preface
the intended audience of this page is people that literally have no clue what an 'otherkin' is. if you are otherkin and you see something here that doesn't sit right with you, please, for the love of everything infernal, let me know!!! i don't claim to know everything about the otherkin community, or even to be an expert. i also don't want you to think that MY perception and knowledge of things is like the required of knowing or doing things. we can throw around all the definitions and rules that we want, but at the end of the day your identity is your own, and you have every right to call it whatever you like. i will be sharing the definitions i know as i know them though.that being said, i have done my research and have personal experience of my own. this is intended to be a very basic overview of alterhumanity and its main subsets. my favorite source of information, particularly in terms of the history of our community is this pdf. it used to be a website, but alas, the last time i checked it was down. i honestly don't even remember how i got the pdf but here it will be. i also have an old essay from 3 or 4 years ago that i did for school if you want a more professionally done overview with more sources and such. it's not that good of an essay though.....
you could also just look up 'alterhuman' on tumblr and poke around for a while lol. that's how i got started learning about all this.
the actual information
okay, so what is otherkin? the chance of you having even seen that word before now is pretty low unless you're really chronically online, and let's be real, you probably are. it's okay, i am too. such is the way of neocities users. in any case, you've probably seen the term 'otherkin' (perhaps with a 'd' included, e.g. 'otherkind) and maybe you saw it in the vicinity of other terms like 'therian' or 'alterhuman,' or if you're REALLY chronically online, then maybe 'voidpunk.' (i won't get into it more than this, but this one is kind of a combination of a queer and nonhuman identity. i like it a lot, but it definitely has a different meaning than it used to when i was new to all this.) but what do they all mean?alterhumans
well, otherkin is an umbrella term, under another another umbrella known as alterhumanity. alterhumanity is a term for someone who a) calls themselves that and/or b) experiences an internal identity beyond the scope of what is traditionally considered 'being human.' that doesn't necessarily mean an alterhuman believes they aren't human. they can, but they may also just feel a certain, say, familial closeness to something unhuman. just an example. generally, i haven't seen anyone use this term without also identifying under a different, more specific label, so i can't really say much about what it means on its own. as far as i can tell, it is similar in nature to the term 'queer.' you're just different in that direction, it could literally mean anything and it is up to you to decide what. this is a really broad term in that regard.otherkin
otherkin, like i said before, is another umbrella term. this one specifically means that you do not identify as a human, whether that be psychologically, spiritually, or physically. (note: physical otherkind are kind of a controversial topic last i checked. personally, i could not give less of a damn if you think you are literally, physically a dragon or some such thing. that's honestly dope as fuck. it's entirely your own business how you identify yourself, even if it makes no sense to others. it doesn't need to make sense. i digress.)the oldhead definition (the one i live by, so pre- tiktok therian apocalypse, no hate to them. this event just had a pretty strong effect on existing terminology due to the nature of how information moves within tiktok and is important to note if you are someone who gets their infomation from there) specifically states that otherkin identify as a non-human creature that is NOT an animal that already exists. so think dragons, elves, vampires, zombies (like me), angels, demons, aliens, literally anything. this also includes dolls, plants, any digital-kin, and fictionkin (i.e. fictional characters and creatures from specific media, such as na'vi from avatar or like. mario or something). so, anything that isn't an animal you can go outside and find (also, dinosaurs. if you are a dinosaur, this is not the label i would give you. your life though.) this is what makes otherkin an umbrella. all these little identities fall under it, using -kin as a suffix. so, zombiekin, elfkin, werewolfkin, dragonkin, etc.
