I really hope they stop repeating that (rumor), Young says. Whats most provocative about this hoax is how it turns on two key wedge issues for conservatives: educational accommodations and gender nonconformity, said Joan Donovan, research director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University and co-author of Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America.. 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. Weve never observed litter boxes at any of the dozens of furry conventions weve attended internationally. I dont go out wearing tail, gloves, ears, or fursuit heads on any normal day, she said in an email. This story has been shared 104,401 times. We've received your submission. The rumor, which has been repeated by several Republican nominees around the country as well as making the rounds of cocktail parties, has been repeatedly shot down by fact finding, including an Oct. 31 rebuke of Bolduc by Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. The litter box rumor is so attention grabbing its just the sort of thing to go viral on the internet, Galguera says. To a person not steeped in the culture war battles over gender identity that have engulfed school districts nationwide, its the kind of claim that would sound bizarre and confusing and, from high-profile GOP members, authoritative. In Minnesotas gubernatorial race, former state Sen. Scott Jensen has taken some bizarre positions in recent months. The rumor that furries people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and sometimes dress up as them used litter boxes in the school district, which is about two hours. It takes hard work to avoid being unfairly judged as pushy, aggressive, or emotionalwhile still sticking to your principles. She doesnt feel super different in costume, she said. What are atmospheric rivers? Bunny Hawkins of Skowhegan really likes bunnies, so she decided to become one. The openness to people who are different is really the target here, she says. Its about expressing her femininity as a transgender woman, she said. Published: April 27, 2022 - 9:24 PM. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. 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. 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. For the most part, they do not. November 4, 2022. Use the form below to reset your password. Powers said that he couldnt guess what politicians like Bolduc stood to gain politically from spreading the rumors. However, after years of research, information is now available to help correct the record. The angle is, Look at these weird freaks, she said. That is the case for Bunny Hawkins, who says that without her costume, shes not completely expressing herself. Humans can find intimate connections when they gather, but its not usually the reason they engaged in the activity. The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] - A hearing of a Tennessee Legislature Committee has surpassed thousands of views online, where two state lawmakers report that their constituents say that there are children in Tennessee identifying as "furries" being allowed to use the restroom in litter boxes at school. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people. In other words, if you removed all the sexual content, there would still be a furry fandom. It is a constant suspicion of schools that they are not doing what they should be doing, which gives rise to all these crazy ideas such as the notion there are going to be litter boxes in schools.. The student claims these "furries"their classmatesare "growling, hissing, or even scratching and biting at other people.". Shes come to realize that this is who she is, she said. We have furries and fuzzies in classrooms, Bolduc said at an Oct. 27 campaign event in North Hampton, N.H. They lick themselves, theyre cats. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. The only animals allowed in public schools are for the blind or those with a medical condition requiring a dog. Getty Images. A Facebook post says schools are putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate kids who identify as furries. His fursona, a fox called Gray Muzzle, was confirmed via Chamberlains profile on a website called SoFurry.com. 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. The furries-in-kindergarten myth was repeated by at least 20 candidates and officials this year, the report found, but none of the school districts mentioned actually offered litter boxes for . Let me be clear in this communication, he wrote. 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. The rumor that furries people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and sometimes dress up as them used litter boxes in the school district, which is about two hours northwest of Detroit, appears to have started at a school board session last month, based on a video of the meeting. We know sometimes information can get misunderstood and unfortunately, there can be disinformation out there, said Tracy Jentz, the communications and community engagement coordinator for the district and the north central region vice president for NSPRA. Studies and surveys show that furries are mostly male and white, and likely to not be straight. It then popped up in a number of communities as the 2022 midterms campaign season gained traction. The claim is a local school district is putting litter boxes in . You will receive an email to complete the registration. 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. Many of the litter box rumours also fixate on cats. Changing Demographics: How Educators Expect Populations to Shift, How School Districts Can Benefit From Housing Partnerships, Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience-Aligned & Trauma-Informed Approaches to Supporting Students, Teachers & Staff, What Educators of Color Say It Will Take to Boost Their Numbers in School Leadership, Top Superintendents Detail the Toll of Divisive PoliticsAnd How They've Responded, How to Address System Change in Education. This is absurd. Photo by Getty Images. It is a shame that the furry community still endures (some) negative media portrayals and public misperception as deviants because the truth of this remarkable and resilient community is far more interesting, Dr. Sharon E. Roberts, associate professor at the University of Waterloo and a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, told The Post. Young says she had to do a bit of diggingand she doesnt apologize for the punon the litter box rumor issue to respond to News@Northeasterns questions on the topic. Finalists for national Superintendent of the Year say education has always been political, but deepening rifts are creating new challenges. By starting all of this disinformation, they can say, public schools arent the answer. 