The spread of rumors about litter boxes has grown alongside other extreme and baseless rhetoric accusing LGBTQ people and educators of grooming children through lessons and policies on gender and sexuality. And get this, get this, Bolduc says in a recording obtained by CNN. However, after years of research, information is now available to help correct the record. The academy tweeted that political candidates are welcome to visit the campus before making claims about what occurs here.. 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 students who identify. It was attended by 406 people. Litter boxes in schools South Dakota, Furries in schools, Furries in Iowa schools litter box, Litter boxes in schools Fargo, Bath Iron Works litter box, Kids identifying as furries, Bath Iron Works furries But as the NBC News report added, its important to acknowledge the motivation behind the nonsense. I think that, in the long run, this kind of attention will help us, Joe Strike, who identifies as a furry and penned the 2017 book Furry Nation told The Post. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people, including their gender identity and sexual orientation. As the video circulated, the Midland superintendent issued a statement to clarify Hansens claim was false. Its offensive to our teachers, to our principals, to our students. While the district's superintendent assured WLWT that this furry gear is, in fact, a dress code violation, that hasn't seemed to ease the worries of the anonymous student who started the petition. A. For most people furries included these arent exactly conditions that put them in the mood.. Lead Stories has published debunks of similar claims made elsewhere in the United States that students are dressing like "furries" and asking for litter boxes in the restrooms. But it was two weeks ago when CNN ran a report about Jensen pushing a bizarre urban myth. Mick Pratt, 35, of Westbrook designed her partial costume and her character. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. Clearly it was fake. to accommodate students who identify as cats, the Public Schools Branch says. Terry Brenner, superintendent, Grand Forks school district, Grand Forks, N.D. They may not realize theyre actually doing a favor in the long run, Strike said of those behind the rumor. Some politicians issued warnings about children acting as cats during debates regarding school policies related to transgender and nonbinary youth. Furries like so many others who have hobbies engage in limited fantasy, Roberts said. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok. Mr. Sharrow, the superintendent, citing a backdrop of this divisive/contentious world in which we currently find ourselves, urged parents to contact him if rumors like this surfaced again. The first group is those who read the headline and had to know what this craziness was even about. Bolduc ultimately lost his race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan. Libby Stanford is a reporter for Education Week. Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more. Far too many Republicans and their allies on the right appear to have embraced this madness with a bit too much enthusiasm, but as NBC News reported, the myth appears to be entirely made up. I think this is a distracting technique to disparage public schools and to say creating inclusive environments shouldnt be happening, she says. Furries do a similar thing, but with a twist. She declined to connect NBC News with any parents or teachers shes spoken with. November 4, 2022. Todd Dorman. Every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said either to NBC News or in public statements that these claims are untrue. Strike said that most furries he encountered grew up with interests in anthropomorphic cartoon characters and now find comfort around others with the same interest. You get to interact with others in the same sphere. Create a free account to save your favorite articles, follow important topics, sign up for email newsletters, and more. Far from merely identifying as felines, furries are an anthropomorphic community whose members sometimes dress up as a variety of animals at conventions, or who have a special fursona with whom they connect. In a message to the school district, Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow argued against the claims of litter boxes being provided for students that "identify as cats." (hutchyb // Canva) MIDLAND . The litter box rumor isnt the first hoax of its kind to circulate aboutand throughoutschools. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY 1/24/2022. Lisa talking about furries and litter boxes at the schools meeting. Mick Pratt, far left, of Westbrook, poses with fellow furries at a convention in Chicago in December. With each hoax and rumor come more distractions for school administrators. This story has been shared 102,768 times. People have sex and furries are people. I just cant believe this is real, sputtered one incredulous commenter, while another wrote, Whats going on in this town?. Last month, Brendan Shea, a Republican and member of the Ohio State Board of Education, introduced a resolution to oppose civil rights protections for LGBTQ students. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. Conventions typically include art exhibits, dances, vendors selling fursuits, accessories, books and T-shirts. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. There was also the unsubstantiated report that tables in a Texas school cafeteria were being lowered to allow furries to more easily eat without utensils or their hands (i.e. I ordered a bunny outfit on a whim and ended up really loving it.. Thats the case for furries, too. For instance, in 2017, Scott Chamberlain, a councilman from New Milford, Conn., wasforced to resign when it came to light that he was a furry. That same day, Sharrow took to Facebook to clarify that the rumor was, in fact, false. The 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 students who "identify as cats", or who participate in the furry or otherkin subcultures. If your knowledge of furries. 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 students who identify as cats, according to an NBC News review of public statements. Public schools in Maine and across the country have been plagued by false allegations that they have been forced to provide litter boxes for children who identify as animals, sometimes. shared a video of the school board meeting and the comments on Facebook. Brenner found the hoax in his school community to be purposefully deceitful and part of an overarching political agenda to sow distrust in public schools. For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu. Shes allowed to wear her tail and mask at work, she said. For the most part, they do not. Litter Boxes for Students Who Identify as Furries? One of the most recent examples involves a relatively unknown community. 