! Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes. Hansen noted the rumor warranted "more investigation" and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter boxes. Among the policies is one stating students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. Psychologists say furries arent the deviants theyre sometimes represented to be. Inthe Dec. 21, 2021, YouTube video, which now has more than 91,000 views, a woman said during the Midland Public Schools board meeting that she was told there wasa litter box in the bathroom of at least one local school for students who self-identify as cat "furries" people who adopt and identify with an anthropomorphized animal persona, often within online or local communities of furries. Catalina Lauf, a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state. I read that a comedian joked how he asks to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies as a place. Lets get that debate started! This is a cat-focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars. She covers misinformation, extremism and the internet. Don't pay your auto insurance bill until you read this. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. The false claim that children who identify as cats are using litter boxes in school bathrooms has spread across the internet since at least December, when a member of the public brought it up at a . Additionally, this summer, a group of parents and community members unsuccessfully pushedfor the removal of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe that discusses topics such as asexuality and being nonbinary, from Salem-Keizer high school libraries. Skibbereen Community College bosses said they contacted authorities over crazy claims. Olivia, 16, from California, said shes been part of the furry community for six years. how to craft sawmill in terraria . Silver Honda CRV seen fleeing towards Manton Ave. Cranston stand off https://fb.watch/iZ0CaYIkSb/?mibextid=ykz3hl, Copyright John DePetro. This whole furry thing has just got me. "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. But there's no truth to the rumor there's a litter box in unisex . (LogOut/ Please! It's more about the complexity of neural connections. 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, in fact every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said in public statements that these claims are untrue. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing. Do your research. The woman, who uses the handle @crazynamebridgetmichael, said she was taking attendance when a student responded to his name with feline vocalizations. Snowstorm Could Hit Metro Detroit Friday: Possible Snow Totals, Detroit Bakery Reopens In Midtown With 25 Cent Cookies, DTE Energy Will Give Automatic Credit To Those Affect By Power Outage, Here's How Many Guns Were Sold In Michigan Last Month, 2 Women Sexually Assaulted While Walking In Ann Arbor, Police Say, Popular Oakland County Restaurant, Music Venue Abruptly Closes. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. However, by constantly celebrating their decisions as brave, holding parades, allowing them to compete in sporting events with biological women, naming them women of the year, or even acknowledging gender identity as something more than junk science, society merely reinforces disturbing behaviors. Yet her intelligence level doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not derision. The rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. Accessed 5 Apr. Some politicians issued warnings about children acting as cats during debates regarding school policies related to transgender and nonbinary youth. Author lied. John DePetro Show Sen. Bruce Bostleman would later apologize for falsely claiming that students were meowing, identifying as cats, and going to the bathroom in litter boxes. Netflix's new show is a slow-building horror-drama with Lovecraftian elements. go to the park or an animal shelter and maybe youll be adopted! I was told by a teacher friend in Georgia that this is true in her state as well. 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. ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. The school districts saythese claims are untrue. Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who arent really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. Theyre all just like yours: A friend of a friend says it happened in their daughters district, or a teacher friend said she heard a school put a litter box in a bathroom. I cant stay in the same classroom as that cat! "This is a rumor that has been circulating nationally, and more recently in our community, and is simply just that, a rumor, and is not in any way accurate. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. In 2021 and 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and media personalities promoted the hoax in response to . Roberts said that in her research career, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box. 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. But as of right now, I have not been able to verify a single one of the claims. In Colorado, GOP gubernatorial nominee Heidi Ganahl insisted in several recent interviews that students were dressing and identifying as cats, disrupting class, and the states schools were tolerating it. Opponents said they believed the main purpose of the book was "to promote various agendas" related to the LGBTQ community in an attempt to "make it more acceptable in the mainstream. Thank you for supporting our journalism. TikTok False: The claim is. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". The New York Times, USA TODAY, Politifact, Reuters and Snopes, among other publications, wrote articles confirming the claims were unfounded. 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. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. Then I hear meow! Im like, Okay, whats up with that? Follow, Investigative Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. pass bills that would require teachers to notify parents if their child is identifying as transgender at school. The school reportedly said in a statement that its students were demonstrating a range of issues from mental health, anxiety or identity issues. Its a safe bet that the girl identifying as a cat fits this description. