As the author, I wonder how much me being not quiet but not an asshole about being nonbinary and having furry stickers in the article makes people start hitting the vitriol button.
So yeah, pretty sure it's that. I almost never get harassed by people who think I'm cis male, the bulk of the harassment came from people who thought I was transmasc.
Probably the furry stuff too, which is honestly sort of terrifying, do these people not know how much infrastructure relies on stressed and overworked furries?
By my estimation it is real, the proprietorship (who I like and appreciate personally, and I think are operating on good faith) of this community has often made noises about how it should be better. It's not, and it should be.