm not going anywhere. Boston's really white. Uh, yeah, we're doing our best, but I'm, I'm a online and online only right now.

Rhyner: [00:02:27] Hey man, I can't fault you for that at all. That's kind of ironic though. The. Boston having counter protests when the fricking Boston tea party happened there, isn't that kind of ironic

Dyson: [00:02:39] a little

bit, but also Boston was the only place to Greenlight, uh, the straight pride thing. So,

Rhyner: [00:02:47] Oh, you're kidding me.

Dyson: [00:02:48] Yeah. Yeah, that happened here. I don't know how successful it was. I just ignored it. But straight pride was a

Rhyner: [00:02:55] thing. Yeah, from what I heard, it was more of a red neck, [00:03:00] white nationalists, Klu, Klux, Klan, menagerie of, you know, just all kinds of white debauchery is going on. And nothing really good came out of it is, is good.

The right word for that. That's

Dyson: [00:03:19] yeah, that's accurate, I guess.

Rhyner: [00:03:21] Yeah. I would say that's pretty fair. And how long have you been in the furry fandom? If you don't mind me asking.

Dyson: [00:03:27] Ooh. Okay. Well, okay. So technically since like maybe 2013, but, uh, really 2018 is that's when I made the sauna. So that's where I count.

Um, I was like furry adjacent prior to 2018.

Rhyner: [00:03:42] Mm. And you decided on a tiger elk. Was that like your first option or?

Dyson: [00:03:47] Uh, it was, there was a lie. I'm very indecisive. There was a dragon at one point. Oh,

Rhyner: [00:03:53] like

Dyson: [00:03:53] me. So there's yeah, there's just so many, there's so many options. And then I was like, wait a minute.

Someone [00:04:00] said, why don't you just combine these two things? And I was like, Oh my God, I can do that because it doesn't even matter. I could do whatever I want. So I just did that.

Rhyner: [00:04:09] Well, it certainly seems to be working out for you.

Dyson: [00:04:11] Yes,

it's my, my one true. I'm one true Sana. I'm not making more than one. It's going to be way too many commissions.

Rhyner: [00:04:19] That's absolutely valid. Uh, would you say that there was anything you wanted to change about your Sona? Anything you don't like about it right now?

Dyson: [00:04:26] Uh, no. See. Okay. Cause my Sona is like kind of just me. Just like slightly beefier and obviously like a furry, but like, uh, yes, just, I don't know. He's good.

He's good right now. Yeah. He's a vision board for myself, I guess. And he's got currently.

Rhyner: [00:04:45] Oh, I definitely see the resemblance in you guys. The power stance is a very palpable. And what got you interested in being a furry in the first place? Like what got you into it was like a [00:05:00] picture it's something come up in Google search.

Dyson: [00:05:02] Okay. Well, it was around the same time that I, so this was like early teenager around the same time that I got interested in Bara art. Mmm. I would find, I see, I just, I avoided furry stuff because it was like, yeah, we, it was just, it was very Twinkie. They always had the emo here and I was like, I'm good on that.

And then I found Barra and I found furry barra and I was like, okay, now this, this is a yes. And, um, I sorta just would avoid the normal furry stuff and I would just gravitate towards the furry barra. And I, I that's that's, I guess that's why it felt furry adjacent because it was more, it was the popular stuff was very a thinner.

So once kind of, uh, I guess bigger was in that's when I hopped in.

Rhyner: [00:05:52] Well, yeah, bigger is definitely in like artists, like spookedo he's still spewing stuff out. Oh yeah. Big time. And it's [00:06:00] nice to see a variety of body. Cause like you, when I first got into the furry fandom, I was seeing a lot of like skinny athletic, you know, abs you know, cause it's easier to draw, you know, it's, it's harder to draw curves that look well, right?

Dyson: [00:06:16] Yeah.

Rhyner: [00:06:17] So it's like people just default to this like skinny Twinkie boy with like the side hair. It is, it's just so not in a move.

Dyson: [00:06:26] It's not.

Rhyner: [00:06:28] Right. Bigger is better. There's more to hold. There's more to touch. You know what I mean?

Dyson: [00:06:33] Yeah. Dyson was actually a little bit heavier on inception because my original, my, I think my original, uh, cause I got the design commissioned.

I didn't do it myself. It would take forever. I still wouldn't have a proper sona if I didn't. But when I asked he was like, what does the body type? And I was like, you know what, dude, Tony, the tiger, but like thick. And then he kind of, he's kind of slimmed down to a little bit more my size, but like just a little beefier.

So [00:07:00] yeah. He's he started big and then he got like slightly leaner, just a little bit.

Rhyner: [00:07:05] Oh, wow. So that artist actually like, blew you like pretty, pretty big up there. You had slimmed down.

Dyson: [00:07:12] I'm not

like huge, but like, yeah, not like inflation, he was chubby or now he's like, Like more cut, I guess. I don't know the proper term for it,

but

Rhyner: [00:07:25] he's got more shape.

He's more shapely. Yeah. When I was, uh, getting my fursona drawn up, the person actually just like draws like one body type. So he was like a super twink before. And I was like, could you, could you just make him, you know, chubby make them a little fatter, like thicker. And he like added like two pounds to him.

And I was like, okay, I guess this is as good as it gets.

Right. And some people, I show them my reference sheet and they're like, wow, he's so big. And [00:08:00] then the artists I show are like dramas a fricking twink. Cause I'd be like, no, no, he's a big boy. And they're like, Oh, okay. Okay.

It's a problem.

Hmm. No, I don't think you could be mistaken for a twink boy anymore.

It is. Oh, man, if you weren't a furry, since it's not like a big thing, it's more like a side thing or like a quarter thing. Uh, what would you be doing if you weren't spending your time on like furry stuff?

Dyson: [00:08:31] Oh, I would, I don't want to say it'd be like more productive, but like. I'd probably invest more in, I guess, because I compose, I probably invest and, uh, music, music comp illustration.

I got to get around. I gotta get around to learn, draw properly. I went to school for game design. So they kind of throw everything at, they, they throw everything out of state. They put us in writing classes, 3D modeling, [00:09:00] drawing. I did web design. I didn't use a comp. So I have like, I'm basically, I'm like, I'm a legitimate Bard, like Jack of all trades master of none type deal.

Rhyner: [00:09:08] Mmm.

Dyson: [00:09:09] So I guess I'd be doing just more art stuff in general, which I could still do. I'm just kind of being lazy right now.

Rhyner: [00:09:17] Would you like to focus more on character design or like backgrounds?

Dyson: [00:09:21] Honestly, I really like him. I like both that's the problem. See, I'm like, I like too much stuff I would do. I would do character and I would do environment and I would still do music.

Like when I was in drawing classes, uh, like one of our portfolio sites, I had music, I had art and they were like, can you focus on one thing? And I was like, no.

Rhyner: [00:09:44] So you're a very expressive individual suffice to say.

Dyson: [00:09:49] Yeah, sure.

Rhyner: [00:09:52] And it's like, you know, you see something in front of you and you want to, like, you want that and you want it now.

And then you see something else you want you, like, you want that? [00:10:00] And you want this now,

Dyson: [00:10:01] right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rhyner: [00:10:04] I'm like that myself, uh, writing this podcast cars and, you know, game development and stuff like that. Everything looks so interesting and so cool. But your brain can only handle so much and suddenly it's 5:00 AM and you don't know how you stayed up so late learning about, um, You know, uh, how to draw a tree limbs realistically, you know, for five hours or something.

