Alex on Nostr: They're unfairly maligned animals that are traditionally viewed in a negative light ...

They're unfairly maligned animals that are traditionally viewed in a negative light despite being important parts of their ecosystem, which have a kind of quirky "ugly-cute" aesthetic to them similar to raccoons. They're animals that are common to hate or fear among people who refuse to understand them. They fall into the category of "weird" animals that are popular with outcasts due to being sort of outcasts themselves, and paired with their awkward appearance, that leads to them being especially popular among outcasts who are interested in quirky-cute stuff. Lgbt people tend to have a high overlap with those groups, which leads to them being especially popular among lgbt people. The whole "playing dead" thing also ties into general social awkwardness common among lgbt youth, and especially some fear/anxiety responses common to disorders like autism, which are interwoven into lgbt culture due to it generally embracing neurodivergence.