>what makes people think it's okay to publicly engage in behaviour directly linked

Because your the one linking it to your strawman that has nothing to do with the article. Furry art in the article isn't a sexual fetish. Only bigots here are saying all furries and people who like furry art are some scary sex thing. It's an entire broad genre or Art. The article has nothing to do with sex or kinks or any of this hateful crap. It's just a drawing of animal people.

Wanting to generalize your bad opinions to eveyone for no good reason is exactly what bigotry means. It's not an insult just because it describes what your doing.