Dyson: [00:10:28] And it's like, when are you going to draw a tree limbs? Like, what does that useful for

Rhyner: [00:10:32] exactly? It's like, Whoa, Oh, I have this tree OC a he's actually Groot's brother. And yes. Yeah, exactly. You know, you find ways to weave your passions into each other and eventually it works out or you end up super burnt out with nothing to show for it.

But we don't talk about that part. All right. So you would be definitely a little bit more productive. We didn't spend time on furry stuff, [00:11:00] but, uh, have you given, have you given a, those, those furry art books learn to draw furries? A look

Dyson: [00:11:07] I have not. I should maybe do the, actually I have, I have like, I have art friends.

Who've literally been like, if you want to draw, like, come talk to me, I will get you like all of these resources, I'll share my resources. And I'm just like, Oh no, but you're like really good. And I'm not as good as you. Yeah, I have this all complex, but like,

Rhyner: [00:11:29] Oh, I get you. Yeah, but I don't know. It would be kind of a satisfaction thing to watch you go from drawing.

Like, I don't know, an oval and making it a mosaic painting or something like that. Hmm.

Dyson: [00:11:43] Maybe one day, maybe one day.

Rhyner: [00:11:46] Yeah. Something to put on your little board there. Was there anything else that you wanted to add to that before we go onto the second question?

Dyson: [00:11:52] Mmm. I don't think so. Oh, wait, no, wait. No, that's, that's very related.

Um, Dyson is getting a theme song, but that's like, [00:12:00] fire-related so

Rhyner: [00:12:01] a theme song,

Dyson: [00:12:02] a theme, like, like, like, like, like, like just a theme, maybe not a theme song. It's not lyric. It's just going to be like an instrumental track. We're not adding lyrics. I don't sing I can sing, but I don't sing

Rhyner: [00:12:12] what if it's like a choir from like a foreign language or something.

Dyson: [00:12:18] Oh, no, that's too. That's too much work. I'm going to hyper focus on the language. The meeting

Rhyner: [00:12:23] was that language. It could be like the Skyrim opening theme. How about that?

Dyson: [00:12:29] It could be, Oh man, then I'm. Oh, okay. See then I'm giving myself goalposts and then standards.

Rhyner: [00:12:38] Oh, that's true. It's better to start small, but you know,

Dyson: [00:12:43] make, get a little too grandiose real quick.

Rhyner: [00:12:45] Exactly. And suddenly you have this like entire, like three minutes song with all these intricate like changes and stuff, and it's just, it's become like more than just your fursonas theme song.

Dyson: [00:12:58] Yeah.

[00:13:00] Rhyner: [00:12:59] Oh man. Have you thought about the melody? How it's going to go?

Dyson: [00:13:03] I have a few because okay. So I have like a whole.

Library of stuff. Um, I haven't, I basically just really started re started learning composing, like, what is the circle of fist? I don't remember, but, um, I have a library of stuff that I haven't finished, so I have a lot of like work in progress stuff. And I have a few things because I definitely want it to be like Spacey.

Yeah. So because Dyson might be an alien, he might be an alien who knows, but I'm going for something intergalactic. And I have a few, I have a few things in my library that I could, but I could rework

Rhyner: [00:13:37] if hes an alien furry, does that mean that he would have tentacles hiding somewhere?

Dyson: [00:13:42] Ah, okay. So here's the thing is not tentacles, but maybe tentacles, but I'm like super, like, I'm like, I like goo like a goo creature.

Oh yes. So I feel like Dyson, if I really want to take him there, he's actually a shapeshifter and is like, because [00:14:00] OG form is like Goo boy.

Rhyner: [00:14:02] So you're a goo.

Dyson: [00:14:04] I could be thinking about it. What did they do

Rhyner: [00:14:10] with this? The theme was .

Dyson: [00:14:13] Oh, it could be. Cause, cause it's a thing. The thing with goo is you get the goofy fetish, but you could also do cause I'm a Tia for a, so the transformation would be there and you know, it kind of two birds, one stone.

I'm thinking about it now.

Rhyner: [00:14:27] Oh my God. What if he absorbs people into the goo and turns into them?

Dyson: [00:14:31] That's okay. We need to calm down

Rhyner: [00:14:35] my fault. Geez. I was just trying to speak your language there.

Dyson: [00:14:40] It's working. It's working to

Rhyner: [00:14:43] jeez. Open and give you an, any new ideas. Oh,

Dyson: [00:14:46] you did.

Rhyner: [00:14:47] Oh, no.

Dyson: [00:14:48] I won't write them down.

I'll forget. No, there was a good one. I'll probably remember.

Rhyner: [00:14:53] Yeah. Okay. Hey, even if you forget it, you'll remember it like 3:00 AM, for some reason, just like that random thing that blue [00:15:00] dragon said. So you're gay, right?

Dyson: [00:15:05] Yes. Just a gay,

Rhyner: [00:15:07] like 100% homo. A Bromo. Yeah. Gotcha.

Dyson: [00:15:12] Well, I kind of wish that it was by though not, not going to lie.

Cause I really liked that flag.

Rhyner: [00:15:16] Same honestly, like it's really pretty.

Dyson: [00:15:19] It is,

Rhyner: [00:15:21] but you know,

Dyson: [00:15:21] incredibly jealous

Rhyner: [00:15:23] the fricking by, uh, biracial invisibility stuff is just, Ugh.

Dyson: [00:15:29] It is. I really don't understand that. I

Rhyner: [00:15:32] know, like, I, I literally do not understand it. It's like people are so scared to say that they're bisexual.

Cause they feel like it's not validating, validating their sexuality, like as a real thing. So, you know, they pick up eighth quote unquote or hard label, like being a gay or lesbian or something when, you know, thereby and that's totally fine. Actually,

Dyson: [00:15:57] I do kind of understand it because there are people [00:16:00] who are like, I'm not, can I call them pump pitches, but I kind of want to, they're like, okay, they're punk bitches.

Cause they're scared. Right? They're like, Oh no, they like all these other genders. And like, I can only offer them my gender. What if they want something else? And it's like, shut up. First of all, they will. If they're into they're into you, like. It's just a anyway,

Rhyner: [00:16:23] having other options doesn't mean that you're not the best option.

Dyson: [00:16:27] Yeah. It's stupid.

Rhyner: [00:16:31] People are just, people are just self centered like that. Yeah. Do you think being a furry helped you transform or otherwise shape any part of your sexuality? You came into it pretty late. So

Dyson: [00:16:42] I did come into a pretty late, I was like, what? 20 I'm, 28. I'm 28. Sure. Um, I was 26, so I was pretty well established as a gay.

I will actually only tell my, my, uh, queer friends that I am a furry. I do not tell them I'm an educated straight people [00:17:00] that I'm afraid. I just, it's not a conversation that I want to have. Mmm.

Rhyner: [00:17:05] Yeah. I don't think anyone wants to have that conversation. Some reason, queer people just, they just understand.

They're like, Oh, you're free. Okay. Yeah. Got it. Yeah. Like, like straight people have like 500,000 questions. It's like, you know what? There's just not worth it. You know?

Dyson: [00:17:22] It was like, Oh man. So you like into beastiality it's like, no, it's not. It's just so stupid. Oh man. They have the stupidest questions.

Rhyner: [00:17:31] As soon as you tell a straight person that your gate and a furry, their head explodes, they can't fathom it.