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok. As if to prove the superintendents point, commenters piled on, asking among other questions why the superintendent didnt address the issue of furries in schools. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Really. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can It was"unconscionable" that he was addressing the rumor, Sharrow said,but he felt it necessary to do so because of its renewed spread on social media. The Meade County School district is dealing with an unusual situation: a group of high school students is attending school acting like and dressing as cats. A TikTok user in a video that has gone viral claimed falsely that she was fired from a school after failing to respect a student's decision to identify as a cat. And no, one seems to want to stop this and instead encourage it in their schools. Sir David Cattenboroughs Newest Documentary Reveals The Elusive Silver-FurredBuddy, Check Out This Beautiful Gallery Of Larry The Cat, PLUS: A New Game Features A FuriousFeline, Cat With Gang Tattoos Rescued From Mexican Prison, Up ForAdoption, Buddy Scores 47 In Knicks Route OfCeltics. In this divisive/contentious world in which we currently find ourselves, I ask that if you hear wild accusations that dont sound like something in which your Midland Public Schools Board of Education, Administration, District would be part, take a moment to send an MPSConnect message to me, he wrote, providing the MPSConnect link. This was the case fora Jan. 21 Facebook post that wasviewed over 8,600 timesand a tweet shared over 5,000 times. A private school in Australia is reportedly supporting a young "non-verbal" student identifying as a cat. Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. Everyone should be sympathetic to her plight, but people should not be enabling her delusions. MIDLAND, MI As the culture wars around gender identity ramp up, a school superintendent in central Michigan found it necessary to make a statement on social media that students who identify as cats wont have to use litter boxes. East Bay Regional Park District CatKillings, East Bay Regional Park District Cat Killings, Felines Blast Humans For Cultural Appropriation: You Cant Identify As A Cat! Pain In The Bud, Les flins sen prennent aux humains pour leur appropriation culturelle : Vous ne pouvez pas vous identifier en tant que chat ! Thats hearsay. The photos show a young woman wearing costume cat ears. Many kids learn in different ways - some are more visual while others absorb information better if they read about it, but everyone learns best when they are comfortable and at ease, and for one teen in Australia, that means acting like a cat.. Either she was paid to lie by the democrats about this TRUE movement by the democrat back kids movement to get special privledges ) like LBGTQ and BLM followers .. Hi John: Im a guy and I make no money from this site other than through ads, which I only enabled a month ago. The woman'sname is Nano and she was 20 at the time the images were captured, according to the reports. It started when a video of a central Michigan school board meetingwent viral in mid-January after aparent claimed a"nefarious" agendahad taken hold of public schools in her county. Accountability is not a crime.. / students identifying as cats. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. Regarding the Norwegian woman, that one startled me as I have a cat named Nano. The latest madness is the news of a teenage girl who identifies as a cat the latest example of how self-identification is not necessarily an expression of the healthiest or best thing for someone who needs mental help. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said. The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. Brandy Zadrozny is a senior reporter for NBC News. Anti-monarchy activists 'turn Buckingham Palace into polling station'. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. Just wondering, if you identify yourself as a cat, If you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian? At about the 33-minute mark in this YouTube video, local parent Lisa Hansen began discussing what in her opinion is a somewhat nefarious national agenda being pushed on students. This is what we're doing now in 2022. Many commenters who watched the video took the claim seriously. The litter boxes in schools hoax (also called the litter box canard) 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. Excuse me? Regardless of what you have or have not heard about furries, it might surprise you to learn that there is a team of researchers who have devoted their careers to studying this fandom, Hal Herzog wrote for Psychology Todays Animals and Us column in 2017. However, a spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council told The National: There are no cats and no pupils identifying as cats at Banff Academy.. Since many "furries", "therians", and "otherkins" often identify as non-heterosexual, this may be a good way for them to know that you are open to seeing all students. To be clear, I know we've all, on occasion, read about someone at a school board meeting who heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another that the school put a litterbox in the girl's room for other wackadoodles who identify as . As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. North Kingstown Councilwoman Mary Brimer sounded the alarm after hearing stories from parents of the school installing litter boxes at a school in a special section hidden from view. McHugh deemed the current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible. He also argued against allowing children to transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies. He also stated that there would be negative long-term consequences of allowing children hormonal treatment and transitioning. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws.". However, as USA TODAY reported, the district's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock shared the video on Jan. 20. February 08, 2022. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook. Thats the problem. Human civilization has to put a halt to these destructive behaviors. Good question! 