[6], Throughout 2021 and 2022, online rumors of students dressing and acting like cats circulated, spurred on by prank videos. That substance is not cat litter or litter of any kind and is only used in emergency situations specifically designed for safe clean up.. Answers to questions about the Nov. 8, 2022 mid-term election. Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11, www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/individual-income-tax, Ask SAM answers your questions about Election Day. For North Carolina tax forms, you can go to www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/individual-income-tax and click on Download Forms and Instructions.. The enabling of this behavior is [helping] people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. [109] Todd Dorman of The Gazette made a similar argument. "[25] Some conservative politicians and alt-right media commentators had used false litter box rumors to generate alarm about what accommodations for LGBTQ+ students might lead to, and have falsely accused LGBT-inclusive educators of "child grooming". "There are no litter boxes in our schools. [46] The same month, the education director of the Lambton-Kent District School Board dispelled litter box rumors. ", "DDSB among boards quashing online rumours litter boxes have been added to washrooms", "False stories of litter boxes in P.E.I. "I think a lot of people thought this was a joke, and it's not a joke.". [60] In North Dakota, Fargo School Board member Jennifer Benson said litter boxes had been placed in school restrooms, but she declined to present evidence of it when requested by local media, and school officials in Fargo and elsewhere in North Dakota said the claim was the result of false rumors being spread nationally. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,300 academics and researchers from 4,571 institutions. No evidence. Ask SAM: How many Winston-Salem Dash players have made it to the majors? Its not. Ive heard this and find it hard to believe. Local News. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people, including their gender identity and sexual orientation. He said for months schools and the PSB have received phone calls and emails about the issue. [70] In Maine, Republican Congressional candidate Ed Thelander repeated the hoax in an interview for a far-right website. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. We'd love to hear eyewitness Theres a lot more of this. Reuters asked Michael Bronski, professor of women, gender and sexuality at Harvard, whether identifying as an animal was a protected queer identity. Two months ago, someone asked me about that via email and asked if it was true, Heraty said. Sometimes they dress up in full costumes (known as fursuits), designed to look like anthropomorphic characters theyve imagined. 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. It is not true. [21], The hoax spread in North America largely as backlash against recognition of gender variance in schools. Rogan offered no evidence to support the claim,[89] which was circulated on social media and shared on Instagram by the Libs of TikTok account. Yes, but no litter boxes", "High school principal says there's no truth to rumor of litter boxes for student said to self-identify as a cat", "Post about Indiana school's 'otherkin' policy is satirical", "Fake post about litter boxes at KHS goes viral", "Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for students identifying as cats", "Nebraska lawmaker apologizes for debunked litter box claim", "Republican senator apologises for pedalling 'ugly' rumour about furries and litter boxes", "No, Maine students aren't using litter boxes in school", "Hannibal School Board adopts vaping policy and learns its school restrooms are furry-free", "Congressional candidate touted debunked myths, but now says it was a mistake", "Fact check: No, Horry schools did not provide litter boxes for students who identify as cats", "Marjorie Taylor Greene spouts debunked right-wing conspiracies at Pennsylvania rally", "Ganahl Falsely Claims That Kids Are 'Identifying as Cats All Over Colorado & Schools Are Tolerating It', "Ohio Board of Education Delays Vote on Anti LGBTQ+ Resolution", "Tennessee school officials: No, we did not give litter boxes to students identifying as furries", "NK school officials deny claims of litter boxes in schools", "School districts address 'false rumors' of students using litter boxes, behaving like cats", "Principals respond after 'kitty litter' hoax hits school district in Indiana County", "Scott Jensen repeats debunked claim about litter boxes in schools", "Scott Jensen repeats right-wing hoax about cat litter in schools", "Replying to @KFILEAndrew with all due respect, this is not a hoax and is happening in schools in Illinois, too", "Republican congressional candidate Lauf stands by debunked claim about schools and litter boxes", Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois), "Rep. Lauren Boebert not a shoo-in for November race: poll", "North Carolina school district discussing 'furry' ban amid hoax calls about students dressing as animals", "Fact check: Are there litter boxes in NC schools for students dressed as furries? [95], American football television commentator Tony Dungy posted statement on twitter promoting the hoax on January 18, 2023. Thank you for reading! Thats the case for furries, too. She added: As part of my research, Ive interviewed many therians. We hope that you enjoy our free content. "[112], Education Minnesota said that the internet hoax "appears to be an attempt to discredit school policies intended to make schools safe and welcoming for students". [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". All rights reserved. [6] By that same month, local school officials in Maine and Vermont had also dispelled litter box rumors. By Jessica Marie Success! At least 20 conservative candidates and elected officials have claimed this year that K-12 schools are placing litter boxes on campus or making other accommodations for Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. [35] In 2022, parents and advocacy groups across the U.S. made a concerted push to ban books from libraries, predominantly those discussing race, sexuality, and gender. School districts do have an absorbent material they use to clean up, but its not cat litter. 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. