Connecticut Councilman Resigns After Being Revealed as a "Furry"
A Connecticut councilman is resigning after his profile on a website catering to “furries” appeared on social media — but the outgoing first-term Democrat insists his animal costume fetish has “nothing to do with sex.”
New Milford Councilman Scott Chamberlain, who was up for re-election, is stepping down after a town resident posted several screenshots on Facebook of the lawmaker’s profile on a private website for “furries,” a subculture of people who don animal costumes, sometimes for sexual gratification.
“In response to information about ‘likes’ on a personal page by Councilman Chamberlain, I have called for his immediate resignation from the Town Council and any other appointed Boards and Commissions,” Mayor David Gronbach said in an email to The Post. “As public servants, we are held to a higher standard and Mr. Chamberlain’s apparent posts do not meet that standard.”
The profile on sofurry.com — according to the Danbury News Times, which first reported on it Thursday — includes a list of Chamberlain’s preferences, ranging from “loves” to “likes” to “tolerates” to “hates” in order to customize content sent to users. Chamberlain, whose avatar resembles a fox named “Gray Muzzle,” insisted to the newspaper that his interest in the subculture stems from an appreciation for animal characters like Tony the Tiger and Mickey Mouse.
“It’s nothing to do with sex; it’s an interest in cartoon animals,” Chamberlain told the newspaper Thursday.
But the profile also indicated that Chamberlain “tolerates” rape, prompting at least one commenter on the Facebook post to question the lawmaker’s ability to lead.
“Anyone is free to pursue any hobby of choice, however that doesn’t mean they can represent me as an elected official and endorse the things that are seemingly endorsed on that page,” one comment read.
Chamberlain did not immediately return a message seeking comment Friday, nor did he respond to a follow-up request for comment from the Danbury News Times on Thursday.
Peter Mullen, the town’s Democratic chairman, said Chamberlain told him previously about his interest in “science fiction adult literature,” but said the Facebook post, which has since been removed, was troubling.
“Literature is one thing, but this kind of stuff takes on a whole different level,” Mullen told the News Times.
Gronbach said he also had no idea about Chamberlain’s interest in “furries.” The outgoing lawmaker — whose written resignation was expected Friday, according to Gronbach — claimed someone must’ve set him up, creating an account on the website just to obtain private information on him. But Chamberlain also acknowledged writing what he characterized as a “soap opera” on another website for adults only.
“I’m just saddened by this whole thing,” he told the News Times. “I’ve always tried to be positive in my public life and work hard and donate my time for the people of New Milford.”