It’s fairly important to me, as something of a participant. And the general bad rap of furs is pretty undeserved. There are statistics! 

http://cheek.dog/community-guilt/

So, imagine trying to classify the different kind of engagement you have in the MLP fandom. Show watchers, toy collectors, artists, lots of other subcultures within subcultures, some you can be proud of (charities!) and some not (r34!) The only common thread is a TV show. You even have a TV show to argue whether a fan activity is aligned with the themes explored! And for a lot of people, there’s also the whole OC thing – Many fans make a personal character who can be a buffer and a banner, anonymity and fame at once. But, even that sort of has rules (omfg, another Alicorn OC?)

So, then you take away even the show to hang the boxes on. You literally just have one idea: Animals, with some human characteristics, or vice versa, are cool.”

That’s the only common thread. From there? Funny Animal cartoon fans. Adult artists. RPG players. RPG designers (Hc Svnt Dracones and Vanguard and The Warren are all, in effect, ‘Furry RPGs, just catering to different interperetations) 

So, whatever kind of fandom sharding you might expect to see in MLP, imagine that but worse. And then to everyone outside of that subculture, only the most shocking, vile, Vanity Fair-article or CSI-Episode derogatory versions get pushed out there and applied to everyone. 

I think my point is, go ahead and be full bore about disliking specific stuff that comes out of a fandom, because people inside the fandom do that too, but it’s also one of those complex fractal subcultures where everyone who self-selects the label defines it differently.