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. Lisa Hansen speaks to the Midland Public Schools Board of Education at its Dec. 20, 2021, meeting. When they dont like something, they hiss and get this, get this, theyre putting litter boxes [in schools] for them.. Like Like. Powers and his team posted a statement on the schools Twitter account refuting Bolducs claims. Weve never observed litter boxes at any of the dozens of furry conventions weve attended internationally. Another gawker wondered how the litter box system would even work, writing: Logistically no public school has the budget to afford kitty litter for a small percentage of their community to use also ask yourself the last janitor youve met would they scoop human feces out of a litter box?. Footage of her spurious accusation was subsequently shared to Facebook Thursday byMichigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, who wrote, Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools.. Theres no such thing as a litter box at a furry convention.. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. FURRIES REACT to the Furry Litter Boxes in School Drama! And we just wanted to try to knock that noise down at the very least at the local level.. Several posts to the story suggested it was rumor and that, certainly, employees were not allowed to wear fursuits at work. Its unclear exactly where the litter box hoax came from. Learn more. March 8, 2022 A TikTok video of a mother at a school boarding meeting went viral in which she says she heard Michigan schools were providing litter boxes for furries students who. No, Maine students aren't using litter boxes in school by Lia Russell May 19, 2022 A fringe belief that Maine schools are accommodating children who self-identify as animals is. She said when she has worn part of her fur suit to school, I dont act like an animal, or think that I am one.. Remember, fursuits are prohibitively expensive, custom made, hard to clean, hot and bulky. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. Depending on the study, we find more than 70 per cent of furries identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 25 per cent are gender-identity diverse. He plans to be there in June as Hellboy, wearing red face paint and horns. In an Oct. 19, 2021, Facebook post, the Public Schools Branch of Prince Edward Island said that for several months it had fielded calls, been sent emails and been pointed to numerous social media posts that make broad sweeping assertions regarding students who identify as cats. The 30-year-old lives in Skowhegan and works at the local Walmart. This is absurd. She attended her first furry event in 2016 and got her fursuit in 2020. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". US leverages its relationship with Taiwan to help rebuild the domestic semiconductor industry. Similarly, furries might attend a furry convention, local meet-up, or simply connect with like-others online, but they return to everyday life on Monday just like everyone else.. I think its an agenda that has been started by a small minority group and a political wing, said Brenner, who emphasized he was speaking about his own personal opinion and not on behalf of the district. Pursuit of the fursuit: The joys of being furry and making furfriends, Manage your Advertiser Democrat Subscription, Manage your Livermore Falls Advertiser Subscription, Manage your Franklin Journal Subscription, Manage your Rumford Falls Times Subscription, Manage Your Rangeley Highlander Subscription, Sun Media Groups Western Maine Weekly Subscriptions, Mark LaFlamme: Dead batteries and bruised tailbones, In a word: The long and short of well-known names, Harrison, West Paris kids are all in on winter, George Fox returns to Ukraine for third time, Its a new year, start fresh: reuse, recycle, reduce, Part 1, Katherines Bakery & Cafe expands, all the way up the street. Shes called Pixil, a combination of pixie and pixel. Most furries create for themselves an anthropomorphized animal character (fursona) with whom they identify and can function as an avatar within the community, the website says. Brittany Rose Published: May 19, 2022. But furries are often framed in a negative light. In an episode of Spotify's "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast this week, host Joe Rogan told former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard that a litter box was installed in a school that his friend's wife. ET. We are, after all, talking about a Republican physician who has spoken out against Covid vaccines and condemned efforts to stop the spread of the virus. The litter boxes rumor circulated on social media and local radio shows earlier this year. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! However, our Midland PS stakeholders may be confused about a false message/accusation that has resurfaced this week and is gaining traction in the social media realm.. Well, all kinds of people go to conferences; sometimes they have sex there. Were a small group of interdisciplinary professors who have studied furries and other fan groups for more than 15 years. Her favorite breakout group has been with psychologists who are furries, she said. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools, Michael Sharrow, wrote on Thursday in an email to parents that was also shared on Facebook. Will That Erode Trust? Its not. Already registered? But what about education? Jensen said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. That is the case for Bunny Hawkins, who says that without her costume, shes not completely expressing herself. School districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska have debunked claims that. As the number of people identifying as trans and nonbinary has increased in recent years, particularly among young people, so has the amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation from conservative politicians. On Facebook, public posts show variations of the claim popping up throughout the country every day, citing unnamed grandchildren or neighbors, from Florida to California. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. the majority of furries are motivated by reasons of social belonging, not sexual motivations. A similar claim from parents that students dressed as cats were bringing litter boxes to Iredell-Statesville Schools led board members to propose a ban on all furry costumes, Queen City. Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? The fandom also has seen negative press from the media, she said. Forensic genealogy starred in apprehension of Idaho murder suspectbut was it necessary. Im all for creativity and imagination, but when someone lives in a fantasy world and expects other people to go along with it, I have a problem with that, added Hansen, who defined furry as someone who identifies as a cat or a dog, whatever.. Anytime you have something like that, time and resources are spent which then just takes us away from the good work thats being done by our faculty and staff on a daily basis.. He also suggested that hed support incarcerating Minnesotas Democratic secretary of state over election-related conspiracy theories. In his comments, Bolduc specifically mentioned Pinkerton Academy, a high school in Derry, N.H., that serves both public and private, tuition-paying students. Wed., February 01, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Furries . Williamson explained that she understood the litter box would be for students who identify as "furries." Wormstadt said Friday he had spoken with school administrators about the topic and. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. Don Bolduc, Republican candidate for New Hampshire senator, is one of the latest conservative politicians to repeat the hearsay that . Thanks for contacting us. She covers misinformation, extremism and the internet. 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. An unfounded anecdote about kitty litter boxes for role-playing students in public schools is the rumor that just won't quit, and especially in certain political circles. People go because its an opportunity to wear fursuits and to be around other furries, she said. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. Anything is possible and I cant disprove a negative. Yes. NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. A Michigan superintendent said a rumor that a school district has litter boxes on school grounds for students who identify as furries to use the bathroom is . The fungal zombies in HBOs The Last of Us are based on real, horrifying biology, An amazing opportunity. Ontario education minister praises experiential learning at Toronto campus, Dates, times finalized for Northeasterns 2023 Boston commencements and college celebrations, Open, reservable study spaces on Boston campus as Snell Library undergoes renovations. Some furries wear full costumes with built-in fans to keep them from getting too warm. The claim is a local school district is putting litter boxes in . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. According to Furscience, a website run by a multidisciplinary team of scientists studying furry fandom, furry describes a diverse community of fans, artists, writers, gamers, and role players.. Pratt belongs to the Facebook group Furries of Portland Maine, which has 252 members. Those laws have been damaging to marginalized communities, especially LGBTQ students, who in turn were unfairly linked to the rumor about litter boxes. He later retracted his comments after finding out they werent true, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Whats interesting is how many people are repeating it in an effort to make it a thing, says Young, who is also faculty lead for the McFarland Scholars program at Northeastern.. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. In the end, Plante wrote, furries are no different than anyone else they have the same need to belong, need to have a positive and distinct sense of self, and a need for self-expression.. Roberts, an associate professor at Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo in Canada, said that nearly all furries maintain distinct human personas and do not identify as animals. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. In one segment of the video, below, at 33 minutes into the video ( the video on this page starts at 33 minutes-in, accordingly) you will see a parent whose name is Lisa mention that students identifying as furries are being provided with cat litter boxes or trays. Furries are bullied at almost twice the rates of non-furries, and our forthcoming research indicates that four to 15 per cent are on the autism spectrum. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. Litter Boxes in Schools: How a Disruptive and Demeaning Hoax Frustrated School Leaders. You can be literally whatever you want., Her character, Pixil, has been described as bubbly, Pratt said. 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. Roberts also noted that the vast majority of furries characters are wild or mythical animals, who wouldnt use a litter box in the first place. From the Morning Sun: Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow took to Facebook Thursday, addressing false rumors that litter box accommodations were being made for students who identify as "furries.". What are we doing to our kids? In April, three Republican lawmakers in Minnesota took turns during floor debate discussing rumors theyd heard about children identifying as cats at school, cutting holes in uniforms for tails and possibly using litter boxes. But are litter boxes an integral part of the furry fandom? These are not the kinds of species that would use litter boxes, anyway. A lot of people only have digital relationships, so its cool to get together.. Droits d'auteur 20102023, The Conversation France (assoc. She legally changed her name to Bunny. But while the school bathroom claim was quickly debunked, furries say its disappointing to see their community ostracized. Furries, and what it means and what it is, and what some people are trying to make it out to be are two very different things, she said. Many of the litter box rumours also fixate on cats. The past few conventions have been canceled because of the COVID pandemic, but a convention featuring furries, comics, fantasy and gaming is scheduled for this coming summer, from June 23 to 26, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in South Portland. 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. How can both countries benefit from the deal? I dont go out wearing tail, gloves, ears, or fursuit heads on any normal day, she said in an email. In Minnesotas gubernatorial race, former state Sen. Scott Jensen has taken some bizarre positions in recent months.
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