Rocky Mountain Fur Con

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
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. 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
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, a RMFC board member, with the blessing of the board, claiming to be a "contract law officer" and threatening to file for liens on her property and wages. The letter's legal standing was brought into question by Boozy Barrister, a lawyer and writer for the blog "Lawyers and Liquor". 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.

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." , 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.

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.

An investigation by Flayrah revealed significant tax discrepancies, referenced in passing in the convention's statement. 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.

Programming
Rocky Mountain Fur Con had many events and features common to other conventions, including:


 * 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:


 * "Free Can Cook!" A cooking show hosted by FreeFox
 * A show by 2, The Ranting Gryphon
 * A nerf gun battle
 * Improv comedy shows
 * Themed charity benefit events, such as poker tournaments

Policies
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.

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.

Organization
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. 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:


 * Sorin Kat - Chairman
 * Klandaghi Silentclaws - Co-Chair
 * Maxwell Daemon - Programming
 * Rocky - Registration
 * Eagle - Marketing
 * Snuggles - Operations
 * Stefan Volf - Special Operations
 * Wu Wei - Art Show/Dealers Den

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

Media links

 * Fur flies for furries online article on the Toronto Sun
 * The Bizarre Fall Of Rocky Mountain Fur Con online article on Nerd & Tie
 * Neo-Nazis Are Tearing the Furry World Apart online article on The Daily Beast
 * Does the Furry Community Have a Nazi Problem? online article on Rolling Stone
 * Rocky Mountain Fur Con canceled over threats of violence online article on Fox31
 * Even furries are no longer safe from neo-Nazi meddling online article on the A.V. Club
 * How Nazi-Punching Lead To A Furry Con Cancellation online article on Bleeding Cool
 * Rocky Mountain Fur Con scratched in Denver over fears of violence online article on The Denver Post
 * Amid allegations of unpaid taxes, neo-Nazism, and sex offender, Denver furry convention canceled online article on ABC15
 * Furry convention in Denver canceled amid security concerns over Nazi symbolism online article on the New York Daily News
 * Tax-Dodging Nazi Sovereign Citizen Furries Forced To Cancel Denver Furry Convention. Yes, Really. online article on Wonkette
 * Major ‘Furry’ Convention Canceled Amid Furor Over Nazis, Violence and a Registered Sex Offender online article on Heatstreet
 * Amid allegations of unpaid taxes, neo-Nazism, and sex offender, Denver furry convention canceled online article on The Denver Channel
 * The Furred Reich! Furry annual convention cancelled amid community's bitter divisions over rise of alleged neo-Nazi Mr 'Foxler' and the 'altfur' movement online article on the Daily Mail



Rocky Mountain Fur Con Rocky Mountain Fur Con