Rocky Mountain Fur Con

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Rocky Mountain Fur Con (edit)
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2007
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2008
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2009
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2010
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2011
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2012
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2013
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2014
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2015
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2016
Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2017

Rocky Mountain Fur Con staff
Rocky Mountain Fur Con guests of honor

Rocky Mountain Fur Con, often abbreviated RMFC, was a furry convention that took place every August in Denver, Colorado from 2007 to 2016, attracting 1,677 attendees in its final year.

The convention was cancelled on April 10, 2017 after threats of violence at an upcoming event caused the venue to demand paid security guards.

History[edit]

   
Rocky Mountain Fur Con
Rocky Mountain Fur Con was first organized by the Mid-America Anthropomorphics and Arts Corporation to take place in June of 2006 to cater to the large population of furries living in Colorado and surrounding areas. However, when Anthrocon also announced its date for that same month, the decision was made to postpone the Rocky Mountain Fur Con's debut until 2007.[1]
   
Rocky Mountain Fur Con

The first Rocky Mountain Fur Con was chaired by Kahuki Lairu with assistant chair Sorin Kat, and took place at the Denver Adam's Mark Hotel. In its second year, RMFC moved to the Hyatt Regency, but failed to meet its room block requirements, leaving its sponsoring organization in considerable debt, and at risk of having to close the convention.

Nonetheless, Rocky Mountain Fur Con did manage to continue the next year, rescued in part by generous donations from the community.[1] Sorin Kat took over as chairman, and the convention changed hotels again, to the Crown Plaza Hotel. However, due to cost considerations and problems with the ground floor layout, the convention moved in 2010 to the DoubleTree Hotel Denver, where it remained for several years. During this time, RMFC's remaining debts were paid off, and the convention's attendance doubled. In 2013, a charity casino night was organized, intended as a special event to match the convention's "Lucky 13!" theme. However, this event was so popular that it was brought back the following year.

In 2014, Rocky Mountain Fur Con moved to the Marriott Denver Tech Center, having outgrown the Doubletree.

Cancellation[edit]

For more details on this topic, see Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2017.

Following allegations made by Deo Tas Devil on Twitter about associations between the Furry Raiders and the Rocky Mountain Fur con, Deo was sent a cease and desist letter by Kahuki Lairu,[2] a RMFC board member, with the blessing of the board,[3] claiming to be a "contract law officer" and threatening to file for liens on her property and wages.[4] The letter's legal standing was brought into question by Boozy Barrister, a lawyer and writer for the blog "Lawyers and Liquor".[4] On Monday, April 10, 2017, this received widespread attention in a Dogpatch Press article, which also referenced past controversy about Kahuki's sexual assault conviction.[5]

On the same day, RMFC staff announced that Rocky Mountain Fur Con was cancelled, citing "...a sudden and drastic increase in security costs amounting to more than a third of our entire existing operating budget" related to "very public threats of violence against one another by members of this community, as well as the negative backlash from misinformation spread about the convention, its staff and attendees."[6], which according to Kahuki referred to Deo's allegations regarding the Furry Raiders, and tweets about "punching nazis", but not an alleged gun threat Deo had received.[3]

According to Scorch, the additional security cost referred to demands by the Convention's venue, the Marriott Denver Tech Center, to contract the Denver Police Department for additional security, which would have amounted to $22,000, due to the hotel's concerns following the aforementioned threats of violence.[7]

An investigation by Flayrah revealed significant tax discrepancies, referenced in passing in the convention's statement.[8] The convention has stated it will use its resources to pay off costs and tax liability, with any remaining funds being used to refund attendance and vending fees.[6]

Programming[edit]

Rocky Mountain Fur Con had many events and features common to other conventions, including:[9][10]

  • Opening and Closing Ceremonies
  • An introductory panel for first-time convention attendees.
  • A Dealers Den
  • An Art Show and Auction (charity, general, and mature)
  • Dances
  • Educational panels for drawing, painting, fursuiting, writing, music, and other creative endeavors.
  • Species-specific panels
  • Religious and spiritual gatherings
  • Lounges for gaming, drawing, and video games
  • A Fursuit Parade
  • Special events for patrons and super-patrons

Typical events specific to RMFC included:[9][10]

Policies[edit]

Rocky Mountain Fur Con was a "PG-13" con; minors were permitted in convention spaces with some restrictions, and the code of conduct accounted for this.[11]

While most aspects of the code of conduct were typical for furry conventions, Rocky Mountain Fur Con was one of only a few furry conventions in the United States that has had to address legal, recreational use of marijuana. RMFC's policy on marijuana was analogous to its policies on alcohol and tobacco. Use by attendees was not prohibited per se, but controlled substances may not be brought into any convention spaces, and attendees were expected to respect all local laws and hotel and convention policies that apply to marijuana use, smoking, and/or intoxication.[11]

Organization[edit]

Rocky Mountain Fur Con was organized by the Mid-American Anthropomorphic and Arts Corporation, an S corporation with 501(c)(3) status as of 2014.[1] The CEO was Kahuki Lairu, while the treasurer was Sorin Kat.

Day-to-day activities of the convention were managed primarily by the executives and department directors, who in effect acted as the convention committee. In 2014, these were:[11]

Each department had its own managers and other staff, and a large number of additional volunteers assisted with various tasks at the convention itself.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.rockymountainfurcon.org/about-us.html Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  2. "I only found out about "Kahuki" Kendal Emery the convicted felon after he & RMFC/MAAAC doxxed me & mailed this fake-legal threat to my home" - Deo on Twitter
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Neo-Nazis Are Tearing the Furry World Apart" - The Daily Beast. Dated 14 Apr, 2017. Retrieved 14 Apr, 2017
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Free Furry of The Land: When SovCits and Furries Collide" - lawyersandliquor.com
  5. "Rocky Mountain Fur Con backs neo-nazis, sex offender to intimidate critic for reporting threat." - article on Dogpatch Press. Dated April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  6. 6.0 6.1 https://twitter.com/RMFC_Denver/status/851594157084856320 Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  7. Regarding RMFC - Scorch, Fur Affinity (12 April 2017)
  8. "https://www.flayrah.com/6903/rocky-mountain-fur-con-canceled-following-neo-nazi-associations-tax-irregularities" - Flayrah. Dated 10 April, 2017. Retrieved 13 April, 2017
  9. 9.0 9.1 Events page on the official website. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  10. 10.0 10.1 RMFC 2014 pocket schedule
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Rocky Mountain Fur Con 2014 con book.

External links[edit]

Media links[edit]

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