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Furry Girl Interview | <a href="http://canbaskent.net">Can Başkent</a>

Can Başkent

logic and the rest...

FURRY GIRL INTERVIEW

CAN BAŞKENT - FURRY GIRL

Hello Furry Girl! Can you first tell us more on what motivated you to initiate the "first and only adult site made by and for plant-eaters!"?
I started VegPorn.com originally as a small link page to compile a list of veggie people who get naked online and other links relating to sex and veganism. I was very pleased to get a lot of feedback about it, and the attention made me decide to turn VegPorn into its own site with exclusive photos from vegan and vegetarian models. I've been vegan for over 7 years, and it just seemed like an idea who's time had come.

You identify yourself as a "polyamorous ethical slut". Can you explain it a little more, so that we can know you better.
I prefer open relationships and the freedom to have sex with my friends, but I'm not into sexual interactions that involve lying, cheating, etc. Polyamorous folk aren't interesting in "stealing boyfriends" or being "the other woman" with someone who's cheating on a monogamous partner- it's about honesty.

You said in your web site that you see veganism as "a way that people can choose to look at the bigger picture and the impact of the daily choices they make." Which part of the bigger picture and which impact of your daily choices converted you to veganism?
The bigger picture for me, ultimately, is environmental sustainability. Without a planet that can support life, there's really no chance for anything else. I became vegan because of my long-standing love and respect for animals, though, and then learned about the devastating effects of animal agriculture on the environment via factory farming and mismanagement of resources.

After turning to veganism have you ever slept with a non-vegetarian? Can you tell any difference (seriously)? It is understandable that sometimes non-smokers would not prefer smokers as a partner, so does it apply to you for vegans, i.e. would you ever consider a non-vegetarian person as a partner? Moreover, do you think "vegetarians make better love?" referring to http://www.eatveg.com/veglovers.htm
Yes, I have. There are lots of people who are intelligent and attractive, but still choose to consume animal products. I don't think I could be in a long-term relationship with someone who ate meat, though. More than anything else, what makes a good lover is being considerate and healthy.

I know, after some extend it might be silly to ask but still, do you consider yourself feminist?
I consider myself a feminist, and I prefer to put my politics into action with the type of porn I produce. I don't care if people think you can't be a feminist pornographer, because I'm not concerned with labels. I'm more concerned with making sex-positive erotic material that breaks down gender and sexual stereotypes.

One of the distinctive aspects of vegporn.com is the wide range of sexual diversity it featured - from trannyboys to grrls - which is very unlikely for mainstream porn. Do you think it is just a commercial concern for mega porn sites not to include that wide range of sexual diversity? For instance, do you believe that one day Hustler can come up with a web service like vegporn.com?
The mainstream porn industry is extremely conservative. Sometimes it dabbles in "niche" and "fetish" content if it thinks there is money to be made there, but without a sincere interest in those niche and fetish communities and a real understanding of the people they're trying to sell things to, those ventures aren't going to succeed. It's a cycle: none of the big porn companies wants to take a risk in marketing new types of porn, so they don't make any money off it, and then other companies assume there's no market for diverse porn because no one's doing it.

We like the way you attached some nice vegan foods to porn. Yet, as all of the recipes are "members only", can you give the recipe of one of your fave vegan food to our poor and hungry readers, maybe as a promotion of vegporn.com as well :))?
One of my favorite desserts is pumpkin pie, which is one of the naked vegan recipes I contributed to the site. Here's my recipe:

Furry Girl's Pumpkin Pie

I like harvest foods all year long, and since pumpkin is available in canned form, why not celebrate every meal with this "holiday" classic?

1 can pumpkin
1 can coconut milk (not light)
2 boxes extra firm silken tofu
3/4 cup sugar
1 ts salt
1/4 ts each ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, & allspice (or 1 1/4 ts "pumpkin pie spice")
1 Ts vanilla
1 9" pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine pumpkin, salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and spices in a bowl.
Combine the tofu and can of coconut milk in a blender, along with 1/2 cup of sugar. Blend until smooth and sugar seems pretty dissolved.
Add 2 cups of the white blender mix to the pumpkin mix, combine thoroughly, and pour into a pie crust.
Add vanilla to the remaining tofu topping and blend. Pour into a container and chill overnight in the fridge.
Cook pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, before turning it down to 375 for 45 minutes. Let the pie and topping cool in the fridge overnight so your pie/topping properly firms up, and enjoy this fall favorite any time of the year!

