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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Organizers of a Seattle cat convention said they were “confused” after pardoned January 6 defendant Jake Lang turned up shouting that the family-friendly gathering was a “furry” event sexualizing children.
“Furries” are people interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, sometimes through costumes known as fursuits.
Although the furry fandom can include adult content, like some anime and comic-book subcultures, it is not inherently a sexual fetish.
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In a statement to Newsweek, the Sea-Meow Convention said event staff did not initially know why Lang had arrived.
“We honestly were quite confused when he showed up, shouting outside of the event,” the statement read. “We did not know who the group was or why they showed up.”
Video of the encounter posted by Lang has spread widely online, turning a dispute over cat costumes into the latest controversy involving the conservative activist.
In the footage, he approaches the entrance and accuses those present of promoting “homosexual and transsexual ideas.”
The clip had received more than 6.5 million views on X at the time of writing.
Several people wearing full-body cat costumes can be seen outside the venue, including participants dancing near the entrance.
Organizers said those outfits followed a cat-themed costume contest rather than signaling a separate furry gathering.
An X Community Note attached to the post describes the convention as a festival centered on real cats, adoption, education, and child-appropriate activities.
X describes Community Notes as context written by platform users that becomes visible when contributors with differing viewpoints rate it as helpful.
The note pointed users toward the event’s own website and independent listings.
...
On its website, the Sea-Meow Convention describes itself as a “festival of all things cats” that brings cat lovers together while supporting feline organizations and promoting animal welfare.
Organizers, staff, families and costumed participants have been drawn into the row, while the convention has called for an apology.
The episode shows how an inflammatory allegation can reach millions before the people targeted have a chance to explain what was happening.
Newsweek contacted Lang through social media and asked whether he wanted to respond to the Sea-Meow statement.
What Happened Outside the Convention
Lang posted video from outside the Sea-Meow Convention on November 8, writing that he had “BUSTED UP” what he called a “FURRY CONVENTION” involving “sick Democrats” targeted at children.
“This furry stuff is not for children,” Lang says in the footage. He goes on to describe the gathering as “soft porn,” pornography and fetishism, while repeatedly alleging that children were being groomed.
A person at the scene tells him: “This is a convention for cats.”
The video shows Lang confronting one person outside the convention who was wearing a full fur costume, while other attendees wore cat ears and cat-themed clothing.
Organizers say they had just completed a cat-themed contest, and the event’s published schedule confirms that a cosplay competition invited visitors to attend in feline-inspired outfits.
There is no evidence to support Lang’s allegations of sexual activity at the convention.
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Organizers Say They Were Confused
Organizers described the gathering as an all-ages celebration of cats and cat culture that featured local shelters.
“We had just finished a cat-themed costume contest, and they were shouting at a few people dressed in cat fur suits,” the Sea-Meow statement said.
The convention’s official material advertised a two-day festival at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, with local rescues bringing kittens to an area where visitors could meet them.
A family events listing also promoted more than 100 vendors, feline-care workshops, adoptable animals, bingo and face painting.
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Convention Calls for an Apology
Organizers accused Lang of failing to do basic research before arriving and questioned whether the confrontation was meant to generate social-media engagement.
“If anybody had done the minimum amount of research, they would have figured out this is a cat convention, and they were barking up the wrong tree,” the statement read.
It added: “So either Jake Lang's team did not bother to research, or he is just a grifter LARPing as a conservative activist.
“If Jake Lang is really a Christian man, then he should apologize for his mistakes. Apologize for shouting profanity in front of a family-friendly event with children.”
Lang’s January 6 Case
Federal prosecutors indicted Lang, whose full name is Edward Jacob Lang, on charges arising from the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The counts included civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, including an allegation involving a shield. He pleaded not guilty and did not stand trial.
On January 20, 2025, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek dismissal of pending January 6 indictments while granting pardons to people convicted of offenses connected to the attack.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sam Stevenson and Cristina Diciu.
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