Changing Demographics: How Educators Expect Populations to Shift, How School Districts Can Benefit From Housing Partnerships, Academic Integrity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience-Aligned & Trauma-Informed Approaches to Supporting Students, Teachers & Staff, What Educators of Color Say It Will Take to Boost Their Numbers in School Leadership, Top Superintendents Detail the Toll of Divisive PoliticsAnd How They've Responded, How to Address System Change in Education. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. Family of transgender child in Texas speak out on Gov. One school district was accused of putting cat litter boxes in school bathrooms for students who identify as "furries," but the superintendent of Michigan's Midland . It takes hard work to avoid being unfairly judged as pushy, aggressive, or emotionalwhile still sticking to your principles. NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. She says being a furry is a fun hobby or fandom. A Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that a school provided litter boxes for students who identified as furries people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals. She covers misinformation, extremism and the internet. School board proposes banning furries after rumors of litter boxes in schools spread LGBTQNation 10/25/2022 Like 442 Comments | 778 A school board in North Carolina considered a. 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. In an Oct. 19, 2021, Facebook post, the Public Schools Branch of Prince Edward Island said that for several months it had fielded calls, been sent emails and been pointed to numerous social media posts that make broad sweeping assertions regarding students who identify as cats. Sometimes transmasc, nonbinary or transfur., Mick Pratt of Westbrook Facebook profile picture, The furry community is primed for trans people to explore new identities, she said. The increasing political nature of the rumors prompted the Grand Forks school district in North Dakota to establish a Rumor Has It page on its website, which debunks false information about the district providing litter boxes for students and teaching critical race theory. The inclusive nature of the furry fandom means that, for many furries, its a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. The fandom provides a social network for its members, and furries can benefit tremendously from these friendships. Heres what you need to know. In mass media, furries are usually associated with sexual fetishes, the website says, but the most-cited draw to the furry fandom is its sense of belongingness, recreation, and escape from the mundaneness of daily life.. Litter Boxes in Schools: How a Disruptive and Demeaning Hoax Frustrated School Leaders. The next day, the popular conservative Twitter account Libs of TikTok tweeted the video of Hansen at the school board meeting. But the Minnesota Republican isnt the only one whos helped spread the myth. The claim is a local school district is putting litter boxes in . It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff. Powers and his team posted a statement on the schools Twitter account refuting Bolducs claims. Members of the "furries" fantasy subculture tell The Post they're not wild about this week's viral rumor that a Michigan school put a litter box in one of its bathrooms for "the kids . I have seen dog bowls and giant straws used to feed furries at a restaurant, but this was an inside joke between a small local business and Anthrocon an annual furry convention held in Pittsburgh which brings millions of dollars to the local economy and raises thousands of dollars for animal-related charities. Its about expressing her femininity as a transgender woman, she said. Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? So, my parents were saying that a school board in Skowhegan, or, doesn't really matter, had a meeting to allow kids who identify as furries to defecate and pee in school. Why are we telling elementary kids that they get to choose their gender this week? For the most part, they do not. and litter boxes in schools . One of the female cat furries reportedly asked that a wooden litter box be made and placed in the bathroom. She says being a furry is "a fun . Some children, she alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses. The Jefferson County school district disputed Ganahls claims and said its dress code prohibits costumes at school. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Others wear partials. However, after years of research, information is now available to help correct the record. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. How George Santos got away with it (for now). Heres why. Already have a commenting profile? These are not the kinds of species that would use litter boxes, anyway. Bunny belongs to a community known as furries. Footage of her spurious accusation was subsequently shared to Facebook Thursday byMichigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, who wrote, Parent heroes will TAKE BACK our schools.. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. The kitty litter box hoax has spread so far and so fast it even has its own debunking wikipage, which claims the rumor is in response to schools enacting rights for transgender students. Me and my two brain cells figured that out, scoffed one critic. The second group has heard this same rumor at their own . School litter box fever will not die in Iowa. Well, all kinds of people go to conferences; sometimes they have sex there. It comes out of this worry on the part of the American public that their children are going to be educated in ways that are not approved by them, Galguera says. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The litter boxes in schools hoax (also called the litter box canard) [1] [2] 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. Now were going to talk about litter boxes and bathrooms and kids, thats what were talking about now? Pinkerton Academy Headmaster Tim Powers said. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. The page also provides information on relevant news items, such as how the district uses the H1-B visa program to hire specialty international workers to fill staffing shortages, and how Grand Forks student ACT scores compare with other students in the area. Ben Collins covers disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC News. Despite these risk factors and some who fear ostracism for their interests, furries well-being, self-esteem, life satisfaction, relationship quality and happiness are the same as non-furries. Unionization, lawsuits and China: How will the video game industry adapt in 2023? I really hope they stop repeating that (rumor), Young says. 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. One post calling for school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times. While many furries have no interest in acquiring a fursuit at all, they can also be prohibitively expensive. It would be like trying to have sex wearing a winter coat inside a spacesuit. [Someone who] cosplays as Captain Kirk is unlikely to show up for work on Monday and demand that their phone be replaced with a Star Fleet Communicator, she said. Furries, a subculture of people who are interested in anthropomorphic animal characters and often dress up as them, are not directly connected to the LGBTQ community, but the hoax has still been used to ridicule LGBTQ students, Jentz said. The writer, not identified by name, posted a piece in October alleging confirmed reports of furries employed at Bath Iron Works. Associate professor, Social Development Studies, University of Waterloo. Kymera, 14, of Colorado, said being a furry is just a hobby, akin to being a mascot. The focus seems to be on schools and district where there have been efforts to have conversations, curriculum inclusion and communities for students who identify as LGBTQ+ and as transgender, Young says. