Well the internet has a lot of anime fans I guess, but it seems like some anime fans like to get so obsessed with anime (which spills over into an obsession with Japan for some reason) that they end up bringing it with them everywhere they go on the internet. It seems to be the case pretty much anywhere on the internet, as far as I can tell.
Oh well, personally I see it as an art medium like every other. There are good and bad things in most media, like movies, music, books, TV shows, etc. It's weird to say something like "I like anime" or "I like movies" or whatever because you don't like them as a rule, you just like the ones you like. Because what's really interesting is a good story, however it is told. I suppose that anime is a medium which is more happy to mix up gender roles though, which probably appeals to trans people.
So yeah I am not sure if I would say there is much of a link there. More that there is a link there to (especially younger) internet users.
I like my rabbit in a cup, going against the grain of both anime avatars and self-pictures.