It isnt how I pictured civilisations collapse. Im entitled not to accept mental illness as a real thing. May. This is about stupidity not transphobia. Interestingly, the school wrote it doesnt want to discourage or thwart the creativity or individualism of students, but it wants to promote a safe and healthy culture for all kids to feel comfortable. Answering the Left: But do you know any gay people? Superintendent denies rumors of litter boxes in restrooms for students who identify as cats, Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau denied the litter box rumors in a letter to students and parents. It all started with one Michigan school board meeting where a parent went on a strange rant after she "discovered" that her school is putting litter boxes in bathrooms. Iowas Most Boring Town Is A Hilarious Coincidence, Heres What 1 Year Of Working On K92.3 and Moving To Iowa Looks Like [PHOTOS], 5 Tips That May Help With Spring Allergies In Your Iowa Home, Chicago Man Convicted In Cruel Shooting of Iowa Deputy, Waterloos Lost Island Parks Announce Opening Dates. Those that have sex in the suits is what they're infamous for, but that's only a small percent of furries. Instead of seeking more understanding about their lives and approaching these issues with empathy and an open mind, the leaders of their state are spitting venom, stoking divisions and embracing nonsense. The thing is, these things are happening in Iowa on a regular basis and nobody knows about it, because the media doesnt cover these things.. (Read more about ourpartnership with Facebook.). Counter-protestors stand and hold signs at the intersection of 10th Street and . Symptoms include a fever, which is worsened by spending lots of time in conservative culture war fever swamps. If they are not claimed within 72 hours, they need to be euthanized. 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. And oh, by the way, transgender identities are just as silly as this. I am currently in school to be a teacher and asked my professors their opinions on the topic and many of . Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. A reaction from another user calling for . Whats next? 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 . Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow took to Facebook on Thursday to deny the claims, insisting no litter box accommodations had been made for any students who identify as a "furry.". Taylor, doesnt your school have acting, dance, music, and art classes where you can express yourselves? Dare I say that it is absolutely bonkers! Imagine being such a tone deaf journalist that you miss the whole point that this is about transphobia and mocking trans people., WTF cares. When Can You Get Your License If Your Birthday Is On A Leap Day? Ernie Kersten had been at the Eggs and Issues legislative forum in Fort Dodge, where state Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, went on a curious riff about why Iowa needs to offer publicly funded scholarships to help families send kids to private school. "And so I heard yesterday that at least one of our schools in our town has in one of those unisex bathrooms a litter box for the kids that identify as cats and I'm really disturbed by that.". His latest book is The Grace Controversy. You know, this is being conflated specifically to invalidate trans identities which are real and which have been studied extensively, they said. In the Dec. 21, 2021, YouTube video, which has over 80,000 views, Lisa Hansen says during the Midland Public Schools board meeting she had been told there was a litter box in the bathroom of at . Debunking myths about kids identifying as animals, and litter boxes in schools Published: November 7, 2022 4.32pm EST Sharon E. Roberts , University of Waterloo A Michigan superintendent said a rumor that a school district has litter boxes on school grounds for students who identify as furries to use the bathroom is false. So he wasnt wearing his school board hat at the meeting. Theyre also allowed to bark. 'A rising usage of furry refers to people who have a keen interest in or even dress up as, anthropomorphic animal characters, like those often seen in comics, games, and cartoons. To put the rumors to rest, Lewton encouraged parents and community members to be mindful of the information they are hearing and spreading to others. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. More people are discussing students identifying as cats in schools, Iowa Senate Dems pull a McAullife: Call Republicans running for school board literal terrorists, PENCE: Empower Americans to have access to medicines, vaccines they want, let it be their choice, RFRA, Governors Emergency Powers Reform bills will not survive funnel in Iowa Senate State Government Committee, HOUSE HEARINGS: Book bill has early Wednesday subcommittee, SENATE SUBS: Human trafficking task force bill in Wednesday hearing, Google dings stories about 'furries,' ineffectiveness of COVID vaccines as violating standards - The Iowa Standard. It was about a rumor involving an Iowa school. A Nebraska state lawmakerpublicly repeatedthe claim then apologized when he learned it wasnt true. We've received your submission. Fourth, they need to be kicked out of school for pets are not allowed in school unless used to assist handicapped individuals as a service animal. View our online Press Pack. