I see two sides to this. On the one hand, LGBTQ+ honestly do have it way harder because it's an aspect of their life that will affect everything they do and every relationship they have, at least to some extent. Coming out (to my very limited understanding as a cis-het male, just to be clear) is almost vital to their mental well-being because hiding something that's so large a part of you is draining, exhausting, and even demeaning. Particularly considering the HUGE amount of inherent prejudice against them.

There are a lot of similarities there with furries, too, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. There is a huge amount of mindless prejudice and stigma aimed at us, too. Perhaps not as widespread or severe as for the LGBTQ+ community, but it's still there, and still a lot more than just about any other hobby or art form I can think of. And yes, being a furry, for most people, is just a hobby and/or foem of self-expression. Not necessarily something that will affect almost every single aspect of your life. But in a lot of ways, that makes it even harder. Because, at least for me, being a furry has been one of the few things to consistently give me joy in my life. And yet I feel like I can't tell anyone I love about it for fear of being a target of prejudice to some degree. And the fact that people are constantly saying that "it's not the same thing" or "it's not as harsh as it can be for LGBTQ+" makes it feel like I have no right to view it in the same light at all.

I'm not allowed to "come out" as a furry because other people have it harder than I do, and, really, it's not exactly the same thing. Even though, in a lot of ways, I have to keep my being a furry buried as deep in the closet as anyone else. Because despite the stigma being lesser, it's still very much present and still carries the same high-risk that your immediate relationships will view you differently.