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.. FURRIES REACT to the Furry Litter Boxes in School Drama! But furries are often framed in a negative light. 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. It is me, but more. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. Q&A with Mills College at Northeastern library director Janice Braun. A lot of people only have digital relationships, so its cool to get together.. She covers misinformation, extremism and the internet. He plans to be there in June as Hellboy, wearing red face paint and horns. 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. C. May 5, . However, the term furry fandom was being used in online magazines as early as 1983 and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s, according to the Wikipedia entry. Furries like so many others who have hobbies engage in limited fantasy, Roberts said. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. Like asking for a Star Fleet Communicator to be used at work, I suppose that anything is possible., I can tell you, as someone who has studied furries for over a decade, the purported behavior of asking for litter boxes in restrooms is not supported by the research, Roberts says, referring to the rumor as a type of moral panic.. Powers and his staff had to respond quickly, pulling together a statement to publish on social media on a Sunday night. Over the past two years, lawmakers have passed laws that limit how teachers can discuss race, gender, and sexuality and give parents the power to review curriculum. 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. Fri., January 20, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 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.. Not So, Says School Official, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/23/us/politics/michigan-litter-box-school.html. Remember, fursuits are prohibitively expensive, custom made, hard to clean, hot and bulky. All of the claims have been debunked, often by school leaders themselves who posted statements on social media and school websites to limit the rumors spread. A Michigan school district is denying that litter boxes were provided to students who identify as 'furries' after a woman made the claim in a school board meeting last month.. Video of the woman . Accountability is not a crime.. The writer, not identified by name, posted a piece in October alleging confirmed reports of furries employed at Bath Iron Works. The product of deep reflection, fursonas can represent idealized versions of the self that are imbued with positive characteristics, like being sociable, funny and less anxious. In January, a Michigan public school district had to issue a denial to a parent's claim that it was providing litter boxes in unisex bathrooms to children who "identified" as animals, after. crivez un article et rejoignez une communaut de plus de 158 000 universitaires et chercheurs de 4 538 institutions. School litter box fever will not die in Iowa. The first notable instance of furry panic occurred when right-wing activists pushed a false claim about schools in Michigan placing litter boxes in bathrooms to allow furry students to use them . by Lia Russell May 19, 2022 A rumor about workers. Its not something you become, its something you realize you are, Bunny said in a recent phone interview. Strike pointed out that only a small minority of furries even dress up as their fursonas. Pratt, who works at Bull Moose headquarters in Portland as the marketing/social media manager, has attended more than 100 conventions. Bunny Hawkins displays her Walmart nametag. Benjamin Santos of Sumner runs a website that lists all such conventions around the country. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. He later told a local newspaper he didnt verify the claim was true, and he did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News. 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.. Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0KIp9ow7QLabbRatt's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrOCEMip094Help support my channel!Patreon: Comi. At face value, this might seem like another example of folks on the right embracing yet another weird myth because it was circulated by Republicans who ought to know better. Despite current slump of tech giants, strong growth seen in computer science job market for Khoury students, Holiday gifts already delivered, but rail strike would be catastrophic in other ways, Northeastern expert warns, New highly transmissible COVID-19 subvariant wont swamp US hospitals, Northeastern experts predict, How a new law requiring food labels to include sesame resulted in an explosion of products containingsesame, Study analyzes why Black people in Maine are more likely than white people to be arrested in traffic stops. I feel really good, and I feel like myself when Im wearing these things.. I ordered a bunny outfit on a whim and ended up really loving it.. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". 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. Rumors that Maine school districts have been forced to provide litter boxes to animal-identifying children have circulated since last fall. But the hoax still has a lasting impact during a time when schools need to be laser focused on solving staffing challenges and helping students regain their academic footing. For many furries, the fandom is a way to build social connections with others. NBC News found one example of a school district keeping cat litter on campuses for students to use but it had nothing to do with accommodating children who identify as animals. And it demonstrates how quickly some elements of truth can be twisted and mashed up with fully debunked assertions to create a viral narrative amplified by prominent politicians, as well as commentators with large audiences. But thats not quite right. In early October, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., claimed that people are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats, according to reporting from the Colorado Times Recorder. Therefore, if you identify as a dog or cat you can no longer go to a public school because animals are not allowed. About 95 per cent of furries develop their own unique avatar-like character called a fursona. Wed., February 01, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 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. