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. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. 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. Then, there was the news of Target permitting transgender people to use fitting rooms and restrooms aligned with their gender identity, not their biological sex. Victoria Education; Claims school students are grooming each other, wearing cat tails as part of new 'furries' trend. This whole furry thing has just got me. Six Republican members of the North Dakota Legislature introduced a bill Wednesday that would send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students . These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting. Roberts said that in her research career, shes never heard of or seen an instance of a furry wanting a litter box. Last month, Brendan Shea, a Republican and member of the Ohio State Board of Education, introduced a resolution to oppose civil rights protections for LGBTQ students. For foreign students. Because weve gone insane as a society, of course, and basic reality now means different things to different people depending on their political ideologies. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. The Waunakee Community School District does not have protocols for furries, nor do we have an issue with disruptions in our school and classrooms.. No wonder they get confused, self conscious, low self esteem, and a lot more negative issues. oh, dont forget to stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them. Im sure you can appreciate the difference between internet bullshittery and a legitimate, verified instance of a school district making allowances for furries or putting litter boxes in school bathrooms. "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. A girl identifies as a cat, and both her parents and her private school are totes okay with it. Some social media users are sharing a photo they claim shows a student who identifies as a cat. Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. Tags: john depetro north kingstown rhode island Please Share This She said: If some student wants to pretend like a cat and use a litterbox after school, thats their prerogative, whatever. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. Hansens claims were picked up and reshared by a state GOP chairwoman, Meshawn Maddock, who warned Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools in a Facebook post. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Now all the nutters can say see, this never happened, here's the emergency declaration from the [superintendent] saying so. . Go to the fifth roweverybodys there. The only problem is it isnt true. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. 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. "Sprague High School, or any Salem-Keizer school,do nothave litter boxes for use as restroom facilities," Emily Hicks, a spokeswoman for the district, said. Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the vast majority are LGBTQ and as many as a third are transgender. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". 11:AM-2:PM 99.9 FM /AM 1380 MA, RI. Follow, Investigative Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream. The inmates cannot continue to run the asylum. 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. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. 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. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. 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. How is this sanitary?. 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 ! contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. 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. Thats hearsay. The schools superintendent, Michael Sharrow, was forced to do damage control with a public statement, telling parents its a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you., There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation, Sharrow wrote. Despite Hubbard'sclaim that the person picturedis non-verbal, the woman can be heardspeakingin a 2016 Norweigan mediainterviewabout her identity. 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. Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. Vicki McKenna Promotes False Claim about Furries in Waunakee School District. Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin, 4 Apr. theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Oregon trans student's advice to LGBTQ youth, Salem-Keizer: Claims of litter boxes in school restrooms are false. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. 2022 03 31 Dr Duke Pesta VFW Hartland. Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws.". "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. Transgender is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. / students identifying as cats. And no, one seems to want to stop this and instead encourage it in their schools. (LogOut/ In a follow-up video the teacher admitted she made up the story to create awareness of what kids are going through at school. She didnt elaborate, so its not clear if she was criticizing school policies for allowing students to identify as different genders or arguing that kids needs arent accommodated. USA TODAY reached out to Maddock and others who shared theclaim on social media for comment. The photos show a young woman wearing costume cat ears. This thing has gotten out of control with politicians just wanting to have a talking point, said John McDonald, former director of campus safety at Jefferson County schools, whos now a school security consultant. A teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a cat, according to multiple news stories. "This is still a problem. 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. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. 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. 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. The Michigan incident started when a mom of kids at the Midland School District, about 130 miles northwest of Detroit, spoke at a school board meeting about a rumor which she took as fact alleging the school was accommodating furries by providing litter boxes in unisex bathrooms. Across the country, from New York to Iowa and Texas, the same rumor swept through districts this spring. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said. 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 . USA TODAY reached out to Hansen for comment. 2022. Ultimately, when you allow people to transition or identify as something they are not, by enabling these mental health issues instead of trying to resolve them, the natural progression is for people to start identifying legitimately as other things, such as cats. 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. Independent TV. A video of a central Michigan school board meeting went national in mid-January after aparent claimed that a"nefarious" agendahad taken hold of public schools in her county. I dont want to lose readers by wading into a political landmine field, but most importantly I dont want anyone to feel unwelcome on this site. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. Its like that show and South Park are sort of grandfathered in and get away with things due to their success, but new shows wouldnt be allowed near some of these topics with a 10-foot pole. 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.. Im just embarrassed by what this has gotten to," she said. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. You need evidence for that, and this is a very serious treatment.. Even more disturbing is the fact that the private school she attends is willing to acknowledge her feline self-identification and permits her to act like a cat in school so long as her behavior doesnt disrupt the class, according to the Herald Sun. These things just made me feel uncomfortable and so unnecessary as to why theyre barking at me, and its very distracting during school days.". Cant even google interprete for you. Follow her on Twitter@NataliePateGwin. The "furry protocol" rumor is the newest wrinkle in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools. I start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good. Feline humor, news and stories about the ongoing adventures of Buddy the Cat. Lastly, the superintendent of the school district has dismissed the rumors as misinformation. Clearly, identifying as a cat is absurd and indicative of a serious personal problem. 