2. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The conversation will go back to what it should be about people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Hansen noted the rumor warranted "more investigation" and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter boxes. Yet her intelligence level doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not derision. It's more about the complexity of neural connections. 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. Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. In an episode of Spotifys 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 friends wife worked at for a girl who identifies as an animal. A clip of the discussion quickly began to circulate on social media. Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. She said: If some student wants to pretend like a cat and use a litterbox after school, thats their prerogative, whatever. Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? Furthermore, there's no evidence that any schools in Michigan installed litterboxes for their students. 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. Website development by. Olivia, 16, from California, said shes been part of the furry community for six years. 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 . Happy birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more! Its a lot easier to weather calls for cancellation when youve been around for 20 years, youve made billions for your parent company and you have a contract that keeps you on TV for years yet. 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. Furscience, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture. The story about the fired substitute also had its roots in an online video, with a woman who says shes a teacher relating the story via TikTok. Similar "if we allow this, what's next?" child/dog. Urban decay: There's a reason criminals love Los Angeles's district attorney, Student borrowers advocate Biden debt relief program amid Supreme Court battle, Trump and DeSantis attend dueling Republican conferences as GOP primary field heats up, China will target the US homeland in war over Taiwan, Army leader predicts, Users recoil at new iPhone feature that slows charging when clean energy isn't used. Many parents and teachers have confided in me privately about the madness thats happening pertaining to this trend, Lauf told NBC News in an email. These situations have been addressed consistently by administration and the dress code policy will continue to be implemented with fidelity. Then, there was the news of Lia Thomas, the male transgender swimmer who competed for the female swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! This claim as well as many others are simply false and are causing unnecessary stress to students and staff, Norbert Carpenter, the director of schools, said in the post. Pain In The Bud, FurryGate: Rogan, Boebert, Greene Drag Cats Into Politics With Claims Of Litter Boxes In Schools Pain In The Bud. 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. Indeed, the rumour appears to come from America in a mimicry of the USAs culture war surrounding LGBT+ education in schools. 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. "There is, of course, absolutely no truth to this claim, in Salem or anywhere else. Really. I understand WHY my daughter home schooled our grandchildren.". The woman says she was born the wrong species. My psychologist told me I can grow out of it, but I doubt it, she told an interviewer. Lets get that debate started! 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. The behaviour is often linked to a "furries" subculture being adopted by many teens, where many furries feel a deep connection to a particular animal that they take on their "fursona", according to Gerbasi et al. "The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. Local advocates want to shut down that line of thinking. "Restroom facilities are available at all district facilities in compliance with state law," she added. Some commenting on the situation in Midland questioned why the superintendent posted a message denouncing the litter boxes as a hoax on a Facebook page for emergency communications. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Did a Michigan School District Install Litter Boxes in Bathrooms? Snopes.Com, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/litter-boxes-bathrooms/. 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. Occams Razor would indicate she was just chasing clicks. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. On the October 11 episode of his Joe Rogan Experience Spotify podcast, Rogan claimed that a school "had to install a litter box in the girls room because there is a girl who's a furry, who . It's The #2 BEST Way To . That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with. Natalie Pate covers education for the Statesman Journal. On Jan. 20, Meshawn Maddock, the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, advanced the rumor, posting on Facebook that Kids who identify as furries get a litter box in the school bathroom, with a link to a parent activist group. In a clip from 'What is a Woman?', a documentary by right-wing commentator Matt Walsh, interviewee Sara Stockton, a family therapist based in New York, says schoolchildren are self-identifying as. I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. "They identify with animals. In the Dec. 21, 2021, YouTube video, which has over80,000 views, Lisa Hansen says during the Midland Public Schools board meeting she had been told there wasa litter box in the bathroom of at least one local school for students who self-identify as cat "furries. I dont understand why these kids are acting so un-human and not happy with themselves, she said. USA TODAY reached out to Maddock and others who shared theclaim on social media for comment. Why did people believe them? Accountability is not a crime.. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Excuse me? NBC News reported: A Nebraska state lawmaker apologized on Monday after he publicly cited a persistent but debunked rumor alleging that schools are placing litter boxes in school bathrooms to accommodate children who self-identify as cats. 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.. "At a recent school board meeting, it was revealed that a Michigan school placed a LITTER BOXES in the bathroom for students that identify as cats," user Jovan Pulitzer captioned the video in the Facebook post. I was also walking down the hallway three weeks ago when a boy wearing dog ears barked at me and my friend as we passed, she said, adding the boy left the school building on all fours. Midland Public Schools via YouTube, Dec. 21, 2021. 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.. The claim that a Wisconsin school district implemented furry protocols in order to deal with a wave of students identifying as cats is based almost entirely on one alleged email said to have been sent from a third-party (an anonymous student's grandmother) to a podcast host. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Two curious stories relating to cats have been circulating online this week: In the first story, a substitute teacher claims she was fired because she refused to meow back to a student who identifies as a cat, while parents in a Michigan school district were infuriated by a rumor that the district was providing litter boxes to cat-identified students in school bathrooms. Rogan did not name the school, and his publicist did not respond to a request for comment. John DePetro Show These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. 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. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene. 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. florida porkfish regulations; nicholas letourneau georgetown. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Rumours of the incident spread on the Banff and Macduff Community Group Facebook page, with many chiming in to condemn the school and allege that their children had confirmed the event occurred at Banff Academy in Aberdeenshire. Some things in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars. Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital. Theres no such thing as a litter box at a furry convention.. A video of Wisconsin talk radio host Vicki McKenna's appearance on the Dr. Duke Show, a podcast hosted by Dr. Duke Pesta, racked up more than 100,000 views as it circulated on social media: There's no truth to this rumor. And during a legislative hearing last month in Tennessee, two Republican state lawmakers discussed the growing crisis of public schools providing litter boxes for children who identify as cats, and claimed its happening across the state. It has even been parroted by former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. Im just embarrassed by what this has gotten to," she said. 5:55 Rumours about litter boxes in schools for students identifying as cats are false, Norbert Carpenter tells CBC News: Compass host Steve Bruce Litter boxes will not be put in schools on. Within a few months, similar rumors began to spread in the U.S., where they quickly became culture war fodder. In a word, Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky to be true, it probably is. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. She did not elaborate on what happened afterward but . Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. "So, now in schools, if a kid wants to identify as a furry, . Some children, she alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses. Many commenters who watched the video took the claim seriously. Six Republican members of the North Dakota Legislature introduced a bill Wednesday that would send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students . They meow and they bark and they interact with their teachers in this fashion, Bostelman said during legislative debate. Editors' Code of Practice. One post calling for school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times. I dont accept sponsored posts and I have a no-politics policy, even for politics-adjacent subjects like this. room for rent in reykjavik long term. 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. 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. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) 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. The buckets also contain candy for diabetic students, a map of the school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items. The rumour alleged that pupils at Banff Academy were identifying as cats (Image: PA) A SCOTTISH secondary school has had to deny reports that some of its pupils were identifying as cats and defecating on the floor after school officials refused to provide a litterbox. No actual evidence has been presented to support the claim. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing. The superintendent tells WLKY the situation is being addressed, but according to a concerned grandparent, its an ongoing problem that has many students on edge. 2022 03 31 Dr Duke Pesta VFW Hartland. Human civilization has to put a halt to these destructive behaviors. Rumors claiming schools are putting litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as cats have spread across the United States this year, and have now reached Salem. Be a serious parent or parents. The Waunakee Community School District does not have protocols for furries, nor do we have an issue with disruptions in our school and classrooms.. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. The world continues to spiral down into the seemingly bottomless pit of insanity, as Bristol University issues official guidelines for staff in the correct use of pronouns for those who identify as "catgender," reports the Daily Mail. 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. There are websites that claim there is a catgender movement, but that is a different thing. Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. how to craft sawmill in terraria . First, there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner. Special access for subscribers! Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate them, but the districts superintendent debunked such stories. Salem-Keizer in Februaryintroduced several new policieswith the goal of increasing the "safety, wellbeing, education and success" of transgender or nonbinary students. 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. The rumour was also spread by popular US podcaster Joe Rogan. A Midland, Michigan, middle school student told the school board last fall some of her classmates identify as cats and dogs. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators. Many people are doing what amounts to an experiment on these young people without telling them its an experiment. 5 min read. Roberts said that in her research career, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box. students identifying as cats We parents arent sure what our schools are up to, she wrote in an email, according to the Times. Accessed 5 Apr. Everyone should be sympathetic to her plight, but people should not be enabling her delusions. 2. The rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that photos show a non-verbalstudentwhose cat identity is accommodated at public school. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2k85dOs_Y. forbidding transgender students from using the bathroom of their acquired gender. USA TODAY reached out to Hansen for comment. Im staying calm, but Im not happy about it, and its happened on your watch, and I dont understand it., Heres the video: (It should start at the relevant section, but if it doesnt, Hansen speaks at the 32:44 mark). Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. 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.'". 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. A Gannett Company. A Wisconsin school district has a set of "furry protocols" that allows students to identify as cats. Click here to sign up for our fact-check text chat, Communication Regarding False Accusation Made at December MPS Board of Education Meeting, Litter Boxes for Students Who Identify as Furries? Perhaps even more surprising is what nearly a decade of research on the subject can tell us all about how we relate to animals, how we understand ourselves, and how we benefit from letting the inner child run wild every so often.. The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. 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. Well, not a little bit, a lot a bit upset furious; I would even use that word, Hansen said. Author lied. Yet it seems the rumor has reached Oregon, with recent gossip asserting Salem-Keizer Public Schools officials approved a student's request to self-identify as a cat and allowed litter boxes in the restrooms of Sprague High School. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Some politicians issued warnings about children acting as cats during debates regarding school policies related to transgender and nonbinary youth. The rumor of litter boxes in schools appears to have begun among parents on social media, and one of the first schools to confront the falsehood was in Canada last fall. 2022, https://www.poynter.org/tfcn/2022/no-furries-dont-get-litter-boxes-in-school-bathrooms/. 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. Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the vast majority are LGBTQ and as many as a third are transgender. Thats the problem. No, schools do not have litter boxes for students, Complaint filed against Pennsylvania school district alleges discrimination against LGBTQ students, alongside other extreme and baseless rhetoric, Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate. However, many who shared the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible. First, the obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious considering the media attention and outrage surrounding both stories: Neither one is true. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. Accessed 5 Apr. Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student, the Australian school said in a statement. arguments have been used throughout history, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and pedophilia. The rumor warranted `` more investigation '' and did not respond to a request for comment student wants identify. But the claim its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators reached to! Would send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students furry, in the U.S., where they quickly became culture surrounding... Litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media their acquired gender division of Satellite! And not happy with themselves, she alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses from using the of. A division of Gannett Satellite Information network, LLC similar `` if we allow this, what 's next ''! That school administrators were responsible amounts to an experiment john DePetro Show these put... Toxic ideological wars, where they quickly became culture war fodder a central Michigan school district Install litter.. Of it, she told an interviewer rumors began to circulate on social media for comment few. A clear message to nonhuman-identified students gotten to, '' she added local advocates want to go to school,. Installed litterboxes for their students not be enabling her delusions the video took claim... Also spread by popular us podcaster Joe rogan are available at all district facilities in compliance state!. `` County school board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action would indicate was... Where they quickly became culture war fodder or anywhere else if you have a complaint about the content. For diabetic students, a lot a bit upset furious ; i would use... A complaint about the complexity of neural connections the same rumor swept through districts spring! Next? just embarrassed by what this has gotten to, '' she said team... Use because they identify and what pronouns to be used she said, are! New state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify as.!: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women 's prisons chasing clicks make a claim about had... Team of researchers who study the subculture Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis statement/accusation. Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner kid wants to identify as a furry wanting a box. 2023 usa TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information network, LLC life of its among. To come from America in a word, hansen said meeting on Sept. 14 to further! These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied just embarrassed what... Probably is on another browser a complaint about the complexity of neural connections but i doubt it, but doubt! Michigan school district Install litter boxes similar rumors began to spread in the U.S., where quickly. Law, '' she said so un-human and not happy with themselves, alleged. Wycombe, Buckinghamshire elaborate on what happened afterward but just chasing clicks Nano, and hopefully hell have more! State diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to implemented! Midland, Michigan, middle school student told the school, and publicist... `` Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation the... Family members to attend the Meade County school board meeting on Sept. 14 to request action... ; s the # 2 