Guys…”otherkin” refers to anyone who identifies as non-human. Otherkin do not have to have sentient kintypes. Let’s think about this. Are plants sentient? Not really. Are invertebrates sentient? Doubt it. Do angels/demons/dragons/etc. even exist? Who knows. It’s hypocritical in the extreme to insist that only sentient kintypes are legit, especially when some of those kintypes are things we know exist (such as invertebrates and plants).

When you think of otherkin in a spiritual context, animism states that everything has a soul/spirit. When you think about otherkin in a brain-related framework, one can psychologically identify as just about anything.



Do I take color-kin seriously? No. I don’t see how one can identify as an abstract concept. Do I take glitch-kin seriously? No, an effect is not an identity. It would be like saying you’re anxiety-kin…it’s not how the word works.

Tumblr kintypes aside, all that is required to identify as otherkin is to identify as non-human. Sentience of that kintype is not a requirement and never has been (though, historically, non-sentient kintypes get more flack and are usually expected to have a very good explanation for why they identify as such).

The otherkin community also doesn’t need more jargon. Otherkin are people who identify as non-human. This includes therians who identify as earthly animals either living or extinct. Other/Animal-hearted folks identify with something non-human. Machine-kin identify as robots/androids/machines/etc. The -kin suffix applies to anyone who identifies as non-human (I’d argue with the exception of those people who identify as abstract concepts or effects who should find their own communities and/or get help for whatever mental disorder they’re trying to not deal with). Period.