Also in March, a recording of a Republican Nebraska state senator decrying school administrators wanting to put litter boxes in the bathrooms for kids who dress up as animals went viral, and the lawmaker had to apologize after his claim was debunked. Family members and other people in the community who care about our schools have pointed out that these rumors are circulating on social media, not just about Lamoille, but about schools across the country.. "[5], Jensen's campaign declined media requests to substantiate the litter box claim, which the Minnesota Department of Education and several school districts refuted. ", "Joe Rogan admits schools don't have litter boxes for kids who 'identify' as furries: Podcast host had amplified debunked claim about furries spread by Republican politicians", "Rep. Bob Morris cites 'litter box' myth in school board endorsement", "Tony Dungy apologizes again for tweet about litter box claims", "Tony Dungy deletes controversial cat litter tweet after backlash, outrage", "Claims pupils identifying as cats at school branded 'false rumours', "Michigan school not providing litter box for students identifying as cats", "Claim about schools providing litter boxes for students debunked in several states", "Fact Check-No evidence that U.S. schoolchildren are self-identifying as animals and disrupting classrooms", "School litter boxes, cat translators and other myths", "No, Schools Aren't Accommodating Students Who Identify as Animals", "Opinion | Why Are Seemingly Functional Adults Falling for the 'Furries' Myth? Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? ", "DDSB among boards quashing online rumours litter boxes have been added to washrooms", "False stories of litter boxes in P.E.I. Ah yes. While many furries have no interest in acquiring a fursuit at all, they can also be prohibitively expensive. Very important to address every students needs.. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. 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". School districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Furries dont identify as animals; they identify with animals. [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". Be proactive. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Period. As strange as that may sound to some, director Norbert Carpenter said he felt the need to issue a public statement to address misinformation circulating within the school system and on social media. ", "How the conservative parents' rights movement fueled by LGBTQ backlash is shaping Heidi Ganahl's campaign", "Book Ban Efforts Spread Across the U.S.", "Debunked School Restroom Litter Box Claims Resurface With New Year", "Roseburg Public Schools responds to 'furry' controversy", "Meade County schools deal with unusual situation: Students dressing and acting like cats", "Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats", "Claim about litter boxes in New York school is unfounded", "Colorado School District Providing Kitty Litter Buckets for Kids to Use the Bathroom During Lockdowns", "JeffCo schools have emergency buckets where people can pee during lockdowns", "Litter boxes for students in bathrooms? Contrary to Stocktons claims, identifying as an animal is not a protected characteristic in U.S. law. For the most part, they do not. Im not a furry, and I once held erroneous views of furries, too. [70] In Maine, Republican Congressional candidate Ed Thelander repeated the hoax in an interview for a far-right website. 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.. "There are no litter boxes in our schools. [6][20], Furries are a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, with fandom members frequently often interacting with others through online roleplay, art, conventions and cosplay. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Its a fandom. 10 Insomniac132 1 yr. ago The BIW furriesthe Were a small group of interdisciplinary professors who have studied furries and other fan groups for more than 15 years. [54][55], In February 2022, the Carroll Community School District in Iowa was accused of providing litter boxes for those who identified as cats. Please try again. We'd love to hear eyewitness [98], Several news media and fact-checking organizations have debunked the claims that schools were providing litter boxes to students to use in restrooms as unsubstantiated. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. [6] A review of the rumors by center-right news website The Bulwark reached a similar conclusion as NBC News and referred to the hoax as "Furrygate". For federal tax forms, you can go to www.usa.gov/get-tax-forms#item-35432 and print out various federal tax forms and instructions, including the 1040 form. Let me be clear in this communication: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation. WebA Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that a school provided litter boxes for students who identified as "furries" people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals. Conservative fearmongering about students seems particularly unlikely to abate for a while. I am really disturbed by that.. He said for months schools and the PSB have received phone calls and emails about the issue. Senator J.D. [46] The same month, the education director of the Lambton-Kent District School Board dispelled litter box rumors. litter boxes in schools for furries maine. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Lamoille schools are not alone in being targeted by litter box rumors. Jim Baize, who is Ruth Baize's husband, compared furries to gender identity in comments of his own on Monday. Although many furries identify closely with an original character (fursona), many view their participation in the fandom solely as a hobby, and do not necessarily identify as or perceive themselves to be animals. In most instances, the rumors emanate from right-wing echo chambers and other conservative officials, connecting acceptance of furries to the broader culture war about accommodating transgender youth in schools. It is convenient fearmongering that coincides easily both with the hysteria over race-conscious curricula and the rise in state laws targeting LGBTQ students, especially transgender children. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. All rights reserved. Youre not isolated. You have permission to edit this article. Well, all kinds of people go to conferences; sometimes they have sex there. Many feel a pervasive sense of discomfort with their own human bodies.. 2018 Herald International Research Journals. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. [22], Ben Cost of the conservative tabloid newspaper New York Post said while explaining the history of the Michigan rumors that, "It's load of kitty litter. And while litter boxes are most commonly used by domestic cats in real life, most furry avatars (i.e., the characters who humans are playing) are animals that wouldn't Jan 27, 2022. Yes. I was pretty caught off guard. Sometimes they dress up in full costumes (known as fursuits), designed to look like anthropomorphic characters theyve imagined. that is degrading to another person. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. Ive heard this and find it hard to believe. Ask SAM: How many Winston-Salem Dash players have made it to the majors? Associated Press reported that the post was shared more than 10,000 times. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. All Rights Reserved. [109] Todd Dorman of The Gazette made a similar argument. [100] Two fact-checking assessment by Reuters, in July 2022 and again in October 2022, concluded that there was no evidence that schools were officially recognizing the animal expressions of students participating in the furry fandom trend or accommodating students with litter boxes. West Meadows Townhome Homeowners Association, Paragliders soar past second highest mountain in the world, Venus may have 'evolving' surface, constantly changing due to subsurface bubbling, Millions at Risk of Slipping Into Poverty as COVID-Era SNAP Benefits Set to End, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary. Be nice. Im a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, also known as Furscience. [6], In May 2022, during a televised debate on a bill in the Nebraska legislature, the Republican state senator Bruce Bostelman claimed that "schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools" for students who were furries. Would you like to receive our Chittenden County news updates? 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. The artist Dorian Electra, at every concert venue they go to, they put litter boxes in the bathroom. [82], Australian satirical website Damascus Dropbear published a new fake story in August 2022 about a school in Melbourne providing litter boxes. But first, Winston-Salem officials are documenting its history. Its the same for furries. The litter boxes in schools hoax (also called the litter box canard)[1][2] is a false rumor alleging that certain North American schools provide litter boxes in bathrooms for students who "identify as cats", or who participate in the furry or otherkin subcultures. Outrage and fearmongering over furries is not new, but the recent hysteria is very connected with our current momentreignited, perhaps, by the current vogue for lamenting woke school curriculum, and giving parents greater control over their kids education. [18] During an interview with Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Received phone calls and emails about the issue as Furscience Electra, at every concert venue they to! The bathroom it hard to believe of discomfort with their own human..! Said for months schools and the PSB have received phone calls and emails the... Anthropomorphic characters theyve imagined schools and the PSB have received phone calls and emails the! 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