Photo courtesy of Oakland University

The Furry Makers Club strives to destigmatize a fandom that has long been shrouded in negativity. The club’s founder, Evelyn Van Camp, aims to create a safe space for Oakland University community members who enjoy the furry fandom.

“We’re not trying to convert anyone that is not already a furry. The way I see it, people already have interests, they just haven’t explored it,” Van Camp said.

The club arose from Van Camp’s desire to fill a hole and a niche that was not already present at the university. 

“I am a member of the furry fandom and there was no space for furries to build relationships at Oakland,” Van Camp said. “So I figured if I wasn’t going to do it, no one was.” 

Students can expect a range of activities to engage in during their time in the club. Drawing fursonas, sculpting fursuit heads and marketing are just a few of the endeavors club members will explore. 

According to Van Camp, the club’s mission is to give fursuit makers, musicians and members of the furry fandom a place to learn new skills, make friends and explore business opportunities related to the furry fandom.

The club will serve as a welcoming space for newcomers, as well as a comfortable environment for established members of the furry fandom. 

Van Camp has amassed 7.5k followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) with her fursona Azure the Electroshark. Along with her X following, Van Camp writes furry-adjacent music, which can be found on YouTube and Bandcamp. 

If students find themselves to be not as artsy as others, they can still find a place within the club. 

“As for the future of the group, I see it becoming a collective of creators and art appreciators, “ Van Camp said. “Just letting people express themselves more.” 

The club, while having its mission and goals found, is still working on formalities. The location of the club’s meetings has yet to be finalized. 

“We have considered Wilson Hall because they do have some open spaces but we have also thought about doing the Oakland Center and renting one of the rooms,” Van Camp said. “But we’d have to get in contact with the appropriate people, but that’s next.” 

When the place of meeting is finalized, the club will, along with its mission, be tasked with taking down the stigma and negative perceptions first mentioned above. 

“The furry fandom is associated with a couple of things. The first thing is not-safe-for-work content. The club is completely safe for work,” Van Camp said. “We’re cutting all of that stuff out, it’s not happening.” 

Along with the NSFW stigma, lots of people’s quarrels with furries stem from ignorance. 

“As for the negative perceptions, some people think it is creepy or uncanny,” Van Camp said. “Well, it comes from not having much exposure to it which is why we want to have a club that has this going.” 

As the Furry Makers Club gets closer to finally commencing, prospective club members can contact the club through its page on GrizzOrgs.