Dyson: [00:17:39] It's a lot. Yeah. I don't think it really shaped anything. I, uh it's yeah. I think I was well established before.

Rhyner: [00:17:53] Well, if you're a rule establish before, uh, do you feel like you can express your sexuality more through the furry fandom than something [00:18:00] like a gay dating site or a gay club or grinder, something like that?

Dyson: [00:18:05] Okay. So that's kind of funny, cause I've never been in a club and I've never had grinder. Um, cause I was really late to the smartphone game. Um, so I didn't get grinder at the time. I still don't have it. I got into a relationship and I was out of that relationship and I haven't been on Grindr. So, um, it's definitely easier because I just don't like the gay community overall.

It's real racist.

Rhyner: [00:18:33] Oh,

Dyson: [00:18:34] I mean, I mean, it's just the, you know, the, um, the, the Twinkie white guys are racist. The, the bears are racist. You can, you have to go to where the people of color are. That's where you have to go. Mmm it's I mean, it's, it's, it's a big thing I could get into it, but it's like, it's easier to talk.

Well, for the most part. Cause there [00:19:00] are racist first too, but like. For the most part, furries are more accepting than normal gay people.

Rhyner: [00:19:08] Well, let's something I guess, but that's, that's a pretty horrendous outlook. I gotta say if, uh, if you come out and the first thing you get is a, it's called the N word in the, you know, cold shoulder by pretty much everybody else in the community.

Right? Huh?

Dyson: [00:19:27] That hasn't been my experience. Mmm. No, one's luckily, I mean, luckily, uh, I get, it's not really lucky. I get the other side of the coin. I get the, the, the, the fetish one. So it's just like, Oh man, I'm normally not into black guys, but you, you it's just it's. Yeah. It's I get that end of it.

Rhyner: [00:19:52] Um,

Dyson: [00:19:54] yeah, the whole, I want the BBC, like it's, it's

Rhyner: [00:19:57] that?

That must [00:20:00] be it's very uncomfortable.

Dyson: [00:20:03] Yeah. Um, I feel like before, when I was younger, like a baby gay advocate, if you will like 21, I was just like, yeah, sure, whatever. Okay. This is what, this is what you want. Sure. But now I see it as like, okay. That's it's incredibly problem. It's incredibly problematic.

And like fetishizing black people. It's just

Rhyner: [00:20:23] whew. So if you don't mind, uh, could we back up a bit? So you came out, uh, when you were like 21?

Dyson: [00:20:32] I came. Okay. So no, I came out, um, actually. Maybe like 18, 19. I waited until college because aye. I just didn't want to deal with that in high school. I'm already like, um, you see me, I'm pretty quirky.

I've always been this quirky. So luckily, no one's like questioned my sexuality. I'm also autistic. So I'm even more quirky because of that. And, uh, people would just, they would ask me [00:21:00] if I was gay and I'd be like, I don't know. I knew I was gay, but I just said, I don't know. And they were like, would you, you don't know?

And that's just like, no. And they would just accept that because I'm weird. I was weird like that. Um, and I can get away with that. So I was just like, I'll wait til college. It was literally day one. Uh, someone has stacks in the closet, I think. Cause we just, we all just got there. That was where they're basically like makeshift pantry was.

So I went in there to get something and I came out and I was like, Hey guys, I'm coming out of the closet. And then that was, that was kind of it.

Rhyner: [00:21:28] That was it?

Dyson: [00:21:30] That was it.

Rhyner: [00:21:31] Well, I give you some points for the de atrics. Okay. How did you, uh, come about finding out like in your youth?

Dyson: [00:21:43] Okay. So it was probably, I want to say the biggest thing that I remember, it's the first transporter movie, right?

Was it Jason, Jason, Stockholm, Jason, whatever that guy's name is. Generic white guy action hero, dude. [00:22:00] Um, he was looking real hot in the transport and I was like, Oh no. Come on. I'm already. I'm already black MRD. Autistic. Are we serious right now? We're adding gay on top of this. Oh my God. So I think that was around 1211.

I don't remember when that transported movie came out, but that was the time.

Rhyner: [00:22:17] Wait a minute. You came out because you had a crush on Shiloh buff,

Dyson: [00:22:22] not Shiloh bluff. It was not shut. It was Jason stack him stack cake, something he's bald. He's a lot of action movies.

Rhyner: [00:22:30] All right.

Dyson: [00:22:31] Hobson shot. He was in constant shop.

That was recent.

Rhyner: [00:22:34] Is he the one that, uh, he wasn't the one that got pissed on by the robot?

Dyson: [00:22:41] No, no, no. I know what you're talking about.

Rhyner: [00:22:44] Not him. No, it was different fault guy. Okay.

Dyson: [00:22:47] Yeah. See, they're they're real generic. Like they're super generic, like gruff action heroes.

Rhyner: [00:22:54] Gotcha. And how did you, uh, how did you deal with that issue were growing up?

Because, [00:23:00] I mean, you grew up in a black household, right?

Dyson: [00:23:02] I did. Um, so, uh, again, it was, I was, I was like super quirky. And autistic and different because I'm a black geek and that wasn't the norm growing up, everyone was like, you know, BT Knuck, if you buck. So I didn't really mesh well with my black peers, so I didn't feel super black.

So that was my main thing. It wasn't even the gay stuff came later. Um, the gay stuff came a lot, lot later. Um, he was mostly, I didn't fit in with, within. My own light black space. And, uh, yeah. So,

Rhyner: [00:23:40] so you've always been like this outsider and it was just kind of something else to make you different from

Dyson: [00:23:45] yeah.

Rhyner: [00:23:46] Even within Europe color.

Dyson: [00:23:48] Yeah. Luckily the gay stuff didn't like, it didn't even impact because I guess I passed, I don't know how, but I guess I, I passed as straight, so people just never questioned [00:24:00] that aspect.

Rhyner: [00:24:03] Do you think things would be harder for you if you hadn't passed in that aspect?

Dyson: [00:24:07] Probably he's not at home.

Not at home.

Rhyner: [00:24:11] Hmm.

Dyson: [00:24:13] Because my, I was, I was, I wouldn't say I was the favorite, but I I'd say I was the favorite I'll fuck it. I'll send the favorites. Um, that was, that was like the point of that was like the point of, um, Uh, some, what's the point of something. I don't know my references, but I have two brothers I'm the middle child.

And, um, they would always like pick on me and then I'll retaliate by knowing them. Um, I do have affinity for the annoying people. Now it's kind of a flaw, but I really like annoying people. Um, but I, I, we would often have like a back and forth and it was always a two V one. So I would just go and play video games and be on the

internet.

Rhyner: [00:24:52] Gotcha. So you kind of like, you've just kind of been lucky throughout your life. It's kind of, yeah. And then in [00:25:00] college you just kind of ascended and you were like, Hey, by the way, here's this thing about me. No.

Dyson: [00:25:06] Yeah, yeah. It was overall pretty lucky that the gayness didn't, I guess if we, if you call that luck, it didn't really affect anything too much.

Rhyner: [00:25:18] At least on that level, right?

Dyson: [00:25:20] Yeah. And then when I eventually, cause I came out at college and then I, it was like a few months before I actually told my mom and my mom was, she was cool with it, but she was mad at me because I told people that I like, I went to college and I told him a bunch of strangers that I was gay before I told her that's what she was bad at.

Rhyner: [00:25:38] Oh, that's a sign of a good mother right there. Yeah, man, that must've been such a relief for you. Yeah.