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 and are part of the furries. Bunny belongs to a community known as furries. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, 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, he wrote. ET. A Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that a school provided litter boxes for students who identified as "furries" people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals. 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.. While many furries have no interest in acquiring a fursuit at all, they can also be prohibitively expensive. They tend to be younger, however the ones who attend conventions are older than those who partake in online furry communities. But the Minnesota Republican isnt the only one whos helped spread the myth. Talk about a health violation!! She is a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project/Furscience. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. I think this is a distracting technique to disparage public schools and to say creating inclusive environments shouldnt be happening, she says. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. Mick Pratt, far left, of Westbrook, poses with fellow furries at a convention in Chicago in December. The writer declined to reveal the source or sources because they reportedly spoke on the condition of anonymity and the information could not be confirmed. She attended her first furry event in 2016 and got her fursuit in 2020. Enter your email and password to access comments. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. to accommodate students who identify as cats, the Public Schools Branch says. Shes allowed to wear her tail and mask at work, she said. Todd Dorman. In a Houston taqueria, a customer shot and killed a robbery suspect. In his comments, Bolduc specifically mentioned Pinkerton Academy, a high school in Derry, N.H., that serves both public and private, tuition-paying students. We always want to be the ones to tell our story.. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel. Dont expect to find litter boxes at the convention, says Sharon E. Roberts, a Canadian academic and co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project/Furscience, which studies furry fandom from sociological, social, psychological and clinical perspectives.. When Bolduc spread the hoax about Pinkerton, it didnt take long for it to be picked up by local and some national media outlets. Research also indicates that a fursona can help facilitate interactions with others and result in more social confidence. University of Waterloo apporte un financement en tant que membre adhrent de TheConversation CA-FR. Members of the "furries" fantasy subculture tell The Post they're not wild about this week's viral rumor that a Michigan school put a litter box in one of its bathrooms for "the kids . Success. Now were going to talk about litter boxes and bathrooms and kids, thats what were talking about now? Pinkerton Academy Headmaster Tim Powers said. In an email sent to parents, staff and community members on Jan. 20, Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow denied the claim that "litter boxes were provided within MPS student. At the school sit-down, concerned parent Lisa Hansen said she was really disturbed after reportedly learning from a student that at least one of our schools in our town, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. It becomes a distraction from what it is that were trying to do on a daily basis, he said. People have sex and furries are people. A reaction from another user calling for schools to stop admitting furries to schools brought in over 1 million views. Lisa Hansen speaks to the Midland Public Schools Board of Education at its Dec. 20, 2021, meeting. For most people furries included these arent exactly conditions that put them in the mood.. Dayna, 15, who lives in Canada, said she brings a mask and tail to school every day but only wears them during lunch and keeps them in her bag during class. 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. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and . At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. If your knowledge of furries. However, most furries' fursonas are wild and mythical animals , such as foxes, wolves, and unicorns or hybrid species, such as a kangaroo-dragon. Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools.. Also this month, GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert told an audience in her home state of Colorado that educators are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats. Around the same time, Ed Thelander, a Republican congressional candidate in Maine, touted the same myth. A member of the public who spoke at the meeting, Lisa Hansen, says in the video that she was informed by someone the day before the meeting that litter boxes had been added to the unisex bathrooms for students who identify as cats., I was stunned, Ms. Hansen says in the video. Pratt belongs to the Facebook group Furries of Portland Maine, which has 252 members. People make fun of you for no reason. 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?. Tim Kraayenbrink, a Republican Iowa state senator, said at a forum in May that local schools had been required to put cat litter boxes in the bathroom for furries to use, as he discussed schools that allow transgender students to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. A woman named Lisa Hansen first raised the issue at a December 20 meeting of the Midland Public Schools Board, a . Its no coincidence that Bunny, the only other furry who agreed to be interviewed for this story, is also transgender, Pratt said. (He later acknowledged his mistake. Put simply, furries are fans, he wrote, in the same way that Star Trek fans are fans of Star Trek and sports fans are fans of sports., The fandom is inclusive, he wrote, and embraces the norms of being welcoming and nonjudgmental to all.. There Appears to Be No Truth Behind Maine Kids Using Litter Boxes at School. Will That Erode Trust? Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock. Furries are fans of animals that have human characteristics, such as talking or walking on their hind legs. So far, the Rumor Has It page has been helpful in combatting harmful rumors and gathering positive feedback from the community, Grand Forks Superintendent Terry Brenner said. The initial reaction was, really? ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) A rumor going around on social media has been raising some eyebrows. bizarre concession at a Dec. 20 board meeting. Furry fandom? School board proposes banning furries after rumors of litter boxes in schools spread LGBTQNation 10/25/2022 Like 442 Comments | 778 A school board in North Carolina considered a. May. The district where Columbine High School is located has been stocking classrooms with small amounts of cat litter since 2017, but as part of go buckets that contain emergency supplies in case students are locked in a classroom during a shooting. The school board members at the meeting did not respond to Ms. Hansens comments, but her remarks gained traction after Meshawn Maddock, a chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, shared a video of the school board meeting and the comments on Facebook on Thursday. like a dog eats from a bowl).. There are an estimated 250,000 people in the US who identify as furries, a subculture whose members enjoy dressing up as cartoonish animals, sometimes as a sexual fetish but more often as a fun escape. 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. In mass media, furries are usually associated with sexual fetishes, the website says, but the most-cited draw to the furry fandom is its sense of belongingness, recreation, and escape from the mundaneness of daily life.. She declined to connect NBC News with any parents or teachers shes spoken with. One school district was accused of putting cat litter boxes in school bathrooms for students who identify as "furries," but the superintendent of Michigan's Midland . Sometimes transmasc, nonbinary or transfur., Mick Pratt of Westbrook Facebook profile picture, The furry community is primed for trans people to explore new identities, she said. Sharon E. Roberts, an associate professor of social development studies at the University of Waterloo in Canada and a founder of Furscience, said in an email on Saturday that she could not comment specifically about the Michigan school because she was not familiar with the situation. Its worth emphasizing that NBC News did identify one school district that kept cat litter on campuses for student use, but its a Colorado district the same district where the Columbine massacre occurred that approved the litter as part of go buckets to be used in the event of a school shooting. 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. Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry? Some say litter boxes are located in transgender bathrooms in schools. It was attended by 406 people. The second group has heard this same rumor at their own . Why are we telling elementary kids that they get to choose their gender this week? Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. You dont have fetish scenes at the conventions, but some people might go back to their rooms for fun, he recently told The Post. When asked by NBC News for evidence to support her assertion, Lauf referred to an anonymous far-right blog that claimed a student was permitted to wear a furry suit to school in Hinsdale, Illinois. Bolduc is among a group of Republican politicians and pundits who spread the same hoax throughout the campaign cycle, causing communications crises for school leaders. 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. An online publication called Maine Journal News (its motto is, The news and information you wont hear from mainstream media) began a recent article about furries with, Put your coffees down because you dont want to spit it out.. NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel. PA, offers box to stand on October 29, 2022; South Middleton School Board Appoints Lifetime District Resident as New Assistant to the Superintendent October 18, 2022; School districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska have debunked claims that. So, lets get the voucher system going.. However, most furries fursonas are wild and mythical animals, such as foxes, wolves and unicorns or hybrid species, such as a kangaroo-dragon. Hes not a furry, but he has a lot of furry friends, aka furfriends., Furries are generally very nice people, Santos said. The buckets also contain candy for diabetic students, a map of the school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items. The dress code is pretty flexible, she said. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. Brandy Zadrozny is a senior reporter for NBC News. Members of the furries fantasy subculture tell The Post theyre not wild about this weeks viral rumor that a Michigan school put a litter box in one of its bathrooms for the kids that identify as cats, as one harried parent put it. US leverages its relationship with Taiwan to help rebuild the domestic semiconductor industry. That same month, school board candidates in Arkansas and Tennessee made similar remarks, and Jennifer Benson, a school board member in Fargo, North Dakota, told a local news outlet children were wearing leashes to school and using litter boxes. Thanks for contacting us. 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 inclusive nature of the furry fandom means that, for many furries, its a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. Mr. Sharrow did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. I wouldnt say theres more [hoaxes], theres just more of a need to respond because parents, students, staff, community members are getting that information faster and from different sources, she said. Associate professor, Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo. Abbotts attacks: Its a campaign of terror, As elections near, racist appeals receive little GOP pushback. Family of transgender child in Texas speak out on Gov. For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu. 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.. Fursuits are usually worn on special occasions a parade, meet-up or convention. Is it any less authentic? It comes out of this worry on the part of the American public that their children are going to be educated in ways that are not approved by them, Galguera says. In fact, the fandom has been studied and analyzed by the International Anthropomorphic Research Project. And get this, get this, Bolduc says in a recording obtained by CNN. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators.
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