(That a significant number of furries identify as LGBTQ likely added to the misrepresentation, with homophobia coloring the portrayal of this subculture in the media.). [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. Its a TikTok meme, Dunn said. Ah yes. [15] Rumors spread to other Canadian provinces and schools. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. We encountered an issue signing you up. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Some teachers were given "go buckets" that contained cat litter to be used as a toilet in an emergency lockdown situation, such as during a school shooting. A state senator recently claimed that schools were putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate students that identify as furries. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. [27] LGBTQA identity is substantially over-represented among furries compared to the general population. Would you like to receive our Lamoille County news updates? [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. [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. [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. One parent has called me directly about this, Bethann Pirie, Lamoille Union principal, said. Don't knowingly lie about anyone All Rights Reserved. The age-old slippery slope of progressivism acting like an animal? Obviously, its not true, so I dont know where people are coming up with this stuff.. Thank you for reading! 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. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools. VERDICT False. Theres a lot more of this. [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. 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.. Still, Dunn told me hed never seen furry accusations being levied at children before now. Winston-Salem police closed Burke Street for several hours this morning as detectives investigate the second killing there in as many months. Im staying calm, but Im not happy about it, she said. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people, including their gender identity and sexual orientation. [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. [6][43][44], Unsubstantiated rumors surfaced in Prince Edward Island in October 2021, possibly as a joke. 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/). Police close Burke Street to investigate shooting death. [93] Rogan subsequently admitted to spreading misinformation. [115], Many of the prominent American politicians seeking public office who promoted the hoax were defeated in the 2022 elections. Checking back? 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. ", "GOP legislator backtracks on claims students meow, bark, use litter boxes", "Minnesota GOP nominee for governor claimed kids are using litter boxes in schools it's an internet hoax", "How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point", "Did a Michigan School District Install Litter Boxes in Bathrooms? Sometimes they dress up in full costumes (known as fursuits), designed to look like anthropomorphic characters theyve imagined. [47], By November 2022, school officials for several other Canadian provinces released statements refuting rumors that litter boxes were being provided in schools. Students will be able to get haircuts and talk weekly with mentors. [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! [84] When confronted by local media to validate the claim, Lauf instead criticized a state policy to provide free menstrual hygiene products in schools and teachers who refer to children by their preferred gender pronouns. As my colleague, Courtney Plante, says: For most folks, dehydration, lack of feeling or seeing anything, overheating and clumsiness are not conducive to sexual arousal. School board proposes banning furries after rumors of litter boxes in schools spread LGBTQNation 10/25/2022 A school board in North Carolina considered a proposal 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 Be truthful. [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. Ask SAM: How many Winston-Salem Dash players have made it to the majors? [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. Herald Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, The Quest for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Regional Planning of Least Developed Countries: Strategy Implications for Regions in Ethiopia, Women and development process in Nigeria: a case study of rural women organizations in Community development in Cross River State, Dimensions of water accessibility in Eastern Kogi State of Nigeria, Changes in land use and socio-ecological patterns: the case of tropical rainforests in West Africa, Environmental management: its health implications, Intra-urban pattern of cancer morbidity and the associated socio-environmental factors in Ile-Ife, South-western Nigeria, Production Performance of Fayoumi Chicken Breed Under Backyard Management Condition in Mid Rift Valley of Ethiopia, Geospatial analysis of end-of-life/used Vehicle dumps in Africa; Nigeria case study, Determination of optimal sowing date for cowpea (Vignaunguiculata) intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in Western Gojam, Ethiopia, Heavy metal Phytoremediation potentials of Lepidum sativum L., Lactuca sativa L., Spinacia oleracea L. and Raphanus sativus L, Socio-economic factors affecting household solid waste generation in selected wards in Ife central Local Government area, Nigeria, Termites impact on different age of Cocoa (Theobroma cocoa L.) plantations with different fertilizer treatments in semi- deciduous forest zone (Oume, Ivory Coast), Weak Notion of Animal Rights: A Critical Response to Feinberg and Warren Conceptions, Assessment of Environmental Health Conditions in Urban Squatters of Greater Khartoum, Mayo Area in the Southern Khartoum, Sudan: 1987 2011, Comparative analysis of the effects of annual flooding on the maternal health of women floodplain and non floodplain dwellers in Makurdi urban area, Benue state, Nigeria, Analysis of occupational and environmental hazards associated with cassava processing in Edo state Nigeria, Herald Journal of Petroleum and Mineral Research, Herald Journal Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, Herald Journal of Marketing and Business Management, Herald Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacological Research, Herald Journal of Pure and Applied Physics, Herald Journal of Plant and Animal Sciences, Herald Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. [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!". These are not the kinds of species that would use litter boxes, anyway. I was pretty caught off guard. University of Waterloo provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR. However, misunderstanding furries was mainstream long before it became political. Lamoille South Unified Union Superintendent Ryan Heraty has heard the rumors too. Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry? Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Its the same for furries. But thats not quite right. The most important political nonsense of the week, delivered to your inbox every Saturday. Winds light and variable.. Variably cloudy with snow showers. [48], In December 2021, conservative activist Lisa Hansen[6] in Michigan gave public testimony before the Midland Public Schools school board as it discussed COVID-19 testing requirements for students,[13] claiming she was informed that litter boxes had been added in bathrooms for students who "identify as cats", along with claiming that it was a "nationwide" issue and that there was an "agenda that is being pushed". For the most part, they do not. A list of players on the local Minor League Baseball team who had successful Major League Baseball careers. However, its worth noting there are many marginalized statuses within the furry community. Ask SAM: Are there really litter boxes in school restrooms? 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. Is substantially over-represented among furries compared to the general population are new matching items there have never been boxes! 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