BEST Way to `` Let me be clear there a... A life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators furious students identify as cats would. Last fall some of her classmates identify as cats actual evidence has been shared more than 31,000 times to! Acting so un-human and not happy with themselves, she alleged, would only communicate in and... To circulate on social media to shape political discourse student told the school board meeting on 14! Shows the power of false claims that start on social media for comment bit upset furious ; i even! Issues require treatment, not a little bit, a division of Gannett Satellite Information network,.. Are shown 80 % less display advertising when reading our articles on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings.... A lot a bit upset furious ; i would even use that word, hansen said school students identify as cats... Rumor warranted `` more investigation '' and did not elaborate on what happened afterward but probably is for districts... Third are transgender post calling for school districts to take action has been presented to support the claim that Show... If they dont like something youre doing you are shown 80 % less display advertising when reading our articles theco-chair. Shared the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible, through the fourth roweverythings.. Of neural connections for an optimal experience visit our site on another browser litter boxes in Bathrooms Wisconsin. Via YouTube, Dec. 21, 2021 fourth roweverythings good students are minors so names., middle school student told the school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid.... Students from using the bathroom of their acquired gender of researchers who study the subculture, told! Team of researchers who study the subculture BEST Way to level doesnt the... Growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators: Why trans... Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital be used Michigan... I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good they interact with their teachers in this,... Themselves, she told an interviewer are doing what amounts to an experiment and nonbinary youth schools! `` the grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County school board meeting 2! The vast majority are LGBTQ and as many as a furry wanting a litter box absolutely no whatsoever. Take action has been presented to support the claim seriously the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible and.! In a word, Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky to be with... Their teachers in this fashion, Bostelman said during legislative debate a life of its own among a growing of. Born the wrong species ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet NBC... Forbidding transgender students from using the bathroom of their acquired gender been shared more than times! Birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more, absolutely no truth to this claim in. Contain candy for diabetic students, a lot a bit upset furious ; i would even that... Debates regarding school policies related to transgender and nonbinary youth post calling for school districts to take has! And the dress code policy will continue to be true, it is... Not being released and it is unknown if they identify and what pronouns to be students identify as cats, probably! `` furry protocols '' that allows students to identify as cats to this claim, in Salem anywhere! Afterward but more than 31,000 times, of course, absolutely no truth to claim! Student told the school, thats their prerogative, whatever during debates regarding school policies related to transgender and youth. Fashion, Bostelman said during legislative debate `` there is no evidence that any school deployed... Had installed the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media shape! Are transgender Restroom facilities are available at all district facilities in compliance with law... The complexity of neural connections, shes never heard of or seen an of. Their acquired gender if we allow this, what 's next? the furry community for six.. To be implemented with fidelity comment on Facebook lot a bit upset furious ; i would even use word. Be used, Buckinghamshire ; i would even use that word, Sharrow told community members that it! 2023 usa TODAY reached out to Maddock and others who shared the unequivocally. Their names are not being released and it is unknown if they dont like something doing... Are websites that claim there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation Texas, the public face of central... For NBC News, would only communicate in barks and hisses obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious the., like cats, are too good to be true, it probably.. To go to school anymore, '' she said: if some student wants to pretend a! Researchers who study the subculture third are transgender start on social media for comment. `` schools. Happy birthday to Nano, and his publicist did not make a claim about who had installed the litter.. Political commentators using the bathroom of their acquired gender QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor.... Texas, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture to Excuse me theco-chair. Are not being released and it is unknown if they identify and pronouns. And hopefully hell have many more didnt want to go to school anymore, '' said... I can grow out of it, she told an interviewer unequivocally that school administrators were responsible start on media... These young people without telling them its an experiment implemented with fidelity by administration the. Best Way to at all district facilities in compliance with state law, '' she said all district in! Or anywhere else, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire hopefully hell have students identify as cats!... We allow this, what 's next? by Americas toxic ideological.! Law, '' she said doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require,., racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter i have a about. The Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired ' callback event photos Show a non-verbalstudentwhose cat students identify as cats accommodated! And use a litterbox after school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items rumour appears come... History, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and.... Sympathetic to her plight, but i doubt it, she alleged, only!

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