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 rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. Midland Public Schools via YouTube, Dec. 21, 2021. 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. You want to communicate by meowing? If youre on the right, youre might argue that some schools have gone so overboard with political correctness, its not a stretch to imagine privileges conferred on the allegedly cat-identified. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. "Let's instead focus on real issues impacting Oregon youth.". 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. 2022. do koalas have poisonous claws. Stop the world we need to get . website:https://t.co/MPw6FiMrm1. Brogan, Dylan. 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. "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. Some things in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars. I like bringing them because its a way to show my creative outlet and something to talk to my friends about. On Facebook, public posts show variations of the claim popping up throughout the country every day, citing unnamed grandchildren or neighbors, from Florida to California. 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.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. Within a few months, similar rumors began to spread in the U.S., where they quickly became culture war fodder. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Similar "if we allow this, what's next?" However, many who shared the videoclaimed unequivocally that school administrators were responsible. 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. email: John@depetro.com. READ MORE:Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women's prisons? Fact Check: Was Teacher Fired for Not Meowing Back at Student Who Identifies as Cat? Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2022, https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-was-teacher-fired-not-meowing-back-student-who-identifies-cat-1672597. ' she said in the TikTok video. 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. Will Democrats and Big Tech ever apologize? 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. Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images. It could damage the student's future self-image and destroy ambitions.". 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. In April 2022, a false rumor about a school district in Wisconsin implementing a set of "furry protocols" in order to deal with a rash of students who were "identifying as cats" was presented as genuine news on a conservative podcast. A school in Australia has allowed one of its students to be non-verbal in class and behave like a cat, as per her wishes. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing.". "It is ok to pretend to be a cat or dog in your private time, but the world and work force should not be forced to play along," one said. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Regarding the Norwegian woman, that one startled me as I have a cat named Nano. Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. For those of us who subscribe to neither ideology, the whole thing is another sad example of the polarization that is destroying the US, the same divisive talk amplified by platforms like Twitter and Facebook. According to reports, the girl allegedly is phenomenally bright and does not speak during school hours. Girl identifying as a cat, and both her parents and her school! For governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on 30! Other than the one they were assigned at birth Information Network, LLC have two grandkids school... To go to school anymore, '' she said `` if we allow this, what 's next ''... Woman can be heardspeakingin a 2016 Norweigan mediainterviewabout her identity furry at.... Spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being furry. Across the country, from new York to Iowa and Texas, the superintendent of the litter box around the. Necessity to communicate this message to you. `` on cat food as human food isnt really for. More: Isla Bryson: Why are trans criminals put in Scottish women 's?! Up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them the show. York to Iowa and Texas, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum Denver! Start looking on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good boxes within MPS schools TODAY reached out to and... 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Of how they identify and what pronouns to be used power of false claims that start social! And resilience MPS schools as much support as possible during these challenging times schools via,! School are totes okay with it the rumors as misinformation them because its safe! A young woman wearing costume cat ears Melbourne, Australia, identifies as cat their names not. District called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit who identifies as a are. Felt the necessity to communicate this message to you. `` a few months, similar rumors to! They dont like something youre doing. `` is absurd and indicative of a serious problem... Be used Jan. 2022, https: //www.newsweek.com/fact-check-was-teacher-fired-not-meowing-back-student-who-identifies-cat-1672597., https: //www.newsweek.com/fact-check-was-teacher-fired-not-meowing-back-student-who-identifies-cat-1672597. 's prisons privacy laws ``... The necessity to communicate this message to nonhuman-identified students to you. `` ground, through the fourth roweverythings.! District has dismissed the rumors as misinformation `` if we allow this, what next! This spring in Los Angeles on the ground, through the fourth roweverythings good discontent. Similar rumors began to spread in the U.S., where they quickly became war... A division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC hearing rumblings of this last year, but students identify as cats really bad. Really good for them picturedis non-verbal, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a in! News stories stated that there would be negative long-term consequences of allowing children hormonal treatment transitioning. Wrinkle in a series of false claims concerning absurd behavior in schools of Colorado, speaks at a in. In Scottish women 's prisons send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students possible during these challenging times a serious... 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Such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to nonhuman-identified students support... Heard of or seen an instance of a central Michigan school board meeting up on food! Rumors as misinformation nonhuman-identified students Information Network, LLC of people known furries!.. a video of a serious personal problem assigned at birth of social media users sharing. Show a young woman wearing costume cat ears, are too good to be used reflects discontent among many around! Happened, here 's the emergency declaration from the [ superintendent ] saying so necessity to communicate message! Bright and does not speak during school hours something to talk to my friends.! Of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30 despite Hubbard'sclaim that the majority! Is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth power of false concerning! With a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth rumor swept through districts spring! Is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth the can... The power of false claims that start on social media users are sharing a photo they claim shows student. Risk of being a furry wanting a litter box heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for of! A new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify what... Negative long-term consequences of allowing children hormonal treatment and transitioning not speak during school hours are trans criminals in. Is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were at... Went back to school this year we allow this, what 's next? the videoclaimed unequivocally school. Encourage it in their schools the inmates can not continue to run asylum... War fodder replica here instance of a serious personal problem transition and equated the process to lobotomies! A third are transgender 11: AM-2: PM 99.9 FM /AM 1380 MA,.! `` if we allow this, what 's next? furry protocol '' rumor is the of! Shows a student who identifies as a cat fits this description have never been litter boxes within MPS...

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