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Similarly, furries might attend a furry convention, local meet-up or simply connect with like-others online, but they return to everyday life on Mondayjust like everyone else, Roberts says. Heidi Ganahl, the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, speaks at a forum in Denver on Sept. 30. But, quite frankly, its offensive. At least 250,000 Americans identify as furries, and though a subset of the group say theyre into it for sexual reasons, more often its nothing more than fan-driven escape. As the video circulated, the Midland superintendent issued a statement to clarify Hansens claim was false. Put simply, furries are fans, he wrote, in the same way that Star Trek fans are fans of Star Trek and sports fans are fans of sports., The fandom is inclusive, he wrote, and embraces the norms of being welcoming and nonjudgmental to all.. May. But what about education? Jensen said. We always want to be the ones to tell our story.. Will That Erode Trust? Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page. Galguera believes that the funding of U.S. schools mainly with local taxes helps give rise to overzealous concern about what is being taught in schools, a concern that lends itself to rumors and paranoia. Similarly, furries might attend a furry convention, local meet-up, or simply connect with like-others online, but they return to everyday life on Monday just like everyone else.. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. At the same time, furries such as Joe Strike are taking the high road, and believe that, over time, the community will benefit the increasingly de-stigmatized and mainstream subculture. The past few conventions have been canceled because of the COVID pandemic, but a convention featuring furries, comics, fantasy and gaming is scheduled for this coming summer, from June 23 to 26, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in South Portland. And we just wanted to try to knock that noise down at the very least at the local level.. 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. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. The rumor that furries people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and sometimes dress up as them used litter boxes in the school district, which is about two hours northwest of Detroit, appears to have started at a school board session last month, based on a video of the meeting. Her favorite breakout group has been with psychologists who are furries, she said. Rare rock star interviews raw, complete and unedited in new Northeastern digital archive, Gutenberg Bible leaf and so much more. Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0KIp9ow7QLabbRatt's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrOCEMip094Help support my channel!Patreon: Comi. 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. The openness to people who are different is really the target here, she says. Learn more. Its bullying because of immaturity.. Shes called Pixil, a combination of pixie and pixel. Furries are bullied at almost twice the rates of non-furries, and our forthcoming research indicates that four to 15 per cent are on the autism spectrum. Anyone can read what you share. So, lets get the voucher system going.. While the district's superintendent assured WLWT that this furry gear is, in fact, a dress code violation, that hasn't seemed to ease the worries of the anonymous student who started the petition. NSF official wants to catalyze research partnerships to tackle pressing societal challenges. The school board members at the meeting did not respond to Ms. Hansens comments, but her remarks gained traction after Meshawn Maddock, a chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, shared a video of the school board meeting and the comments on Facebook on Thursday. Thu., January 19, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. When Bolduc spread the hoax about Pinkerton, it didnt take long for it to be picked up by local and some national media outlets. Last March, Nebraska state Sen. Bruce Bostelman, a Republican, spread the hoax during a debate on the floor of the legislature about a bill that would help school children who have behavioral problems. 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. In his statement, Mr. Sharrow debunked the rumor as categorically false. 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. I still have a lot of social anxiety, but I feel more confident. We know sometimes information can get misunderstood and unfortunately, there can be disinformation out there, said Tracy Jentz, the communications and community engagement coordinator for the district and the north central region vice president for NSPRA. Like Like. The litter boxes rumor circulated on social media and local radio shows earlier this year. A couple of misunderstandings are that furries have fur fetishes or that they are psychologically dysfunctional, Plante wrote. It then popped up in a number of communities as the 2022 midterms campaign season gained traction. Shes allowed to wear her tail and mask at work, she said. Prior to the litter box rumors, furries were seen as sexual deviantsan idea that was reinforced by popular media that emphasized the sensational over facts. Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital. But there is a stigma, Pratt said, explaining why most furries in Maine did not want to talk a reporter. Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images. Tomas Galguera, interim dean of the School of Education at Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California, says the rumor reflects parental concerns about what is being taught in schools that are twisted into paranoia and amplified by the internet. Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile. FOLLOW ME . The product of deep reflection, fursonas can represent idealized versions of the self that are imbued with positive characteristics, like being sociable, funny and less anxious. NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. Weve lost our minds. A SCHOOL in Michigan has bizarrely been accused by outraged parents of installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identify as cats and dogs. Thats the case for furries, too. The cover photo for the Furries of Portland Maine Facebook group. Whats unfortunate is then youre answering questions or dealing with topics like [the hoax] as opposed to all the good things that are going on in the classrooms and what were really here to do, educate the students.. Delusional, transphobic antics had quite the moment this past weekend, with a cohort of Michigan parents bravely speaking out against a problem that definitely exists: litter boxes for furries in a local school's bathrooms. How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point At least 20 Republican politicians have claimed that schools are making accommodations for students who identify. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. A Michigan school district has debunked a wild claim that a school provided litter boxes for students who identified as "furries" people who dress up as anthropomorphic animals. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, the superintendent of Midland Public Schools, Michael Sharrow, wrote on Thursday in an email to parents that was also shared on Facebook.
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