Dyson: [00:25:46] I was like, Oh no, I hope. I mean, I kinda knew I was like, she'll be fine because she had, um, a lesbian coworker that she was friends with and she remained friends with after she like left, um, [00:26:00] the, the place that they worked.

So I knew she was cool with queer people.

Rhyner: [00:26:06] Oh, that's so wholesome. Yes. And

Dyson: [00:26:08] that was to pay for it. So I was like, hopefully, you know,

Rhyner: [00:26:12] Exactly. You're the baby. Yeah.

Dyson: [00:26:15] Okay.

Rhyner: [00:26:16] Okay. Oh my goodness. If she's going to be mad at anyone, she's not going to be mad at the baby, right?

Dyson: [00:26:21] Not the paper. I can't, I can call myself that, but I probably should.

Rhyner: [00:26:27] Hey, just don't tell your siblings that and they'll be fine.

Dyson: [00:26:29] I mean, they probably know chill.

Rhyner: [00:26:31] Oh my gosh. You're so bad.

Dyson: [00:26:35] I am.

Rhyner: [00:26:36] Oh my goodness. Well, Was there anything else that you wanted to say about, uh, being gay or coming out before we move on to the other question?

Dyson: [00:26:50] I don't think so. I feel like I never got anything bad from it because I generally just don't care about, okay. That's not true. I care about other people's [00:27:00] opinions. I'm aware of how other people view me. I just don't do anything to change it.

Rhyner: [00:27:05] That's absolutely valid. Yeah.

Dyson: [00:27:09] So I see, like, if someone has the wrong impression, me, it's like, cool.

You know, if, if, if they stick around, they'll find out that that's not true, but if they don't then whatever that's on them.

Rhyner: [00:27:20] So if they don't like what they see at first glance, that it's not your problem, that's a problem. They go with themselves. They go, Oh man, confidence on this guy. I love it. So you had trouble fitting with your peers when you were, you know, when you were younger and you were black, obviously, but anyway, the point is exactly everybody's more black now.

Mmm, true. When you say the words I'm black, where does that come from? Do you, because. There's a moment when you're growing up [00:28:00] and it could be like a microaggression, it could be something small. It could be, you know, Oh, you know, you're catching an old white man staring at you while you're trying to buy some Fritos or something.

You know, when you say the words I'm black, where does that come from to you? Has that changed because of the BLM Mo movement? Yeah,

Dyson: [00:28:18] hasn't it hasn't no, I mean, the BLM moment is just waking people up. That's all it's doing. Mmm. When I say it, it kinda just comes from, to me, it comes from when I didn't like it makes me smile whenever I say it externally or internally, because I remember when I was younger and I didn't feel that black, but it's stupid because I am black and I've always been black and I will always be.

Be black. So yeah, it's just like, when I say I'm black, I smile because it's like, Oh man. I remember when I didn't feel that black. Oh yeah. I do remember that. It's kind of stupid that I didn't feel black even though I was black. So that's kind of what comes to mind when I say

Rhyner: [00:28:57] I'm black. Ah, I got you. [00:29:00] I got you.

Uh, what, what would you say, um, is that, that feeling that comes across inside of you? Like, how do you feel about it when you have to tell, uh, someone that doesn't even know you're black or anything, you know, by the way, I'm a black furry, you know, do you tense up a little bit?

Dyson: [00:29:21] No, no, I see. I see, because I do it, I do it all the time, actually.

Like w I'll just we'll have a conversation and as a non sequitur, but like, you guys remember I'm black, right? Like I'll just do it. Um, I have no problems with it. It's I think it's just, I think it's fun. Um, it kind of fills me with joy, I guess, to say that I'm black.

Rhyner: [00:29:45] And that's pretty awesome. You just kind of drop it in there, like, by the way guys, I'm black.

Dyson: [00:29:50] Yeah. It's like, Oh yeah. My mom took me to like Chuckie cheese when I was younger. And I was like, well, I'm black. So I didn't go to Chuck E cheese. I mean, it's like that did have that. Had no [00:30:00] relevance to go to Chuck E cheese, but like, I'll just drop it in there.

Rhyner: [00:30:04] Oh, that's something I can absolutely respect.

Just absolute fearlessness and maybe that's something, you know, added in from your quirky disposition. You know what I mean?

Dyson: [00:30:15] Societal norms don't really affect me the same way.

Rhyner: [00:30:18] And sometimes that's a good thing.

Dyson: [00:30:21] Yeah.

Rhyner: [00:30:22] That is really nice. As for people waking up. I wouldn't say that, um, the black lives matter movement has actually woken me up too, because most of my life, I just kind of acted like I wasn't, um, Brown, you know, I'm black and I'm Mexican and, you know, growing up, I would get asked a lot of, uh, weird questions.

Like if I liked being black, it was like some white people asked me that I'm like, uh, you don't really ask people that. And they're like, why not? And they were looking at me in this way. [00:31:00] The. Didn't but it didn't seem normal. It didn't seem like they were asking me as a person, more like a frigging alien or something.

It is yeah. Reiteration teenagers suck. Right. But also, Mmm. I don't know, just, just small things. Like just the other week. Me and my other black friend were chased around in a frickin, uh, in a gas station, Supermart, you know, as I was yeah, exactly. And I was totally oblivious and it wasn't until we sat down and I was looking at a menu to order a sandwich and she looks at me and she's like, uh, you know, Hey, uh, we should probably, you know, Leave.

I'm not really comfortable right now. I'm like, huh? Why not? And she, like, she looks at me and she's like, didn't you notice a. Or shadow following us and like, uh, what are you talking about? Oh, that guy, I just, this is such a small place. I just thought, [00:32:00] you know, I just thought he had to do a lot of things around here.

Cause he's like the only one working right now. But no, it turns out this guy was actually just following us around the store

Dyson: [00:32:11] oblivious.

Rhyner: [00:32:13] Seriously. I was cause I was just looking at candy and stuff and you know, whatever, uh, If I was trying to steal something, I don't think, uh, shouting across to my friend, the things that I was picking up would have been a very good idea, but you know, okay.

A little known thing. Um, uh, a white guy, old white guy was actually in one of the aisles while they were looking at us, stuffing his pants full of, uh, host is a snack cakes and stuff, but you know, you do you okay? So it's just like, yeah, it's just one of those things. Uh, okay. I don't think most white people like, think about, they don't have to actively think about the fact that they're white.

Dyson: [00:32:58] Yeah.

[00:33:00] Rhyner: [00:33:00] They can just kind of exist, you know? And it will never be made apparent to them that they're white until they're like told shut up Whitey and then they cry. So, yeah.

Dyson: [00:33:10] Or when they want to enter a, a black or a, a space filled with people of color and they're like, no, you can't come in. And it's like, what?

Why not? Why are you excluding me? It's like, everything else is for you. You don't, you don't even need this. Like, Oh wait, like, what are you doing?

Rhyner: [00:33:25] Exactly. It's like one more thing that they want all for themselves, like for no other reason than to have it.

Dyson: [00:33:32] Yup.

Rhyner: [00:33:34] Dan, to take the space, I guess that brings me to the other question.

If you're ready for it,

Dyson: [00:33:39] let's go. Let's do it.

Rhyner: [00:33:41] Okay. Do you ever feel like you've been excluded in the fandom or had opportunities denied to you because of your skin tone?

