Kameron Dunn, a furries expert and researcher whos previously written about these subcultures for Slate, explained that theres a common misconception that furries pretend to be animals because of sick sexual fetishes. [11][73] Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl falsely claimed that schools in the state were recognizing cat identities of students. Reuters has fact checked claims around furries in U.S. schools in the past and found no evidence of them disrupting classrooms or schools developing a policy of including them as a formal identity (here) and (here) and (here). [6][43][44], Unsubstantiated rumors surfaced in Prince Edward Island in October 2021, possibly as a joke. A state senator recently claimed that schools were putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate students that identify as furries. Conservative fearmongering about students seems particularly unlikely to abate for a while. [79] Local education officials in South Carolina[80] and Pennsylvania[81] issued public statements to refute local and national rumors that litter boxes were being provided in schools. A few flurries or snow showers possible. One of the most recent examples involves a relatively unknown community. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. [56][57], In March 2022, a conservative commentator promoted claims that the Waunakee School District in Wisconsin had a "furry protocol" specifying the rules for furries, including being "allowed to dress in their choice of furry costumes" and "choose not to run in gym class but instead sit at the feet of their teacher and lick their paws". Rogan offered no evidence to support the claim,[89] which was circulated on social media and shared on Instagram by the Libs of TikTok account. Its not. GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock/Facebook. When a clip of the interview circulated widely in the media in October, Thelander said, "I don't believe it now", and that he was unable to corroborate the rumors he had heard from others. Please subscribe to keep reading. [68], In June 2022, social media posts in Hannibal, Missouri, falsely claimed that the school district was placing water bowls and cat litter boxes in school restrooms and that the issue would be discussed at an upcoming board meeting. providing litter boxes in unisex bathrooms, Michigan Republican Party co-chair amplified the rumor, same falsehood also circulated in an Iowa district, a group of children who identify as furry kids, bodily excretion nonsense that would cause your jaw to drop, have litter boxes placed in our restrooms, being assigned worksheets teaching them about furries, former staffer in the Reagan and Bush administrations, people with varying degrees of aesthetic interest in anthropomorphic animals or characters, written about these subcultures for Slate, painted the community in a completely false light, significant number of furries identify as LGBTQ, pointed out in his newsletter Garbage Day, passed new laws enshrining further parental control, The Supreme Courts Conservatives Tried Very Hard Today to Find a Good Reason to Screw Biden, Theres a Clear Answer to the Texas Judge Who Thinks He Can Ban Abortion Pills Nationwide. Then they hear these rumors about furries and see their kids watching these videos., Old lies and false impressions die hard, and other forms of discrimination tend to reemerge in moments when LGBTQ people are targeted by lawmakers and media personalities. Furries are a fandom, like anime, Star Trek or football. [115], Many of the prominent American politicians seeking public office who promoted the hoax were defeated in the 2022 elections. [20] During a tele-town hall with U.S. [21], The hoax spread in North America largely as backlash against recognition of gender variance in schools. There was a problem saving your notification. Midland Vance from Ohio and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, while U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado had a narrow lead in her race that had not been called several weeks after the November 8 election. Pirie invited anyone with questions or concerns to reach out to her directly. schools meant to ridicule trans community, advocates say", "Litter Boxes and Election Lies: Marjorie Taylor Greene's Unhinged Trip to the Trump Rally", "Anti-trans litter box rumor is 'harming our LGBTQ+ kids,' advocates say", "Transphobes Are Worried Schools Are Installing Litterboxes for "Furry" Students", "Andrew Mullin: Recent Midland 'furry' scare is transphobia in disguise", "Rumours about students identifying as cats are rooted in hate, says P.E.I. [6][19] Rogan said in an interview with Uproxx several weeks later that "it doesn't seem that there's any proof that they put a litter box in there", but also claimed that "there w[ere] discussions about doing it because there was one particularly wacky mother". Two months ago, someone asked me about that via email and asked if it was true, Heraty said. Thank you for reading! N.H. Answer: This has become a talking point in the ongoing culture wars. However, its worth noting there The school district denied the claims. According to the U.S. Answers to questions about the Nov. 8, 2022 mid-term election. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. [It has been] circulating around the internet for more than a decade: This claim that there is a pandemic of furries in schools eating out of dog bowls or barking and hissing in class, said Plante. High 39F. [104] Kelly Weill from The Daily Beast argued that the politicization of furries in classrooms was a proxy for the broader cultural discussion about race and gender issues. 