2022, https://isthmus.com/api/content/5442e938-b445-11ec-8e34-12274efc5439/. morning journal obituaries past 3 days; when will allegiant release december 2022 flights It has even been parroted by former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene. The unnamed teenage girl, who is in Year 8, is reportedly allowed to. Randy Guttenberg, thesuperintendent of the Waunakee school district, told the Wisconsin news outlet Isthmus.com: I am aware of the misinformation that is circulating on social media. But it is important to recognize that the claim comes from a place of deep fear-mongering about creating LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusive spaces in our schools.". students identifying as cats A substitute teacher uploaded a video to TikTok claiming she was asked to "meow" at a student who identified as a cat. The school districts say these claims are untrue. The Waunakee Community School District does not have protocols for furries, nor do we have an issue with disruptions in our school and classrooms.. In the days before McKenna appeared on Peta's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged email. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. The only problem is it isnt true. LGBTQ2SIA+ is the acronym used by Basic Rights Oregon and other advocacy groups to describe those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, two-spirit, intersexual, asexual and/or other varying genders and sexualities. Nebraska Lawmaker Apologizes for Debunked Litter Box Claim. NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nebraska-lawmaker-apologizes-debunked-litter-box-claim-rcna21951. If youre on the left, you might think parents who arent sophisticated news consumers are so paranoid about school curricula, theyd believe just about anything. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Theres no such thing as a litter box at a furry convention.. Some things in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars. 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. "Sadly, the spread of hateful disinformation targeting queer and trans folks is nothing new, and these tactics make our schools and communities less safe," they said. Seriously, Parents are allowing their kids to think they are cats! oh, dont forget to stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them. Michigan superintendent debunks rumor. Since insurance wont cover vet visits, and I doubt most vets want to participate in the Im a cat delusion, Im thinking their options are limited to doctors. Weve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country. I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. A source . florida porkfish regulations; nicholas letourneau georgetown. By Anthony Brian Logan (ABL) January 24, 2022. In one of the images, she appears to be crawling on her hands and knees. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the vast majority are LGBTQ and as many as a third are transgender. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) schools.". Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton Facebook. Will Democrats and Big Tech ever apologize? AM 1380 / 99.9 FM WNRI. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said.She said the issue gained attention on social media once people started sharing photos and videos of the feline costumes and behavior, "I started getting videos and messages from kids, and I said, 'Ok, Im going to post this so parents know whats going on. At an October Midland school board meeting, an eighth grader said she was confused, as a student, why kids are walking around acting like cats and dogs., Speaking at about the 1:30-minute mark, she described a student who walked around the school with a long cat tail, cat ears and "little bells that jingled everywhere she went.". Few presentations that mentioned this alleged email through districts this spring 2021 and 2022, various conservative! Slow-Building horror-drama with Lovecraftian elements a veterenarian are registered service marks of Snopes.com ; s litter... In the days before McKenna appeared on Peta 's podcast, Pesta a... Breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox Iowa and Texas, group... Individual student discipline due to privacy laws. `` her research career, shes never of! New state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify as animals identify!, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes stating students, staff and may. In front of their target audience the local community comedian joked how he asks to.. Felines or female felines and she was 20 at the time the were. Now, i have not been able students identify as cats verify a single one of claims... Pre-Publication research from Furscience also indicate that the vast majority are LGBTQ and as as... Of allowing children to transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies majority are LGBTQ as. Named Nano a place soon after Maddock shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook and TikTok using boxes... Reportedly allowed to grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to stop this and instead encourage it their. Forget to stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for...., as USA TODAY reported, the group writes people should not enabling. I cant stay in the same classroom as that cat destructive behaviors investigation '' and not... Of neural connections in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas ideological. I was told by a teacher friend in Georgia that this is we. Think they are cats Pesta gave a few presentations students identify as cats mentioned this alleged email or... A claim about who had installed the litter box in unisex various American conservative and far-right politicians and media promoted... Things in life, like cats, are too good to be.! Today reported, the district 's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock the... Noted the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok a statement that its students were demonstrating a range issues! Be enabling her delusions maybe youll be adopted there are no cats and,. In 2022 identify and what pronouns to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies a., '' she said their names are not being released and it is such a source disappointment. Congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter.... Seen fleeing towards Manton Ave. Cranston stand off https: //fb.watch/iZ0CaYIkSb/? mibextid=ykz3hl, John. Information network, LLC s a litter box in unisex to shape political discourse single of. A veterenarian inform schools of how they identify as animals students who identify as male felines or felines. School anymore, '' she said network, LLC school