Dyson: [00:33:48] Probably not. Cause I don't go anywhere. Um, so I'm like, I'm like, uh, Uh, I'm a home body or hermit if you will. I mean, I'm probably after, after things opened back up, I [00:34:00] was planning on going on to more conventions.

And I guess the, the fortunate side to this is a lot people, a lot more people will have been woken up. So hopefully the experiences will be good going forward. I've been to one freak convention prior to COVID and that was an anthro in new England, like a couple of years back. And I just went there and bought stuff and left.

So I didn't really interact with anyone.

Rhyner: [00:34:23] Oh, he just mingled and left. Yup. I got you. Hey, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'm

Dyson: [00:34:30] slowly getting more involved, but it's mostly on the online capacity.

Rhyner: [00:34:34] There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, being at home, it's pretty nice. You don't have to deal with someone yeah.

Getting in your face for no reason.

Dyson: [00:34:41] Yeah.

Rhyner: [00:34:43] Oh man. Is there anything that you're worried about if you did go, but you know, the wokeness is probably not going to make it that bad people are trying to get, um, the racists and the Nazi FERS and whatever else, you know, out of the conventions. I mean,

Dyson: [00:34:58] I, I laugh [00:35:00] at like the overtly like villain type racist.

They're like, I hate you. You're the worst. Go back to where you came from. And it's just like what you stole this country shut up, you know, it's just, it's it. They're funny to me. I feel like, cause I run into those people. Well, everywhere. It's a little bit easier, I guess, in the free community, because if you have a suit you're kind of anonymous.

So you can, you can use that to act. However you want. If you want to be racist, you can kind of go ahead and do that. So that's, that's kind of, that's still gonna be there even after this. So I guess I worry about that a little bit.

Rhyner: [00:35:38] Just protecting furries is your biggest concern.

Dyson: [00:35:41] Yeah.

Rhyner: [00:35:42] Yeah. Yeah. That's completely valid.

Honestly. Like there has been a lot of atrocities, probably people haven't spoken up about, you know, that guests stay behind closed doors and, you know, furries hide behind their first suit heads and their icons and [00:36:00] their wounds and everything. And you know, you, you can never know, like who's out there doing something terrible until

Dyson: [00:36:08] easier to be a silent racist.

Rhyner: [00:36:10] Yeah. It's a lot easier like that. The controversy that happened recently with that group of furries, did you, uh, do you know about that? Not. Yeah, so I don't remember any of their names, but I did read the, uh, the chat logs. It was a, a group of maybe 11 furries. Uh, one of them was prolific in that heat. Like he bought a lot of furry yard and he had a lot of followers.

He was friends with a lot of, uh, people. He had like a bird Soner amen stone or whatever, and he was a totally digging on the racist diatribe. You know, slinging hard RS left and right. So, you know, women were worthless because of course, you know, the gay white [00:37:00] furry would have absolutely no problem hanging out with a guy that wants to Lynch gay people.

You know, obviously that makes total sense, you know, as long as they can, you know, call Brown people, uh, fricking rapists and murderers there, just so cool. Yeah. Yeah. It was just, just pages and pages of racist, uh, misogynistic, uh, hateful, garbage that these guys were just jerking off to, uh, shitting on each other's dicks one after the other.

And nobody knew no one knew that this guy was like this. Just, just taken over and protecting them. It's ridiculous. I feel

Dyson: [00:37:44] like, unfortunately that's always going to be around because it just kind of comes with the community. Yeah. People have the anonymity and they can use that in any way they choose to.

And so we just kind of have to, when we see something, say something wrong,

[00:38:00] Rhyner: [00:37:59] Yeah, exactly. It's the getting people to say something part that's hard because you know, you see someone with like 18,000 followers and they have a cute suit or, you know, whatever. And it's like, uh, yeah, they're actually a terrible person.

Like who's, who's gonna believe you, even if they do, they're going to accept their apology that comes out two days later.

Dyson: [00:38:23] Yeah. And it's funny. Cause there are definitely parallels in other communities like in the gay community. Um, a lot of porn stars right now, or just coming out and saying the most racist stuff and they're, you know, porn star.

So they're like attractive and they have lots of followers, but luckily like people are seeing that and they're just like, okay, they're done. The cancel were unfollowing, but it's just, it's funny to see like all of these PR like it's coming out in every community, all these races they're jumping out of the woodwork.

And it's like, it's yeah, it's a little bit harder. And, and, and, and now the furry community in our community, because it's like, there's that extra level of you don't actually [00:39:00] know what they look like. Like they could just, if all they show of themselves as their Sona, they could switch Jonas and just come back to something new.

Rhyner: [00:39:06] Yeah. That's something I hadn't considered, actually, even if they do get canceled that he could just come back as someone else. But it's good to hear that things are changing in the gay community as well. I didn't know about the porn star thing. That's kind of crazy.

Dyson: [00:39:18] Yeah. Yeah. By my community has kind of overlap on Twitter a lot.

So I, yeah, there's a, there's a bunch of them. It's crazy.

Rhyner: [00:39:28] Did Cody Cummings get canceled?

Dyson: [00:39:30] There was like this dude, Billy, Billy something, Billy Santoro. He like said some stuff. Okay. Originally he said, uh, he said like, um, you guys need to keep your, your black people under control. Like just shoot them if you have to.

Yeah. Something along those lines, I'm paraphrasing. But it was, it was that bad. He got people started on following him left and right. And then, Oh, it got it. Got worse. Um, he was like, Oh no, like his boyfriend [00:40:00] was posting pictures of him in a hospital. He's like Billy tried to kill himself. Cause he's getting all this hate.

Yes. Yes. Hold on. Hold on the best part. Um, it was a porn set. It was a, it was a hospital porn set. So he's staged a suicide attempt. In order to garner sympathy for being raised. It was Ooh, no. Yes.

Rhyner: [00:40:27] Yes. Strange,

Dyson: [00:40:31] only fans blocked him. And what he did was he took us, he doctored a screenshot to make it seem like, um, he had all of his followers back on only events cause he was trying to drag them down too.

And it's like, Oh man, this dude is eight horrible person.

Rhyner: [00:40:48] Michael God, he's freaking crazy.

Dyson: [00:40:52] And there was this one, dude, actually let just this week he made a statement about the reason that black porn stars aren't getting [00:41:00] work. It's because there's not enough attractive black people

Rhyner: [00:41:03] and

Dyson: [00:41:04] yes, yes, yes,

Rhyner: [00:41:08] yes.

Mental illness. Oh no.

Dyson: [00:41:14] So, yeah, so that's that that's yup. Yeah. They're coming out. They're coming

Rhyner: [00:41:20] out. I have never seen someone dig their own grave and bury themselves in it. Free of charge. Oh my God. Aye. What is there to gain? What is there to gain from doing any of that?

Dyson: [00:41:36] And he thought he was the, uh, at least the, uh, Billy is just crazy.

It just seemed like, but the Rogan, the dude who said like Don track of black people, I think he was, he was really, he thought he was making a point. He really did. And it was.

Rhyner: [00:41:50] He thought that was okay to say that he was in the room. Like it was so valid.

Dyson: [00:41:55] He recorded himself saying that said, okay. Yeah, this is a good idea.

And he put that [00:42:00] online.

Rhyner: [00:42:01] My God.

Dyson: [00:42:02] Yup.

Rhyner: [00:42:03] That is some Olympic level. White people. Shit.

Dyson: [00:42:08] Yes.

