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. In April, three Republican lawmakers in Minnesota took turns during floor debate discussing rumors theyd heard about children identifying as cats at school, cutting holes in uniforms for tails and possibly using litter boxes. I was told by a teacher friend in Georgia that this is true in her state as well. Independent TV. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2k85dOs_Y. HP10 9TY. Catalina Lauf, a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state. In January 2022, for example, unfounded rumors were circulated on social media claiming that a school in Michigan had installed litter boxes in order to appease students who had started identifying as cats. Please! 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. Transgender is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. 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. These things just made me feel uncomfortable and so unnecessary as to why theyre barking at me, and its very distracting during school days.". (LogOut/ As usual, left-wing ideologues have created larger societal problems by refusing to address the main issue. '"The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. The fandom is centered around an interest in anthropomorphism, or human characteristics given to animals, according to Sharon Roberts, co-founder of a furry research group called Furscience. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please "Unbelievable.". Special access for subscribers! Accessed 5 Apr. 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. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. morning journal obituaries past 3 days; when will allegiant release december 2022 flights 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. 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. 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 "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. "I heard that at least one of our schools, in our town, has, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats I am really upset, as a parent, that my child is put in an environment like that.". Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks, Fact Check-Photographs do not show a U.S. student who wanted to identify as a cat, Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats, Fact check: Wisconsin school district debunks claim that it has a 'furry protocol', 20-Year-Old Woman Claims She Is A Cat Born In The Wrong Body, Born in the wrong species // Fdt i feil art, 'I was born in the wrong species': Woman who says she's a CAT trapped in a human body hisses at dogs, hates water and claims she can even see better at night. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. 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. Please report any comments that break our rules. 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. Woman who thinks she's a cat trapped in a human body 'hisses at dogs' and has tried to catch mice. 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. Because weve gone insane as a society, of course, and basic reality now means different things to different people depending on their political ideologies. ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. Netflix's new show is a slow-building horror-drama with Lovecraftian elements. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? 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. Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claimthat a Michigan school put litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats. Roberts also noted that the vast majority of furries characters are wild or mythical animals, who wouldnt use a litter box in the first place. 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. And um, I am really disturbed by that., Furry is an evolving word once exclusively used as an adjective meaning consisting of fur, according to Merriam-Webster, but now can be used to describe people who have a keen interest in, or even dress up as, anthropomorphic animal characters, like those often seen in comics, games and cartoons.. The claim: A Michigan school put litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats A video of a central Michigan school board meeting went national in mid-January after a parent. 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. Description. This site is about cats, and I want everyone who loves cats to feel welcome here. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding COVID. The photos show aNorweigan woman who was the subject of multiple media reports in 2016 when she claimed to be a cat trapped in a human's body. Many of these assertions claim that schools have or are in the process of having litter boxes placed in 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. Despite Hubbard'sclaim that the person picturedis non-verbal, the woman can be heardspeakingin a 2016 Norweigan mediainterviewabout her identity. February 27, 2023 . 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. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can 2022. Ive actually made new friends at school because of it, Dayna said in an email. students identifying 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. But this story is real. The trend isnt new, but has recently been popularized on social media. It started when a video of a central Michigan school board meeting went viral in mid-January after a parent claimed a "nefarious . There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Then I hear meow! Im like, Okay, whats up with that? Psychologists say furries arent the deviants theyre sometimes represented to be. "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. WATCH LIVE: Merrick Garland testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee. Top image: A 20-year-old Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat. Any cats involved? Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. 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. In one of the images, she appears to be crawling on her hands and knees. At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify as cats. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the state Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated comment on Facebook. Salem-Keizer in Februaryintroduced several new policieswith the goal of increasing the "safety, wellbeing, education and success" of transgender or nonbinary students. 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. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Why did people believe them? The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. I have two grandkids in school and my grandkids didnt want to go to school anymore," she said. 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. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Stop the world we need to get . [Doctors] dont have evidence that [the treatment] will be the right one, McHugh said in 2019. 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. Lisa Hansen asked other parents to join her to do some investigating into the policy, 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, Hansen told the Midland school board. How is this sanitary?. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . 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. Be supportive of students who share their differences. There are websites that claim there is a catgender movement, but that is a different thing. However, a spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council told The National: There are no cats and no pupils identifying as cats at Banff Academy.. 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. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. Pain In The Bud, FurryGate: Rogan, Boebert, Greene Drag Cats Into Politics With Claims Of Litter Boxes In Schools Pain In The Bud. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. room for rent in reykjavik long term. 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 . Under a new state diversity policy, students may inform schools of how they identify and what pronouns to be used. child/dog. Yesterday I heard something, and I was stunned, and today I am equally stunned and a little bit upset. arguments have been used throughout history, such as comparing interracial and homosexual relationships to bestiality and pedophilia. Of local interest, Hansen insisted, are policies that she claims accommodate students who identify as furries, or cats and dogs. Furscience, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture. Did a Michigan School District Install Litter Boxes in Bathrooms? Snopes.Com, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/litter-boxes-bathrooms/. Last January, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools in Michigan was forced to address community members on Facebook after the rumour took hold locally. This whole furry thing has just got me. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. She said: If some student wants to pretend like a cat and use a litterbox after school, thats their prerogative, whatever. Happy birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more! I dont take a political position and will not, as its important for all cat lovers to feel comfortable reading the site and participating in discussions. No, Furries Dont Get Litter Boxes in School Bathrooms. Poynter, 8 Mar. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. I understand WHY my daughter home schooled our grandchildren.". The story was picked up by several widely-read sites, included in Tucker Carlsons daily newsletter, and reshared on prominent Twitter accounts in addition to going viral on Facebook. These situations have been addressed consistently by administration and the dress code policy will continue to be implemented with fidelity. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. Lets get that debate started! Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! But the vast majority of them still identify as humans, while sometimes adopting an animal-like persona and engaging in short-term roleplay, according to furries and experts, one of whom noted that there are no litter boxes at furry conventions. Theres no such thing as a litter box at a furry convention.. "Furries" roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. / students identifying as cats. 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. 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. We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The grandmother said a petition to end the practice was created by students and has more than 1,000 signatures. 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? 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. Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. 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. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to NBC News found one example of a school district keeping cat litter on campuses for students to use but it had nothing to do with accommodating children who identify as animals. Send comments, questions and tips to her [email protected] 503-399-6745. Thats hearsay. 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. An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. 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. The rumour alleged that pupils at Banff Academy were identifying as cats. 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. Accountability is not a crime.. 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. Call in 401-766-1380.John DePetro The Independent Man. "The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. Other students felt threatened by the furries, who would hiss at you and scratch at you if they dont like something youre doing, the report said. The spread of false rumors about students identifying as cats and using litter boxes has been laughed off by many but is a point of concern for others. He is going on 16 years old this year, and has been with us a long time. 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. 2022. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.
True Crime Trivia Facts,
How To Decline An Internal Job Offer,
Articles S
