They are broadly recognized as people with varying degrees of aesthetic interest in anthropomorphic animals or characters. Some fursuits are phenomenally engineered with fans, cooling packs and LED lights built into them. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Anything is possible and I cant disprove a negative. There are groups of humans who role-play as animals, but they say they dont use litter boxes, according to NBC News. [77] In Tennessee, state senator Janice Bowling made the litter box claim during a committee meeting and characterized it as "growing crisis" state and local officials countered that it was false information. [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. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. [40] There was no evidence, however, that any schools had provided litter boxes in restrooms to any students. [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". [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". But thats not quite right. Restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Legitimate concerns can help our school community grow, whereas these sorts of rumors really hurt our school community, she said. [23] Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times argued the rumors were part of a generational conflict over sex and gender identity issues in schools, and compared the rumors to the satanic panic frenzy of the 1980s. [10] James Factora, a writer with LGBT news website Them, compared the litter box hoax to 2020 United States election conspiracy theories, stating, "The tactic of repeating a completely baseless lie until it becomes widely accepted as truth has become perhaps the most emblematic rhetorical strategy of the GOP. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. WebThe 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 No evidence. In its most distilled form, furries are a group of people who formed a community or fandom because they have a common interest in anthropomorphic media, friendships and social inclusion. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a participant shared a rumor that litter boxes were being placed in West Bend schools. It's the information that will directly impact your life because its going on around you, every day. [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. [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. All Rights Reserved. You can cancel at any time. Thats the case for furries, too. That substance is not cat litter or litter of any kind and is only used in emergency situations specifically designed for safe clean up.. A bit of background is necessary here: Furries are not people who think they are animals. I am really disturbed by that.. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. "[24], In an opinion article in the Arizona Daily Star, Judy Doll argued that Republican politicians were using the litter box hoax as a way to call "into question the moral values of everyone associated with public schools". 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. Although the litter box controversy was debunked months ago, Tony Dungy, a former NFL head coach and currently a football analyst for NBC Sports, brought it up again Wednesday. What are we doing to our kids? Still, Dunn told me hed never seen furry accusations being levied at children before now. [4][66][67] In Iowa, Republican state senator Tim Kraayenbrink said at a public forum that schools were putting litter boxes in schools for furries to use. 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. or anything. Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? However, most furries fursonas are wild and mythical animals, such as foxes, wolves and unicorns or hybrid species, such as a kangaroo-dragon. However, misunderstanding furries was mainstream long before it became political. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools, Sharrow wrote. [8][45] In September 2022, Durham District School Board in Ontario denied rumors and said they "may be rooted in transphobia and homophobia with the intent to diminish and trivialize gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation and cause harm to students and staff who identify as 2SLGBTQI". Co-founder of Furscience, Courtney Plante, told Reuters, Furries are fans, just like any other fan group, adding, Furries are no more likely to think that theyre animals than sport fans are to think that theyre their favorite teams quarterback.. High 39F. [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". [16][6][86] In North Carolina, Iredell-Statesville Schools considered a ban on students wearing furry costumes, in part due to the burden of staff having to refute unsubstantiated rumors about litter boxes in restrooms. Vance (R) Demands Schools Notify Parents If Their Kids Identify As Chipmunks", "Renfrew County boards squelch bizarre stories about kids using litter boxes at school", "How a viral hoax about furries became fodder for the GOP's moral panic", "Furry Panic Is the Latest Dumb GOP Attack on Public Schools", "A student identifies as a cat how stunning and brave", "Op-Ed: Should We Provide Litter Boxes for People Who Identify as Cats? Don't knowingly lie about anyone 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 that is degrading to another person. There was a problem saving your notification. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools. VERDICT False. [6][43][44], Unsubstantiated rumors surfaced in Prince Edward Island in October 2021, possibly as a joke. Three school-age furries told NBC News they have at times dressed up at school, typically wearing just part of their full costume such as a mask or gloves that look like paws, but theyd never heard of any furry ever asking for a litter box., NBC News talked with Kymera, a 14-year-old from Colorado who said she considers being a furry is just a hobby, akin to being a mascot., I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. However, its worth noting there are many marginalized statuses within the furry community. Conservative fearmongering about students seems particularly unlikely to abate for a while. Its the same for furries. [26] While the fandom is popularly perceived as such, it is not innately sexual or fetishistic. 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. Ask SAM: Are there really litter boxes in school restrooms? [78] In Rhode Island, Mary Brimer, a Republican town council member for North Kingstown, posted on social media that two local students were identifying as cats and were being accommodated with litter boxes in school restrooms the superintendent of the local school district said the rumors were false. [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. Attempts by the news media to debunk false rumors were largely unsuccessful in stopping their spread. [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. The woman alleged that litter box use in schools was a national problem. [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. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Read more about our fact-checking work here . Two Things: A family tragedy made worse; tax dollars at work in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. the majority of furries are motivated by reasons of social belonging, not sexual motivations. [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. 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. No, neither Lamoille Union High School nor any other school in Lamoille County is providing litter boxes in school bathrooms for the use of students who identify as furries, a term for those interested in dressing up as anthropomorphized animals. Students are much more open about who they are and, for the most part, their peers are very accepting and encouraging of them, Pirie said. Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. [46] The same month, the education director of the Lambton-Kent District School Board dispelled litter box rumors. Its a TikTok meme, Dunn said. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. [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. Contrary to Stocktons claims, identifying as an animal is not a protected characteristic in U.S. law. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. Join our group of dedicated readers today Plan a magical wedding day in Vermont, whether ablaze with fall color, capped with snow, or lush with the green of summer. Pirie invited anyone with questions or concerns to reach out to her directly. So how did the rumor explode into mainstream consciousness, like bad diarrhea from a diet of concern trolling and right-wing blogs? Brent Campbell, the chief communications and external relations officer for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools said that the WSFCS does not use cat litter in any form in the schools or bathrooms. [27] LGBTQA identity is substantially over-represented among furries compared to the general population. Would you like to receive our Chittenden County news updates? 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. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. Thank you for reading! 2018 Herald International Research Journals. Period. Please try again. There was a problem saving your notification. ", "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? The age-old slippery slope of progressivism acting like an animal? Man died Wednesday. Senator J.D. According To WILX, Midland Public Schools was accused of installing litter boxes in the restrooms for students to use. Weve never observed litter boxes at any of the dozens of furry conventions weve attended internationally. Two months ago, someone asked me about that via email and asked if it was true, Heraty said. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people, including their gender identity and sexual orientation. 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. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Will This Make Biden Acknowledge the Supreme Court Is Out of Control? [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. 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