Rhyner: [00:42:10] Like what else? What else do you call that? Oh my God. So. Did you know about the, uh, recent scandal? I'm I mean, not like a scandal scandal, but, um, you know, Wolf Vertica, Jesse and Nass raised $9,000 for charity. And. They're planning on hosting a, uh, for con run by black indigenous people of color.

And, you know, they're getting, they're getting like ki, like they're getting cheat right now on Twitter for not only raising the money, but for telling white furries to do better and telling other for [00:43:00] cons to do better. And they're raising hell right now and they're making white people uncomfortable. So white people are doing what they are yeah.

Known to do when they're in these sort of situations and they're victimizing themselves, they're asking themselves, you know, they're asking, uh, they're going after like Wolf and, uh, NASA and there going after them calling them aggressive and telling them they, they feel like they're being threatened by them or whatever, with this in mind.

How do you, how do you feel about this situation that's going on right now? This the

Dyson: [00:43:36] part of the course for this type of bullshit, honestly. Um, This happens all the time. This happens all the time. It's it's not even like for it's specific. This is just normal white shit, honestly. It's it's, you know, we come together, we do something and then we get shit for it.

Like I didn't. Okay. So this is kind of tangential, but like black wall street, that was, that was a thing twice. Um, Tulsa and Rosewood [00:44:00] black people came together. They built a thriving community. Why people didn't like it and they burned it to the ground. So it's like, um, this is kind of not that scale, but it's just, you know, they're like, Oh no, you can't, you can't do that thing.

Even though we don't want you in our spaces, you shouldn't be making your own things because like, why are you doing that? That makes us uncomfortable. And it's just, Oh, it's annoying, but it's, it's not surprising because this is, this is a, this is a usual tactic that a lot of white people do when they get uncomfortable with, um, black people, making things black and black indigenous and people of color, all of us.

Rhyner: [00:44:37] Yeah. I honestly, I wasn't expecting to see this much backlash, uh, over it because I actually, like I joined in the stream when they were at maybe 7,000, you know, I, I chipped in some, you know, and then some guy chipped in 500 and then, you know, 200 and thousand, it was, it was awesome. It was great. And, you know, it was just some [00:45:00] furries hanging out in their house.

There were eating like hot peppers and stuff like that. And, you know, it was, it was a nice little stream, you know, it was just something. Like they weren't expecting to even reach a thousand dollars. You know, that was going to be the, the goal at first. And they ended up making $9,000 and that is an amazing achievement

Dyson: [00:45:23] and it like a large success.

It makes white people uncomfortable.

Rhyner: [00:45:29] Yeah, it sure. Seems like it from what I've been seeing. It absolutely seems to be that case. And I wish that was not the case.

Dyson: [00:45:39] Yeah. Cause, cause they want this, this is what they want. They want you to just be like, Oh, it's not because I'm black. It's just because I'm like cool.

Cause they want to like erase. They want to be colorable. I put air quotes. You can't see that, but colorblind, um, it's like the moment that you say you're black and you're successful, that's when they have the issue at the moment you say that I am [00:46:00] ethnic and I'm successful. They're like, well, why can't you just be human and be successful?

And it's just like, shut up. Let us have our thing.

Rhyner: [00:46:10] Exactly. It's like they would have rather had the, uh, had them wait for the white people to make a little, like, I don't know, 10 or something, you know, for the black people at the, for cons that they were hosting rather than, you know, doing their own thing without, you know, they want to put their own to put themselves in a position where they are helping them instead of them helping themselves.

And it's just so gross.

Dyson: [00:46:41] They're always comfortable with us being sidekicks, never costars.

Rhyner: [00:46:46] Exactly. Even the way that some of the furries are like posting about this thing, you know, for POC raised $9,000 for charity. You know, like that one guy that was asking about, you know, quote, unquote, [00:47:00] mystery, mystery, furry, POC, who are they?

Are they supposed to be named? Are they like, um, are they supposed to be unnamed or whatever? I don't even know how to like, read that without getting kind of like pissed about it because it was on Twitter. He could have just like put it into the search bar, the nine K thing.

Dyson: [00:47:23] But I think you're just stupid.

Rhyner: [00:47:26] Exactly. It's like kind of a shame to see so many furries just like getting butt hurt about it, but I guess it's like a necessary evil, right? Like you get, you get all the terrible people out of the woodworks, you get them on your block list and you forget about them. Set it, forget it.

Dyson: [00:47:44] That's, that's really what I love about the BLM movement right now.

It's all, all of the silent furries inside of like all of these silent racists, just overall they're coming out.

Rhyner: [00:47:56] And

Dyson: [00:47:56] it's just like, we can see them. We are exposing them. They can [00:48:00] learn to do better. Like, you know, I want, I want these people to grow as people. I don't want them to stay there. I don't want them to feel like they're stuck.

I want them to grow. I want them to learn that it's not okay. And just to do better, honestly, just it's you shouldn't be afraid. I figured people shouldn't be afraid of being called racist because all that means is you just have a little bit of work to do that's it. And then you'll be a better person.

Like it's not. It's not me. It's not anything like, it's not gonna kill you. Well, not out for blood. We just want you to be better.

Rhyner: [00:48:32] I think it's like a, it's like they get called a racist and it's like, they are that person now. They don't see it as a starting point. That's just who they are. Are. And we need to change that kind of thinking from, you know, you're a racist and you know, you should die to like, you're a racist, but I think you can do better.

Dyson: [00:48:57] A lot of people do, but you know, cause they're like black [00:49:00] rage is real. It's it's real, real. There's a lot of people who just straight up want revenge. And that is valid. That is completely valid. A lot of people get hurt by racism, get killed by racism. So it's like an eye for an eye looks real sweet.

Sometimes not gonna lie, but like ultimately to move forward, we, we have to turn some of these. We have to turn most of them. So it's just what we gotta do.

Rhyner: [00:49:21] Exactly. And that's kind of the whole reason I'm doing these interviews because I want to get the other sides, quote, unquote story. And I want, you know, those furries that are saying, you know, all lives matter or, you know, shut up about black lives matter or whatever, you know, like they're tired of it.

They don't want to see it. They're bored of it. I want them to understand why it's important and why it's important to us and what we can learn from it. Above all else. If there is one of those kinds of people, uh, listening right now, if, if you've gotten this far, what would you like to say to them? Dyson.

Oh,

[00:50:00] Dyson: [00:50:00] okay. You made it this far? My dude, my person, whoever you are. Okay. You might be a terrible person right now, but that doesn't mean you're always going to be a terrible person. Okay. You can, you can do better. I believe in you a little bit. Not a lot. Not going to lie. I'm real pessimistic about you, but change my mind.

Keep working on it. Be being what's his name? Soca. Nope. What's his name? What's his name? Avatar avatar villain. Who became the good guy towards the end. B Baca, Zuko, Pola, Zuko. Be the Zuko we need. Be the Zuko. That's what I got for them. And if you haven't watched it, it's on Netflix. So go watch avatar. Don't watch that movie

Rhyner: [00:50:44] maybe well said, and it's true, but, um, you know, Zuko had to start from somewhere, right?

Yeah. And you might start out completely brainwashed by know, hateful ideology or maybe even the [00:51:00] ideology that, you know, you're color blind, whatever that privileged doesn't exist, you know? Okay. Sure. But that's a starting point and you can have your own arc into just something better. And this, this is coming from like to two black people, you know, that are not super fond of racists to break it to you.