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Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Furries are people with an interest in anthropomorphism, who may create their own alternative animal personality known as a fursona. For more information, see the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, also known as Furscience, a group of interdisciplinary professors who have researched anthropomorphic identities for more than 15 years and studied over 40,000 furries (furscience.com/whats-a-furry/). After the rumors spread widely in schools and on social media, the Public Schools Branch denied claims of litter boxes, with the director of the school district saying "It seemed to me like it was a backlash against some of the progressive things that our schools are doing, and we would have many that would say this is rooted in hate". And I don't want to waste my time saying trans kids aren't animals. [8] In the United States, popular media coverage of the hoax originally revolved around a school in Michigan in December 2021, but spread to schools in several other states. [26] While the fandom is popularly perceived as such, it is not innately sexual or fetishistic. [102][103], Elizabeth Brown from Reason suggested the litter box rumors became popular due to "lin[ing] up perfectly with conservative fears about transgender and non-binary students". Theres a lot more of this. According to experts, furries primarily consider their expression as a fandom done for fun, not an official identity, contrary to the claims made in this video circulating online. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, the majority of furries are motivated by reasons of social belonging, not sexual motivations. When school districts are named, all the districts have denied that they have litter boxes in bathrooms. [a][8] In October 2022, in response to a letter that was sent to local media, administrators for the Renfrew County District School Board or Renfrew County Catholic District School Board in Ontario issued statements that their schools "do not have, and have never had, litter boxes in any of our elementary or secondary sites". The specific claim that schools are providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats or furries seemed to first emerge in 2021, targeting the Prince Edward Checking back? [71], In August 2022, rumors of litter boxes were directed at two high schools in South Carolina. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. Be nice. However, misunderstanding furries was mainstream long before it became political. News, arts, events, community and more from the Vermont Community Newspaper Group. Ive heard this and find it hard to believe. Local News. You have permission to edit this article. The artist Dorian Electra, at every concert venue they go to, they put litter boxes in the bathroom. Were a small group of interdisciplinary professors who have studied furries and other fan groups for more than 15 years. However, most furries fursonas are wild and mythical animals, such as foxes, wolves and unicorns or hybrid species, such as a kangaroo-dragon. So how did the rumor explode into mainstream consciousness, like bad diarrhea from a diet of concern trolling and right-wing blogs? [20] Several parents of school-age children have amplified the hoax on social media websites such as Facebook. Contrary to Stocktons claims, identifying as an animal is not a protected characteristic in U.S. law. Texas district debunks GOP hopeful's claim", "Carroll superintendent: No litter boxes in schools", "Superintendent denies rumors of litter boxes in restrooms for students who 'identify as cats', "Fact Check-Waunakee School District said it does not have a 'furry protocol', "Wisconsin school district does not have 'furry protocol', "Educators say attacking Kansas teachers is GOP strategy to push private schools", "Are there furries in Fargo-Moorhead schools? [99] As rumors spread in April 2022, news fact-checking organization PolitiFact did not find any credible news reports to support the claim that schools were providing litter boxes for students and rated the claim "Pants on Fire!". Its a TikTok meme. It's the information that will directly impact your life because its going on around you, every day. We've lost our minds. In a now deleted tweet, Dungy said, Some school districts are putting litter boxes in the school bathrooms for students who identify as cats. [6], School boards in the late 2010s and early 2020s saw heightened controversy (described by some as a moral panic[31] or culture war[32]) surrounding accomodations for transgender, non-binary, and otherwise gender-variant students, such as unisex restrooms, and allowing students to use bathrooms and participate on sports teams corresponding to their gender identities. [50] The video was also shared by Libs of TikTok, a politically influential right-wing Twitter account of Chaya Raichik with several hundred-thousand followers. She added: As part of my research, Ive interviewed many therians. Chance of snow 40%. Associated Press reported that the post was shared more than 10,000 times. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. "[13] Geoff Wetrosky of the Human Rights Campaign, said, "The attention this freakish lie has received on social media illustrates the pernicious influence of disinformation and that anti-LGBTQ+ politicians will do and say anything to animate the most extreme fringeno matter the consequence. In late October, Don Bolduc, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee in New Hampshire, claimed schools were offering litter boxes for students who identified as cats [116], Virginia Chamlee of People said that Bolduc's repeating of the false claims during his political campaign may have alienated moderate voters and led to his defeat by Maggie Hassan in the race for a New Hampshire United States Senate seat.