Schools all over are being forced to deal with parents angry about furries & litter boxes. In 2002, a short MTV documentary aired that made furries seem like people merely interested in ribald group sex, and users on the influential Something Awful forums piggybacked off such perceptions to smear furries as pedophiles and zoophiles. 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. Harmful misinformation about furries is running rampant on social media and even being promoted to some school boards. In other words, if you removed all the sexual content, there would still be a furry fandom. None of them have ever reported feeling like their teachers or anyone else in their life were expected by society to respect their queer identity. [105] Columnist Gene Lyons in a Chicago Sun-Times opinion piece compared the litter box hoax to the moral panics behind the 16th century werewolves tales in Germany and the witch hunts of 17th century New England. Restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In April, a Tennessee county school director had to tell parents that his area does not have litter boxes placed in our restrooms and he had not received any request to do so., And just within the past couple weeks, the infamous Libs of TikTok account posted a photo claiming that second graders in the Austin Independent School District were being assigned worksheets teaching them about furries. [54][55], In February 2022, the Carroll Community School District in Iowa was accused of providing litter boxes for those who identified as cats. [40] There was no evidence, however, that any schools had provided litter boxes in restrooms to any students. [47], By November 2022, school officials for several other Canadian provinces released statements refuting rumors that litter boxes were being provided in schools. "[111] Leigh Finke, a transgender candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2022 election, said about the rumors, "It's a really gross thing no one should have to hear. 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. Sometimes they draw original artworks of popular cartoon animals like Bugs Bunny and Star Fox. [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. Ask SAM: Are there really litter boxes in school restrooms? [85] At a campaign event, congresswoman Lauren Boebert alleged that litter boxes were being provided to students who identify as cats in Durango, Colorado, which administrators for the local school district said were untrue. Two months ago, someone asked me about that via email and asked if it was true, Heraty said. Cleveland Avenue Homes is being torn down. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. J.B. Answer: The IRS and N.C. Department of Revenue have the forms available on their websites and they can be printed them out from your home computer. But the vast majority of them still identify as humans, while sometimes adopting an animal-like persona and engaging in short-term roleplay, according to furries and experts, one of whom noted that there are no litter boxes at furry conventions. Remember, fursuits are prohibitively expensive, custom made, hard to clean, hot and bulky. [93] Rogan subsequently admitted to spreading misinformation. Reuters fact-checked the claim, stating there was no evidence for it; the school district also denied the claim. High 39F. [33][34] High rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among transgender youth were also cause for concern. And yet, despite our having studied thousands of furries, weve found no evidence to support this If there is an epidemic of kids howling and meowing in schools, youd think it would be easier to find them and put them in front of a camera (or, at very least, one of their teachers!).. Furries are people who have an interest in anthropomorphism, which specifically refers to giving human characteristics to animals. The same falsehood also circulated in an Iowa district, and a congressional candidate in Texas tweeted that school cafeteria tables were being lowered to accommodate students identifying as furries. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. ", "Conservatives Are Obsessed With This Lie About Students Identifying as Furries", "Folklorist: Sky View High School litter box rumor follows pattern of 'urban legends', "Opinion | America Is Being Consumed by a Moral Panic Over Trans People", "Culture wars take center stage in Tudor Dixon's education proposals", "Trans athletes, book bans: How school elections became political battlefields", "Did Salem-Keizer allow a student who identifies as a cat to bring a litter box to school? Its the same for furries. [5] Jensen said: "But what about education? 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. 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. They enjoy bonding with like-minded others over things they have in common. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Senator J.D. We've lost our minds. There was a problem saving your notification. People have sex and furries are people. We encountered an issue signing you up. There are groups of humans who role-play as animals, but they say they dont use litter boxes, according to NBC News. Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11, www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/individual-income-tax, Ask SAM answers your questions about Election Day. Reuters asked Michael Bronski, professor of women, gender and sexuality at Harvard, whether identifying as an animal was a protected queer identity. Photos by Getty Images Plus. [65] School board candidates in Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Dakota also made unverified claims about litter boxes being provided in schools. For some of these folks, its enjoyable to do things those animals would do - bark, or growl, or rough-house play in an animalistic way. Why are we telling elementary kids that they get to choose their gender this week? Please try again. [69], In July 2022, administrators for Meade School District in South Dakota clarified in response to rumors that litter boxes would not be provided to students who self-identify as animals in response to rumors. [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. Public Schools Branch", "GOP New Hampshire Senate nominee repeats hoax that kids are using litter boxes in schools | CNN Politics", "Joe Rogan (Kinda) Admitted Schools