Mmm. You know, you can do better. And there are people out there willing to support you, willing to give you resources, willing to accept you for being that better person. So you choose to be it. I hope that you take that first step someday. Even if, you know, you disagreed with everything that we're saying, if you're thinking up, you know, counter-arguments to everything we've said, you have stories to compare with, you know, our stories or don't think that they're even that bad or whatever it just takes.

It [00:52:00] just takes like one thing to take away from this, from this interview, you know, it from any of the interviews. Mmm. Done over this month. Uh, and the next month actually, they're going to bleed into next month. But, um, one thing to tumble into your mind and just think about it. Think about if you want to keep being this person that is hurting us actively.

Was there, uh, anything else that you wanted to say Dyson about that matter?

Dyson: [00:52:34] No, it's just be the Sukkot we need

Rhyner: [00:52:37] and that's something I can support. I do love Zuko. Oh man. Yeah.

Dyson: [00:52:41] He really turned it around

Rhyner: [00:52:43] and you're in a Boston right now. Right? Like you're seeing some, you're seeing some heat right now.

Dyson: [00:52:51] Um, okay.

So I'm Boston, I'm like 20 minutes from Boston, the greater Boston area. There we go. So yeah, I'm not in Boston proper. That's where all the stuff's [00:53:00] going down, but yeah, I'm pretty close.

Rhyner: [00:53:02] And you're always in your house, but you have an idea of what's going on.

Dyson: [00:53:07] Oh, I know. You're not

Rhyner: [00:53:08] blind to it.

Dyson: [00:53:09] No, not at all.

Yeah. I'm on Twitter every day. I can, I Googled the hashtag, so I'm in the know.

Rhyner: [00:53:15] All right. I got you. Okay. Mmm. What concerns do you have for the future regarding this movement? And what's what they're doing right now to, uh, change things.

Dyson: [00:53:26] There's you know, Oh, there's the whole defund, the police. I really hope that that works.

I really want it to work out because a lot of people I'm glad that we're having the discussions now is because initially it was just like abolish the police, no counter, like not, not argument, but no followup argument as to where is this money going? But I'm really glad to see that a lot of. Plead people in places or are spreading the information of what defunding actually means.

Where's this money going? And it's like, because the police are wildly ineffective at the jobs that are being asked of them [00:54:00] and they honestly shouldn't even be around for most of them. Oh yeah. So it's just, I hope in fact, this movement does abolish the police and brings back public safety in a better way.

I hope we have a way of dealing with racists better. And, um, I'm, I'm really hoping this doesn't get like revolution level civil war cause revolution, civil war, people die. And so it's to, it's going to be real messy and I'm a little bit worried about that, but I hope. We can not hit that, but still get good progress.

I, you know, that's, I just, I hope we make good progress and I hope we come out of this in a better spot with less racist people and we stop educating people in a way that makes them racist.

Rhyner: [00:54:50] Oh, absolutely. If we can turn some of that police funding, two schools and give schools better ways to teach. Yeah.

If we are [00:55:00] teaching them about black history about, you know, like we scrapped the white narrative part, if we just tell people what actually happened, you know, without any kind of, you know, save your angle. And we let them see things like we take them to sites, to other countries, you know, because right now schools can not even, they can barely afford supplies for the classrooms right

Dyson: [00:55:26] now.

It's crazy. And it's a lot of things you don't even technically have to go overseas because there's, there's, there's, um, people of color have been inventing stuff forever. So it's just like, I think, uh, like air conditioners. So one thing that I can think of, I think traffic lights too. So it's just like, those were American, like black inventors.

So it's like, all we need to do is to stop viewing history with a white lens, like remove the lens, like have that filter, take it off. You know, that's not the Instagram filter we're trying to use anymore. Um, let's get [00:56:00] more social workers for like wellness checks, mental health checks. When someone has a mental health problem.

That the police shouldn't even really be involved cause they aren't trained to deescalate. That's the problem. It's like if the next it's the next form of public safety has extensive deescalation tactics, that would be like phenomenal, right? Because the police fundamentally as a, as a, as a violence force, they, they come in with the threat of violence and they will use the violence to enforce the law.

So that's what they are. And we just have to, you know, we, it doesn't, it's not necessary. It's just not necessary.

Rhyner: [00:56:35] It's not because what you're doing is essentially calling a guy with a gun to your house. Yeah. That's what he is. He's a guy with a gun and he might be a ma mild mannered guy with a gun who might know a few phrases to tell someone not to kill themselves or whatever, or, you know, maybe he played bartender a few times before being a cop or something, you know?

Yeah. But. [00:57:00] Having a real social worker or someone that's trained to in deescalation and, you know, mental health and understands that what makes people tick. And isn't just, you know, so quick to just pull out their gun and pointed at someone. You know,

Dyson: [00:57:17] so you unfortunate, like the case I'm kind of against that is, you know, guns are a thing and no, it's, there's a whole amendment around it.

Like we got, we got the right to bear arms, which we don't honestly need like that back to them go. And for being a real, that can go, like we don't. Take away the guns like they're unnecessary. No one really needs the guns. Like who, who we were checking from. If we have better education, if we have better resources for our communities, if we're more, if we're just a better community and we're interacting with each other and helping each other, there's no need for all the guns, to be

Rhyner: [00:57:58] honest.

[00:58:00] So you don't think that we need guns, like period. And we, if we were a, you know, if we were a good society and that we were just like helping each other educating, um, and you know, supporting each other as a community, Yeah. You know, we wouldn't have a need for it.

Dyson: [00:58:18] We wouldn't, because unfortunately I feel like a lot of people feel disconnected from the people that they live around.

And it's, it's real easy to do that. And especially in like bigger cities, like places like New York where you don't even know everyone that's coming through because it's like a world class city, people are coming in and out in and out. So it's like in those cities, you're always gonna have that, but like, Just overall.

I feel like, I guess we got to bring like the small town mentality and how they do know everyone and they're friends with everyone. And when a new person comes in, then it's like, Oh, who's that new person. Let's try to get to know them and just like have better community resources for everyone. That's kind of just what we need.

That's a tall order though. So I don't, I don't, I usually [00:59:00] don't say like, you know, let's get rid of all the guns because that's like real spooky, scary skeletons to a lot of people, but we got to get rid of them eventually.

Rhyner: [00:59:11] Oh, your hair heard it here. Folks defund the police, support your communities and get rid of all the guns.

Dyson: [00:59:19] Okay. Oh God.

Rhyner: [00:59:21] What am I doing? It's just that easy. Well, I can't say that I, uh, I disagree with the peer points at all, and it would be nice to be in, you know, part of a community that feels like a community. You know, people know each other, at least cared to try to know each other people aren't scared of each other.

Yeah. I feel like there's a lot of fear going around. Like right now, but yeah, people are working toward sure. They're doing a lot right now. There's there's a lot going on right now, you know, outside of the, uh, so the black lives matter movement. [01:00:00] We got coronavirus, we got, um, new nuclear power plants exploding.

We have,

Dyson: [01:00:05] wait, wait, hold on. Wait, what?

Rhyner: [01:00:08] Uh, anyway. There's there's a lot going on. Oh my God. But the point is we are basically in our own little chapter of history right now. Right. It's a lot for someone to take in and process all at once. This is also why I'm, I'm doing this, you know, so you can get those little pieces of information, the parts that go through the.

The shutter and perfect bite sized. And you can do ingest them. If there's anything to take away from this it's that people are funding right now for the right to live. I said it in the last interview, I'll say it here that all lives cannot matter until black lives [01:01:00] matter. That is, that is the full statement.