(personal note: lots of people believe that the otherkin label also encompasses people who do identify as real animals (i.e. therians), which is fine, but not the old definition per se. use whichever one you like more. i see therians using the otherkin label as well about the same as lesbians who call themselves gay. which is to say, not an issue because 'otherkin' and 'gay' can become larger or smaller umbrellas depending on context and the person using it. i'm not a therian, so i can't really decide how they do things anyhow.)
an otherkin might believe they were whatever they are in a past life, and reincarnated as a human. they might believe that their upbringing affected their identity somehow (treated like a monster as a child, now identifies as a literal monster), or that a condition they have did. notably, a lot of zombiekin have cotard's syndrome, a delusional disorder involving death in some manner. i don't personally struggle with this (i'm just slow and have chronic pain), but browsing my own community spaces this is something i have noticed. an otherkin might also just be what they are, no explanation needed. most older kinfolk fall into this category. some otherkind identify physically as their kintype (ex. my kintype is a zombie. therians, who i will talk about later, also use this term.) there's a lot of different types of otherkin out there, so don't consider this as the end-all, be-all.
therians
it is much more likely you have seen the word 'therian' before. they're fairly prolific on tiktok, where they have the most exposure to the general public. they have their own little culture on there, and the community there is mostly dominated by kids aged 12-15. there is also a large therian community on tumblr, where they are even more common.some consider therianthropy (n. the concept or state of being a therian, derived from the greek roots "theri," meaning 'wild beast,' and "anthro," meaning 'human' or 'mankind') as falling under the otherkin umbrella. personally, i don't think that's quite right... i like to think of otherkin and therianthropy as two umbrellas sitting next to eachother under the alterhuman umbrella. similar, but not the same. unlike otherkind, therians identify as real-world animals such as wolves (most common), cats, deer, birds, fish, and insects. i have also met one (1) person that identified as some kind of amoeba, and they used the therian label as well. this is also where dinosaurs fit in. they ARE real animals, they're just all dead. like otherkind, they can frame this identity in many different ways, such as psychological, spiritual, and physical. several years ago, spiritual therianthropy was most common. i don't think that's the case anymore, but i don't know what the current trend is either, as i don't interact with this community often. again, don't trust me as the number one expert on these things.
conclusion?
overall, this is a pretty basic overview on the different kinds of nonhumanity out there. i personally don't feel the need to include anything more... it is up to you to go out and learn more about us yourself. and again, if my definitions aren't the ones you use, that is literally fine. words evolve over time and people use them differently. i plan on including a basic history/timeline of alterhumanity at some point, but until then you can refer to the pdf i linked earlier.if you're curious about the specifics of my identity, i fear there isn't much i can tell you. i've been a zombie since i was 12, which, by the way, is way before i ever figured out i was trans as well. that's how deeply being a zombie is engrained into my identity. in terms of how i identify as a zombie, i don't really think there is an answer to that question. i just am. i do get the impression that, when i eventually am dead, for real, i will somehow become a zombie. ideally, a zombie living in literal actual Hell with the demons and such. i don't really know though. this is just what i'm like tbh...
i do consider myself to be one of those zombies that are like 90% fungus though. not like in the last of us, though i do love that franchise, because in that world the zombies were infected with an already existing fungus. i feel like my fungus (that sounds so disgusting to say good grief) is like. It originated with me? like patient zero it was never documented doing anything parasitic before maybe it was like a stuck in permafrost situation. idk. but liike i am the fungus and the fungus is me. and also there are bugs. i imagine theyre important somehow but i can only guess because i only have a human body and not a zombie body lol
other things of note
alterhumanity generally isn't a voluntary identity, unless you are copinglink, which, you guessed it, is the main exception. copinglinks are voluntary nonhuman identities used as a method of coping (who knew) with usually either trauma or certain conditions like depression or anxiety. if that doesn't make sense, than consider this: wouldn't you be less anxious if you were a dragon? exactly. there are also otherlink identities, which are about the same thing but not for coping purposes.it's also very important to note that alterhumans (particularly therians) ARE NOT ZOOPHILES!!!! this is always the biggest misconception that gives us all a horrible reputation. i don't even know where it came up, because every therian i have ever seen has such a deep-seated hatred for zoophiles that i seriously think they would kill them with their bare hands (paws?) given the slightest oppurtunity. in any case, if you are reading this i trust you have the sense to believe me that we are Ethical Freaks with no intention of hurting others.
anyways thanks for reading i hope this was educational in some way. if you have questions or anything please feel free to message me on xxafterlife or on tumblr i love answering questions and i love not being wrong so if you feel the need to correct me on anything you see here contact me as well