Aren't Installing Litter Boxes", "Joe Rogan tells Tulsi Gabbard that there are litter boxes in school bathrooms for furries", "OH-Sen: J.D. [3][4] Many news outlets, fact-checking websites, and academic researchers have debunked such claims,[5][6][7] and officials from every school named by those promoting the hoax have verified that the accusations are false. In response, the superintendent of the school board visited every bathroom in the district, and verified at the meeting that the rumors were untrue. ", "Fact Check-No evidence of schools accommodating 'furries' with litter boxes", "Ron Johnson goes on transphobic rant, says trans teens 'think weird things' and are going through 'phases', "New Hampshire Senate race: Maggie Hassan, Don Bolduc debate abortion, inflation, energy - recap", "N.H. school officials push back after Bolduc repeats hoax about kids using litter boxes", "Fact check: Do SLO County schools have litter boxes for students identifying as 'furries'? [110], Local LGBTQ+ activists in Prince Edward Island said the October 2021 litter box rumors were a form of internet trolling in an attempt "to make the queer community seem ridiculous, in order to paint all of the community's concerns as absurd". Ive heard this and find it hard to believe. Notice the language that some of these politicians use, he told me. Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? 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. Obviously, its not true, so I dont know where people are coming up with this stuff.. Well, if you were to survey some school officials, radio hosts, and even politicians across the U.S., you might find quite a few flapping their hands about a new alleged threat to schoolchildren: litter boxes and animal sounds. [46] The same month, the education director of the Lambton-Kent District School Board dispelled litter box rumors. Im staying calm, but Im not happy about it, she said. Youre not isolated. Or they applied for an extension, giving them until October 17 to file their returns. This whole furry thing has just got me. Weve never observed litter boxes at any of the dozens of furry conventions weve attended internationally. [62], In April 2022, a satirical post of a fake e-mail went viral, claiming that Kokomo High School in Indiana was allowing students identifying as animals to have "special accommodations and certain privileges", including litter boxes in bathrooms. litter boxes in schools for furries maine. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. But thats not quite right. 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. Having a fursona doesnt mean that a furry owns a fursuit (a mascot-like outfit), and only 15 to 25 per cent of furries have them. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, [26] While the fandom is popularly perceived as such, it is not innately sexual or fetishistic. Have you heard of cosplay, where people costume as characters? Furries dont identify as animals; they identify with animals. the majority of furries are motivated by reasons of social belonging, not sexual motivations. The inclusive nature of the furry fandom means that, for many furries, its a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. University of Waterloo provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR. Pick 'em up at the showroom in Thomaston! Schools scramble to get ahead of 'furry' internet hoax", "Students in local schools identify as animals but no litter boxes exist", "Lambton school trustee candidate buys into urban myth of students "presenting as cats", "There are no human-size litter boxes in CCRCE schools", "Midland Public Schools December 2021 Board of Education Meeting", "Litter Boxes for Students Who Identify as Furries? [17] In November 2022, Bolduc said during a televised debate that the burden was on the school to proof that litter boxes were not being used;[91] the school named by Bolduc confirmed it was a false allegation. Rumors persist: Kids arent using litter boxes, school officials say, Morrisville Walgreens to close amid state scrutiny, Elmore resident, Stowe High grad dies in ski accident, Why Vermont can evict Vail from Mount Mansfield, Neighbors protest alternative cell tower location, Student challenges educator for Lamoille South school board, Lamoille County Sheriffs Department statistics, Feb. 10-16, Students cry foul on college cuts to programs, Early morning fire on Spear Street totals new housing development. He later said that he had not verified the claim was true prior to sharing it. The woman alleged that litter box use in schools was a national problem. Despite these risk factors and some who fear ostracism for their interests, furries well-being, self-esteem, life satisfaction, relationship quality and happiness are the same as non-furries. 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 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 [9] A school official said there was a request for cat litter in one school, but it was denied by the school board and that they did not recognize animal identities. [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. [20] Several parents of school-age children have amplified the hoax on social media websites such as Facebook. WebOh come on, everyone knows that litterboxes for furries are made by Prison Industries. [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. Im a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, also known as Furscience. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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[95], American football television commentator Tony Dungy posted statement on twitter promoting the hoax on January 18, 2023. [51][52] The superintendent for the school district of Midland Public Schools described the claims as false, stating "There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement [] There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools". Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. [39] In August 2021, a high school in Meade County, Kentucky said that a small number of students had violated their existing dress code. Plante and other researchers who spoke to Reuters all said the Facebook clip from Walshs documentary conflated furries with therians. [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. Jan 27, 2022. 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