And if that bothers you, then. You need to reevaluate something in your, in your morals, because we are simply trying not to die. We want to live period. Oh,

did you have anything else that you wanted to add before? Uh, we want him to the final question there.

Dyson: [01:01:30] No, I think I'm good. I feel like I should've stopped at like, get rid of all the guts.

Rhyner: [01:01:34] Okay. Probably. Do you know about the, the furry Sonic Fox? I do. They're a gamer.

Dyson: [01:01:44] I've been following them. I feel like right before they blew up right before they blew up, because I was like, Oh no, there's another like a gaming furry.

Who's gay. Oh God rival.

Rhyner: [01:01:59] Okay, [01:02:00] so you, uh, so you felt like he, uh, they were another one of you basically.

Dyson: [01:02:08] Yeah.

Rhyner: [01:02:09] How did it feel for you seeing them accepting that award? Sure. You know, two years back.

Dyson: [01:02:16] That was cool. I was like, yeah. Tell him, tell him, tell him do it. It was, it was pretty cool. It was pretty fun.

It was a good time.

Rhyner: [01:02:25] Yeah, the aftermath of that was kind of controversial. Like, do you agree with anything like controversial regarding Sonic Fox? Because they catch a lot of heat for repeating, you know, I'm gay for saying I'm black and you know, that kind of thing. Do you feel like that's necessary at all?

Um,

Dyson: [01:02:43] yes, because every day we walk outside every day you turn on TV, you get straight shit in your face. And so it's not, it's not people coming out and being like I'm straight, but it's all this heteronormative bullshit every [01:03:00] single day. So the fact that, that they're out there being like I'm gay, I'm black.

It's just, it's just the same thing in a different way. So I applaud

Rhyner: [01:03:11] them. Oh yeah. Way back then when they were, uh, when they started doing that I'm gay thing, you know? And it was like in its full thrust, it was like every day, twice a day, whatever, you know, they started getting this retaliation of I'm straight and it got to the point where my timeline was full of people saying I'm straight and I'm gay.

So I had just had to mute it on Twitter because it was just like so bad. Yeah. I'm straight. Yeah. It's like this, this it's thing that came up literally only because someone said I'm gay first, because of course

Dyson: [01:03:52] I follow a lot of people on Twitter. Actually. I wasn't even really big, big on Twitter because I was, I was a tumbler.

I was on tumbler. [01:04:00] I came over when they banned porn. I'm

Rhyner: [01:04:02] the

Dyson: [01:04:02] same. So, yeah, I didn't follow up. Unfortunately, I didn't follow, uh, that wave or I didn't appear on my timeline.

Rhyner: [01:04:13] Oh man. Good for you. You missed out on that. That was just awful. It was the worst, most toxic stuff, but, you know, uh, I used to not so much agree with sauna foxes thing, where they were saying that I'm gay or whatever, but I mean, Yeah, no, I'm like seasoned.

I understand. I'm like, you know what? Spam I'm gay every day, 40 times a week, you know, for all I care, you know, go for it. People need to see it. People need it

Dyson: [01:04:49] also. I mean, kind of hearkening back to what I said earlier, I do like annoying people in that. I acknowledged that that was really annoying. And I was into that.

I was like, [01:05:00] Oh yeah, So, um, yeah, I was growing up.

Rhyner: [01:05:05] It's just another thing that's making them your rival, right?

Dyson: [01:05:08] Yup. He's on a unofficially unofficially. They're unofficially my rifle. I'm not putting that up.

Rhyner: [01:05:16] Okay. So you're not the favorite. You're not the rifle. Got it.

Dyson: [01:05:19] It's it's just, it's something that I have in my head.

I shouldn't even send anything.

I have, I have these dumb imaginary rivalries with people all the time.

Rhyner: [01:05:34] Yeah. I mean, that makes life more fun, right?

Dyson: [01:05:36] Yeah. Hold on. Animate opening.

Rhyner: [01:05:39] So since you considered them, your rival in a way, you know, as Adobe, they represent you in the greater sphere.

Dyson: [01:05:48] Yeah, I suppose so. I think so. Yeah, I would, I would take the representation.

I mean, they're black, I'm black. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

[01:06:00] Rhyner: [01:06:01] And the whole furry thing of course.

Dyson: [01:06:03] Oh, right. Yes. That's. Well, that's a given, that's a given

Rhyner: [01:06:07] as a given, most of my friends happened to be, uh, black gay furries, you know? It wasn't something I set out to do. It's just something that literally just kind of happened, you know?

But, um, uh, when I think about it, that's like really rare because most furries are, you know, skinny, white twink dudes, they're nerds and stay in their rooms and Twitter, twiddled their Diddy's to whatever.

Dyson: [01:06:36] But, um, they're all gay twinks.

Rhyner: [01:06:39] Uh, Hmm. I guess. I haven't been to a fur con, so I haven't seen a lot of them in real life.

I just have their profile picture to base off of. Well,

Dyson: [01:06:53] why twins are the worst? So it just kind of reinforces that,

Rhyner: [01:06:57] right? Damn.

Dyson: [01:06:59] That was a [01:07:00] broad statement.

Rhyner: [01:07:01] Poor went out for the gay white twinks out there. They're really good. You know what? This one?

Dyson: [01:07:06] Yeah, that was an inflammatory statement. And I stand by it.

Sorry, not sorry. Actually not sorry.

Rhyner: [01:07:13] Huh? Okay. Okay. Okay. Rubbing it up, rubbing it. Well, is there anything else that you wanted to say before we, uh, we stopped?

Dyson: [01:07:23] I think, I think I've rambled on. What did I say? I don't know. Do I have anything to add? Not really. Whatever I said. I said the only thing I remember is if you're racist, be the Zuko we need, which isn't even mine.

That's Evelyn from the internet. So, so. I just really enjoy repeating stuff from cool black people.

Rhyner: [01:07:44] Well, it's yours now. That's all. Hey, you came up with that all by yourself and totally, you know, thank you so much for coming on the show and chatting with me and sharing your pains and your stories. I really appreciate that.

Thank you [01:08:00] so much.

Dyson: [01:08:00] Thank you for inviting me to do so. Of

Rhyner: [01:08:04] course. I mean, you seem cool enough. I liked your icon. It's basically why and to a, everybody else out there. Thank you so much for listening. Really appreciate ya. Uh, I got a coffee link in the bottom. If you would like to donate to the show, we're going to keep going with these interviews, um, into a July, even though pride month is essentially over.

Mmm. People don't stop being gay after June people don't stop being black after June, either. And of course the movement is still going on. So I see no reason to stop these interviews, even though I'm it will no longer be quote unquote pride months. Okay. Uh huh. I still have some other furries too interview like Gosey and NASA and, uh, [01:09:00] Such and hopefully you guys will stick around and do listen to those as well.

Again, you can catch Dyson over it. Did you Dyson? You can catch me at Reiner eight D you can follow my sound engineer, the ever patient Sean at Rio goat on Twitter. I'm also going to be posting a charity links at the bottom information as well. If you would like to check out the movement, understand it more.

It's all right there. You don't need to pay, collect people to educate you, just letting you know. And, uh, I will also be transcribing this for, you know, hard of hearing people, et cetera, eventually. Cause this one's really long actually. So it might take a little longer to do that, but, uh, it's fine. Yeah, I think that's it.

Thank you so much, guys. Okay, bye. [01:10:00]