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. [33][34] High rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among transgender youth were also cause for concern. Schools all over are being forced to deal with parents angry about furries & litter boxes. Error! "I had a lot of concern about this because it was becoming a distraction to the learning and teaching at some of our schools," he said in an interview with CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce. You can cancel at any time. Pirie invited anyone with questions or concerns to reach out to her directly. Weblitter boxes in schools for furries maine. 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. [11][73] Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl falsely claimed that schools in the state were recognizing cat identities of students. "[106] Christopher Tremoglie of the conservative website Washington Examiner said that rumors in mid 2022 of litter boxes in Iowa schools were false. [113] Television show host John Oliver debunked litter box claims on the episode of Last Week Tonight that aired on October 24, 2022. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. The claims made by [Stockton] about the prevalence and social respectability of therianthropy are not supported by any of the social scientific research that has been done on the topic, by our team or by others, said Fein. A list of players on the local Minor League Baseball team who had successful Major League Baseball careers. Its not your fault the misinformation is pervasive. Its a fandom. Plante told Reuters that Stocktons claims about furry or therian activity in schools are familiar to the community and researchers. Associated Press reported that the post was shared more than 10,000 times. Weve never observed litter boxes at any of the dozens of furry conventions weve attended internationally. [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. Pick 'em up at the showroom in Thomaston! Research also indicates that a fursona can help facilitate interactions with others and result in more social confidence. [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. [15], As the hoax spread widely in the United States and garnered media attention, online rumors spread to several other Canadian provinces and schools. Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow sent a message to the school district to address the claim. 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. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. [30] Sharon Roberts, a faculty member at Renison University College and co-founder of a furry research group called Furscience, had not, in a decade of researching furry conventions, encountered any instances of furries using litter boxes. 19-year-old charged with murder. Its this connection that concerns Lamoille North superintendent Catherine Gallagher the most, who reiterated her support for the districts LGBTQ community and derided the rumors as harmful. Reuters fact-checked the claim, stating there was no evidence for it; the school district also denied the claim. that is degrading to another person. [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. [6][43][44], Unsubstantiated rumors surfaced in Prince Edward Island in October 2021, possibly as a joke. What are we doing to our kids? Thanks for signing up! 2018 Herald International Research Journals. 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. 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. A bit of background is necessary here: Furries are not people who think they are animals. So now we are seeing kids that are identifying as animals going to school, she says. She is a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project/Furscience. 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 [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. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. [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". Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. Despite how silly this might sound to many, multiple tips and calls received by this newspaper in the past six months have inquired whether this rumor was true. The current misrepresentation of furriesthat they simply want to be animals and are sexual deviantsdates back decades. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Ahead of the 2022 elections, several prominent American politicians and media personalities spread the hoax, including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia[11] and Lauren Boebert of Colorado,[16] Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen,[5] retired brigadier general and US Senate candidate Don Bolduc,[17] podcast host Joe Rogan (who later clarified there was no "proof that they put a litter box" in a particular school),[18][19] Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok,[6] and Christian talk show host Bill Cunningham. Prior to the litter box rumours, furries were seen as sexual deviants an idea that was reinforced by popular media that emphasized the sensational over facts. Attempts by the news media to debunk false rumors were largely unsuccessful in stopping their spread. A few flurries or snow showers possible. 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. Be proactive. Remember, fursuits are prohibitively expensive, custom made, hard to clean, hot and bulky. or anything. Nor had he seen anti-furry outrage to the degree to where it seems to be overtaking school districts and a lot of political discourse. After all, you can also find newly stoked disputes about furries and schools in the U.K., Canada, and Australia. [54][55], In February 2022, the Carroll Community School District in Iowa was accused of providing litter boxes for those who identified as cats. [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. Reuters has sought comment from Stockton, who has provided no evidence to support her claim. Restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Were a small group of interdisciplinary professors who have studied furries and other fan groups for more than 15 years. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters.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 [114], In the months leading up to the 2022 United States elections, mentions online of the litter boxes in schools increased significantly as several Republican candidates repeated the hoax and had it amplified by talk show hosts such as Joe Rogan. But are litter boxes an integral part of the furry fandom? 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