NBC included the information in a report saying the kitty litter box rumors have become a GOP talking point in states including Colorado, Minnesota and Tennessee. If you go to France and you ask, What are the kids studying? the ministry of education can tell you, Today were going to be studying this geometry and this history, Galguera says. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. You read that right. [Someone who] cosplays as Captain Kirk is unlikely to show up for work on Monday and demand that their phone be replaced with a Star Fleet Communicator, she said. But it was two weeks ago when CNN ran a report about Jensen pushing a bizarre urban myth. Were a small group of interdisciplinary professors who have studied furries and other fan groups for more than 15 years. The furry community is constantly fending off misperceptions, though. The kitty litter box hoax has spread so far and so fast it even has its own debunking wikipage, which claims the rumor is in response to schools enacting rights for transgender students. 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. Accountability is not a crime.. School districts in Iowa, Michigan and Nebraska have debunked claims that. and litter boxes in schools . It began as a large quest for self-discovery. You dont have fetish scenes at the conventions, but some people might go back to their rooms for fun, he recently told The Post. At least 250,000 Americans identify as furries, and though a subset of the group say theyre into it for sexual reasons, more often its nothing more than fan-driven escape. Reuters has fact checked claims around "furries" in U.S. schools in the past and found no evidence of them disrupting classrooms or schools developing a policy of including them as a formal . Best thrift stores in Boston and Oakland and is it okay to thrift XMas gifts? You get to interact with others in the same sphere. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. About 95 per cent of furries develop their own unique avatar-like character called a fursona. 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. Published: April 27, 2022 - 9:24 PM. Its not. Within a few months, similar rumors began to spread in the U.S., where they quickly became culture war fodder. 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.. Powers and his team posted a statement on the schools Twitter account refuting Bolducs claims. The claim is a local school district is putting litter boxes in . Even though they arent new, school hoaxes and rumors have become more political in recent years, said Cathy Kedjidjian, president of the National School Public Relations Association. The American high school experience in 2021 is plagued by uncertainty in the face of an ongoing pandemic, aggro anti-mask dads, Tiktok drama, the usual academic hurdles, and furries. 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.. Don Bolduc, Republican candidate for New Hampshire senator, is one of the latest conservative politicians to repeat the hearsay that schools are providing litter boxes for students who identify as anthropomorphic cats, or furries, according to CNN. Like Like. She attended her first furry event in 2016 and got her fursuit in 2020. People make fun of you for no reason. For most people furries included these arent exactly conditions that put them in the mood.. Rare rock star interviews raw, complete and unedited in new Northeastern digital archive, Gutenberg Bible leaf and so much more. 2023 Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. In his comments, Bolduc specifically mentioned Pinkerton Academy, a high school in Derry, N.H., that serves both public and private, tuition-paying students. Its offensive to our teachers, to our principals, to our students. ET. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. That's when a letter sent recently to Renfrew-area newspapers claimed a local school was providing cat litter in a washroom for a student who identifies as a "furry," or animal, causing an . He also suggested that hed support incarcerating Minnesotas Democratic secretary of state over election-related conspiracy theories. Many of the litter box rumors also fixate on cats. She even changed her name to reflect her inner identity. The superintendent of the school claims the woman's story is "not true". O'Furr, who has traced the origins of the litter box urban legend, dates the hoax to at least 2008. That same day, Sharrow took to Facebook to clarify that the rumor was, in fact, false. 13, 2022 7:00 am, Updated: May. Log in to join the discussion. 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. 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. The fandom provides a social network for its members, and furries can benefit tremendously from these friendships. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators. Learn more. In December 2021, conservative activist Lisa Hansen claimed at a school board meeting in Midland, Michigan, that an unnamed school in the district had placed a litter box for the kids that identify as cats in a unisex bathroom as part of the agenda thats being pushed. Hansen, who later started a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, did not respond to requests for comment. A. NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. . shared a video of the school board meeting and the comments on Facebook. Awareness of what's occurring outside of school can be beneficialor a hierarchical hell in the wrong hands, Michael Fullan says. The "furry protocol" rumor is the newest wrinkle in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools. The boss added, Let me be clear in this communication. The angle is, Look at these weird freaks, she said. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people. Others wear partials. Bunny belongs to a community known as furries. One of the most recent examples involves a relatively unknown community. A Michigan school superintendent debunked the rumor after a video from a December school board meeting resurfaced in which a speaker airs concerns about students who identify as cats.. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. 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. 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. Associate professor, Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo. 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. This story has been shared 178,212 times. to accommodate students who identify as cats, the Public Schools Branch says. The increasing political nature of the rumors prompted the Grand Forks school district in North Dakota to establish a Rumor Has It page on its website, which debunks false information about the district providing litter boxes for students and teaching critical race theory. It was also unfairly and inaccurately used to ostracize LGBTQ students, who are not necessarily part of the furries subculture, in which people dress up as animals. 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. Lisa Hansen addressing the board during a Midland Public Schools meeting in Michigan last month. Putting aside broader questions about the degree to which weve lost our minds, Jensens claim was, and is, ridiculous: No one is putting litter boxes in schools because children identify as furries. Success. Weve lost our minds.. Furries are a fandom, like anime, Star Trek or football. by Lia Russell May 19, 2022 A rumor about workers. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. 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. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. The second group has heard this same rumor at their own . In other words, the litter box myth is dumb, but its not benign. As AI writing tools rapidly evolve, learn how to set standards and expectations for your students on their use. Rumors that Maine school districts have been forced to provide litter boxes to animal-identifying children have circulated since last fall. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. It feels like everyone has an opinion, or heard a rumour, about kids dressing up as animals, calling themselves furries and demanding litter boxes. Terry Brenner, superintendent, Grand Forks school district, Grand Forks, N.D. Heres what you need to know. Have you heard of cosplay, where people costume as characters? 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.. I still have a lot of social anxiety, but I feel more confident. However, most furries' fursonas are wild and mythical animals , such as foxes, wolves, and unicorns or hybrid species, such as a kangaroo-dragon. Powers and his staff had to respond quickly, pulling together a statement to publish on social media on a Sunday night. But thats not quite right. Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0KIp9ow7QLabbRatt's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrOCEMip094Help support my channel!Patreon: Comi. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. 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. 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. The inclusive nature of the furry fandom means that, for many furries, its a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. Counter-protestors stand and hold signs at the intersection of 10th Street and . Wed., February 01, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Should you get rid of your gas stove? 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. Furries do a similar thing, but with a twist. A Facebook post detailing the hilarious rumor is blowing up online. 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.. The week before, on Sept. 29, Minnesota GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen asked during a campaign stop, Why do we have litter boxes in some of the school districts so kids can pee in them, because they identify as a furry?. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok. 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. Its only used to kind of sensationalize untruth, and to harm our community, in particular our transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive youth, said Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, an LGBTQ rights organization, when asked about the litter box rumors. You can be literally whatever you want., Her character, Pixil, has been described as bubbly, Pratt said. In other words, if you removed all the sexual content, there would still be a furry fandom. US leverages its relationship with Taiwan to help rebuild the domestic semiconductor industry. ET. We have more than enough to do in teacher education than to debunk false stories. Similarly, furries might attend a furry convention, local meet-up or simply connect with like-others online, but they return to everyday life on Mondayjust like everyone else, Roberts says. In the U.S., some groups have the idea we are indoctrinating kids for all these extreme views, he says. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code. 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. I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. Family of transgender child in Texas speak out on Gov. Its bullying because of immaturity.. 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. Olivia, 16, from California, said shes been part of the furry community for six years. However, after years of research, information is now available to help correct the record. Rich Abrahamson/ Morning Sentinel. Kids who identify as furries get a litter box in the school bathroom, Ms. Maddock wrote in a Facebook post sharing the video of the board meeting. It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you, he wrote. Shes called Pixil, a combination of pixie and pixel. Her campaign declined to answer questions about Ganahls claims, but in one interview with a local Fox affiliate, she suggested theres a lot of this going on in Jefferson County. Anything is possible and I cant disprove a negative. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. But as the NBC News report added, its important to acknowledge the motivation behind the nonsense. C. May 5, . 1901), Lexpertise universitaire, lexigence journalistique. Thanks for contacting us. A Facebook post says schools are putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate kids who identify as furries. Will climate change make them worse? 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. Furries are fans of animals that have human characteristics, such as talking or walking on their hind legs. Yes. But furries are often framed in a negative light. Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock. An unfounded anecdote about kitty litter boxes for role-playing students in public schools is the rumor that just wont quit, and especially in certain political circles. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and . Courtesy of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. For some, its about hiding their day-to-day selves, but for me its about expressing my true self.. 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. Already registered? I have seen dog bowls and giant straws used to feed furries at a restaurant, but this was an inside joke between a small local business and Anthrocon an annual furry convention held in Pittsburgh which brings millions of dollars to the local economy and raises thousands of dollars for animal-related charities. FOLLOW ME . While many furries have no interest in acquiring a fursuit at all, they can also be prohibitively expensive. 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. Young says she read that at least 20 Republican political candidates have mentioned the rumor. 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 subculture. 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 openness to people who are different is really the target here, she says. He describes the costumes as suits of armor, allowing people to express themselves while remaining somewhat anonymous. Students arent achieving academically, socially, behaviorally, or emotionally. She legally changed her name to Bunny. Conventions typically include art exhibits, dances, vendors selling fursuits, accessories, books and T-shirts. Theres a sense of I pay for what my kids learn that isnt the case in other countries that have a national curriculum, he says. This is absurd. 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 . 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