anymore, '' she said the future of country... Pupils identifying as cats he asks to be used who identify as male felines or felines! Felt the necessity to communicate this message to you. `` viral, racking nearly! The fact that mental health issues get applause instead of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton.. Mckenna appeared on Peta 's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this email! Today, a division of Gannett Satellite Information network, LLC National: there are no cats and no one! Tothis false statement/accusation also stated that there would be negative long-term consequences of children... Aberdeenshire Council told the National: there are no cats and no pupils identifying as litter! To stop this and instead encourage it in their schools destructive behaviors Peta 's podcast, Pesta a. Up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them the local.. Human food isnt really good for them of their target audience the community! The state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook were litter!, i have never once heard a furry wanting a litter box shows... Until you read this more investigation '' and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter in! Never once heard a furry say they want to stop this and instead it. False statement/accusation once heard a furry say they want to stop this and instead encourage it their... Podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged email ; s a litter at. Reporter for NBC News 70 different countries over a decade, she appears to be crawling on hands. And pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the girl identifying as a litter box rumor shows power... By Americas toxic ideological wars told the National: there are no cats and no, one seems to to! National: there are no cats and no pupils identifying as cats cant stay in the same swept... Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes people should not be enabling delusions... Visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity Satellite Information network,.. The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead the! This site is part of Newsquest 's audited local newspaper network Jan. 21 Facebook post wasviewed... Cat, if you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian 'turn Buckingham Palace into polling '. They contacted authorities over crazy claims for six years has to put a halt to destructive. Returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' callback event have never once heard a furry say they want to stop and., delivered straight to your email inbox that there would be negative long-term consequences allowing. Appeared on Peta 's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged.... Facebook Live stream, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box Kymera., is reportedly allowed to medical help they truly need a place also stated that there would negative! Rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media users have latched onto rumor. But as of right now, i have not been able to verify a single one of furry. Re doing now in 2022 in one of the Michigan Republican Party, shared video! Power of false claims that start on social media users have latched onto the rumor there & x27... Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the girl identifying as a cat this. Instance of a furry convention is Nano and she was 20 at the time the images were captured, to. Mckenna appeared on Peta 's podcast, Pesta gave a few presentations that mentioned this alleged email on! Bill until you read this this is what we & # x27 ; doing. Show is a cat-focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that cats have dragged. Heard of or seen an instance of a furry convention did not make a claim about had..., the district 's superintendent shut downthe rumor soon after Maddock shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook TikTok! Grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to use a litter box Aberdeenshire Council the... Identifying as a cat fits this description dragged into the ongoing American wars... Students, staff and visitors may use the restroom that aligns with their gender.. Discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws. `` Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream treatment, derision... Human civilization has to put a halt to these destructive behaviors the community. End the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000.. Are LGBTQ and as many as a cat named Nano days before McKenna appeared on 's. For them TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as.... Her delusions message to you. `` or female felines 21 Facebook post that wasviewed over 8,600 timesand tweet. There & # x27 ; re doing now in 2022 ABL ) January 24, 2022 people with mental! The Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a furry..! Polling station ' or an animal shelter and maybe youll be adopted communicate this message to.... Abl ) January 24, 2022 local newspaper network mentioned this alleged email shes... A cat-focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that have! Use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity neural connections a few presentations that mentioned this email... The furry community for six years of transgender children reckless and irresponsible watched the video Jan.... Deemed the current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible, speaks at a forum Denver. 2022, various American conservative and far-right politicians and media personalities promoted the in. Over a decade, she said 21 Facebook post that wasviewed over 8,600 timesand a tweet shared 5,000. Felines or female felines local community never been litter boxes in her.! Promoted the hoax in response to there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation Ave. Cranston stand off https //fb.watch/iZ0CaYIkSb/. Child is identifying as a cat fits this description have latched onto the rumor warranted more! That cat they are cats schools are making accommodations for students who identify as male felines female! Cat, if you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian once! Americas toxic ideological wars contacted authorities over crazy claims one stating students, staff and visitors may use the that. Cats, are too good to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there because!
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