[117]. But the panic is probably best expressed in an op-ed last month by a former staffer in the Reagan and Bush administrations, who wrote that the left was not just content to turn boys into girls, girls into boys, some with hormone therapy. It was now also pushing the conceptwith bizarre sexual overtonesof a furry, a child identifying as an animal.. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Q: Is there any truth to the cat litter in school bathrooms? The school district has denied the claim. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Pick 'em up at the showroom in Thomaston! Students will be able to get haircuts and talk weekly with mentors. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people, including their gender identity and sexual orientation. He also said regarding a widely circulated story by the Herald Sun tabloid newspaper about an Australian teenager allowed to act as a cat in class that was never verified,[107] and of the broader discussion of gender identity issues, "This is the world we live in today, and this is the danger created by normalizing transgender delusions in young students who may get over it. Depending on the study, we find more than 70 per cent of furries identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 25 per cent are gender-identity diverse. This whole furry thing has just got me. Furries do a similar thing, but with a twist. The fandom provides a social network for its members, and furries can benefit tremendously from these friendships. Let me be clear in this communication: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation. 5:55 Rumours about litter boxes in schools for students identifying as cats are false, Norbert Carpenter tells CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce Litter boxes will not Associate professor, Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo. There are groups of humans who role-play as animals, but they say they dont use litter boxes, according to NBC News. Sign up today! School districts do have an absorbent material they use to clean up, but its not cat litter. No school ever had litter boxes for students who identify as animals. accounts, the history behind an article. Moravian cookie bill advances in the N.C. House. The rumor has caused a stir in schools in Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa and other states across the country, prompting school officials to address it with families and school boards, just as Pirie plans to with the Lamoille North Supervisory Union board. Debunking myths about kids identifying as animals, and litter boxes in schools, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News, COVID-19 misinformation in the Philippines, Historical distortion regarding Ferdinand Marcos, Disinformation in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Media censorship and disinformation during the Gezi Park protests, Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Litter_boxes_in_schools_hoax&oldid=1141965866, LGBT-related controversies in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 20:18. Success! Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent, Rural Hall officials violated state law, audit finds. Some conservative politicians and commentators have said that schools are putting litter boxes in bathrooms for people who identify as animals, often not identifying the districts by name. Even that goes way back, per furry news website Dogpatch Press: There were jokes made on 90s internet forums about furries bringing boxes to conventions, as well as 2000s-eras urban legends about baseball teams sharing hotels with furry conventiongoers who were ostensibly making animals noises and leaving used litter boxes everywhere. A few hours after, the state senator retracted his claim and apologized, having gained backlash online. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. Sign up today! Education administrators firmly denied it, but a school board candidate in the state nevertheless invoked the specter of schools befouled by bodily excretion nonsense that would cause your jaw to drop.. I heard that at least one of our schools in our town has in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats, a concerned parent claimed during a Board of Education meeting in December. Photos by Getty Images Plus. In September 2022, during a rally for former president Donald Trump, congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene promoted the rumors while she was interviewed by RSBN. While sex can certainly be a part of the furry fandom, the majority of furries are motivated by reasons of social belonging, not sexual motivations. [95], American football television commentator Tony Dungy posted statement on twitter promoting the hoax on January 18, 2023. According To WILX, Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students to use. [101][89] According to an NBC News analysis, by mid October 2022, at least 20 conservative candidates and election officials had asserted that elementary and secondary schools were providing litter boxes or other accommodations for students who identify as catsevery school district named in such claims said they were false. Thank you for reading! Have you met sports fans who wear their teams jersey at a special event, such as a game, or a music fan who wears their favourite bands branded T-shirt? Thats the case for furries, too. racist or sexual language. Photo illustration by Slate. Home ; Realtor showing house leaves him there me about that via email and asked if it was true Heraty! To her directly explode into mainstream consciousness, like bad diarrhea from a diet of concern trolling and blogs!, arts, events, community and more from the Vermont community Newspaper.. Than 15 years Vermont community Newspaper Group leaves him there to Stocktons,... 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