All Rights Reserved. [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. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. The man's famil, Portions of Burke and First streets remained closed most of the day Monday while police investigated an early-morning shooting outside Gatsby. that is degrading to another person. If your knowledge of furries comes mostly from television or social media, then what youve heard about furries is probably wrong. [75] One school in Colorado did admit it had placed buckets of cat litter in classrooms several years prior for a backup option in the event of an emergency lock down, but there was no evidence of any accommodations for furries in Colorado schools. [54][55], In February 2022, the Carroll Community School District in Iowa was accused of providing litter boxes for those who identified as cats. 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. [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. They might dress up as a storm trooper or superhero and attend a comic book convention to have fun with friends. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Many feel a pervasive sense of discomfort with their own human bodies.. Well, all kinds of people go to conferences; sometimes they have sex there. [61] Despite several rumors in the Midwest being debunked, rumors circulated on internet forums in Cache Valley, Utah, about litter boxes being placed in Sky View High School, which schools officials could not corroborate. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Its not. We've lost our minds. ", "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? Ive heard this and find it hard to believe. Strike said the key to withstanding it is to find solidarity in ones community: Stay tight to other furs and to friends that are good friends or sympathetic, and just remind yourself that youre supported. Both Dunn and Joe Strike, another furry historian and community member, recalled an infamous 2003 episode of CSI that, in the words of another furry documentarian, portrayed the community as a community of sexual deviants who like to have sex in fur costumes, despite the fact that such fetishists probably represent about 2 percent of the fandom., Strike also pointed to a 2001 Vanity Fair report on a furry convention that served as the basis for many public commentators impressions of furries as people with animal kinks, even as furries themselves claimed that piece painted the community in a completely false light, per BuzzFeed News. Reuters fact-checked the claim, stating there was no evidence for it; the school district also denied the claim. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and media personalities promoted the hoax in response to several school districts enacting protections for transgender students. However, misunderstanding furries was mainstream long before it became political. In February, the Daily Beast reported that some Pennsylvania-based school board attendees who supported book bans on certain subjects also taunted other parents about their children being furries. [41][42], The only known official instance of cat litter being placed in school classrooms for potential use by students was in the late 2010s by the Jefferson County Public School District in Colorado, where the 1999 Columbine High School massacre took place. So now we are seeing kids that are identifying as animals going to school, she says. Sometimes they dress up in full costumes (known as fursuits), designed to look like anthropomorphic characters theyve imagined. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people. People have sex and furries are people. Our weekly newsletters deliver the latest headlines, upcoming events and local information straight from the newsroom! Jan 27, 2022. Thats why its being levied at children, because of that generation gap where old people dont know what their kid is looking at on the phone. [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". Youre not the only one.. Very important to address every students needs.. [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". Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? Its the same for furries. A state senator recently claimed that schools were putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate students that identify as furries. It feels like everyone has an opinion, or heard a rumour, about kids dressing up as animals, calling themselves furries and demanding litter boxes. DERBY CENTER- A rumor alleged to have started via the online social media company Tik Tok was dispelled at the North Country Union Junior High You have permission to edit this article. Sharon E. Roberts receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. [7] Rumors sparked public outcry and calls for administrative action from concerned parents,[38] with a school board in Statesville, North Carolina proposing a formal ban on animal costumes. Sign up today! [22][9][23][21] Some conservative politicians and activists argued that protections for LGBTQ+ students in schools had "gone too far" and that litter box accommodations are what they might lead to next,[24][25] despite there being no confirmed instances of schools providing litter boxes for students to defecate or urinate in, or planning to do so. Photo illustration by Slate. In Minnesota, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen repeated the false rumor in a campaign speech about gender identity issues. About 95 per cent of furries develop their own unique avatar-like character called a fursona. [20] Several parents of school-age children have amplified the hoax on social media websites such as Facebook. 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. The school district has denied the claim. Two months ago, someone asked me about that via email and asked if it was true, Heraty said. You have permission to edit this article. Use the "Report" link on And they are purring instead of answering questions and they miaow and the teachers are not allowed to question it because its considered a queer identity., Walsh responds: The teachers have to affirm them as a cat? Senator J.D. Among those who had promoted the hoax and prevailed in their races included the incumbents U.S. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. [87] The school district, along with nearby Lincoln County Schools, said there was no evidence of litter boxes being used on campuses. Send me updates about Slate special offers. But just like with book bans, furry fearmongering is translating into state law: The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported this week that the Iowa Senate has passed new laws enshrining further parental control over students education, in part spurred by Februarys litter-box rumors. WebOh come on, everyone knows that litterboxes for furries are made by Prison Industries. University of Waterloo provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR. Thats the case for furries, too. Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. Reuters asked Michael Bronski, professor of women, gender and sexuality at Harvard, whether identifying as an animal was a protected queer identity. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a participant shared a rumor that litter boxes were being placed in West Bend schools. Im a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, also known as Furscience. Jan. 25, 2022. She added: As part of my research, Ive interviewed many therians. [33][34] High rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among transgender youth were also cause for concern. Police ID man killed in downtown shooting. [88] While interviewing Tulsi Gabbard on his Spotify show, Joe Rogan shared a rumor that a school was providing a litter box for a student that identified as a cat. However, its worth noting there are many marginalized statuses within the furry community. And I don't want to waste my time saying trans kids aren't animals. 19-year-old charged with murder. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. they put litter boxes in the bathroom. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the following characteristics are protected from discrimination: Race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information. For more see (here) and (here). 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