You noted somewhere in vegporn.com that over 1000 people have applied for being modeled in vegporn.com. But, as you remarked as well, at the moment, there are about 30 models featured. Do you consider the number of people applied success or are they just a bunch of people who have nothing to do but applying to vegporn.com to increase their ca$h flow?
I'm glad so many people have been interested in the site, and by that, I mean the models I have on the site now. Unfortunately, I've also gotten hundreds of applications from people whom I believe were just looking for someone to tell them, "you're hot enough to be on a porn site". They would send me some photos, ask if I thought they were pretty, and then that would be it. I got annoyed with it, because for one, I think everyone is beautiful in their own way, and two, I don't really have the time to assure everyone out there in internetland that they're pretty. I suppose it sounds mean, but I really love people who create things and do stuff on their own terms, rather than people who look to others for approval.

You are also affiliated with eroticred.com - sexy, natural & fun menstruation porn as it is noted in the web site. Can you give more details on your affiliation with eroticred.com?
I also own Erotic Red, which is almost a year old now, and there are a few models that are on both Veg Porn and Erotic Red. One of my gripes with the mainstream porn industry is that it is terrified of menstruation, and periods are seriously the last taboo. There are many sites devoted to women being gagged until they vomit and cry- but if you show up with a bunch of models posing nude while menstruating, pornographers call you a disgusting freak. I like taking on the challenge of promoting menstruation as a normal and healthy part of adult sexuality.

Yet another affiliation of yours is vegsexshop.com - a vegan sex shop. But, I think the range of products are somewhat narrow. Do you consider expanding the product range? Moreover, what kind of responses have you received for vegsexshop.com?
I started the Veg Sex Shop in November of 2004, and I've gotten a lot of positive response to it from customers. It's a small store- vegan condoms, dams, and gloves, a variety of vegan lubes, some high-quality sex toys, and other fun items like books and lip balm. It's never been my goal to be the biggest sex store online- I'd rather focus on a collection of really great products that I personally use and love.

How many members do your web sites have?
This is one I don't answer, sorry.

What do you think about bra? I know that it is highly controversial among feminist circles. Some radical feminist movements even launched themselves in demos where they first burned down their own bras? Or rather, why do you "rarely wear bra" as you said in your web page?

I have no political views on the bra. I don't wear one because I have small boobs and don't really need one, and I find them uncomfortable.

Spit or swallow? Do you consider swallowing vegan?
I'm generally a swallower. I'd say that as long as the person you're blowing isn't being exploited, then swallowing is vegan. If you want to take it a step futher, you could also say that swallowing is vegan so long as the person who's coming in your mouth is vegan, since the things we eat do make their way into our fluids.

I don't know how to ask but, your sterilization operation was quite inspiring. Beside the birth control pros, did you have any moral/political/sociological etc. arguments for this operation?
I got a tubal ligation in August 2006, and it's the single best thing someone can do for the planet. No matter how much you shift vegan and organic and fair trade products, you really can't remove yourself from our consumer culture. Every new person you bring into the world, no matter how vegan and enlightened, leaves a negative ecological impact, and the chain continues with their children, grandchildren, etc. Plus, there are already so many children in this world that are literally dying from lack of care, so if someone wants to experience parenthood, there are plenty of humans who need love and care that exist already. I'd suggest to anyone interested in this sort of thing check out the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement at vhemt.org.

It is clear why you call yourself "Furry Girl", so do you get any sort of sexual pleasure from your "fur"? Or do you have any other motivations, besides the erotic ones, for growing hair in your arm pits, legs etc..
I don't consider myself a hair fetishist. I'm just a low-maintenance person, and I simply have no interest in shaving half of my body every day. It's time-consuming and unnecessary.

Who takes your pictures?
I have had boyfriends over the years who have taken photos of me, but now, I shoot most of my own photos. It's more challenging, but I like being able to do everything myself.

Well, we are "officially" a music magazine. So, I do want to follow this tradition here as well. You live in Seattle, WA - a city famous for its silly grunge bands :)). But, I am afraid "none" of your favorite bands or singers (that you mentioned in your personal web site) fall in the scope of Sonic Splendour. So, do you have anything "metal" or "hard" for us from Seattle?
I'm sorry, I don't really follow the hardcore scene, other than thinking some of the boys are hot.

Can we come across with any Turkish band/singer etc. in your dusty CD/MC/LP closet?
I don't think I have anything by Turkish musicians. I'd say most of my stuff is made in the US, Canada, and England.

Hippies or punks?? Or metalheads?
I don't consider myself any of those. I don't fit into any sort of social scene, and I like that. I get along with all types of people, but I always do look like the odd one out, no matter who I'm hanging out with.

I think that's it for now, any last words to add?
Thanks for having me as a part of your magazine!

Thank you very much for your precious time.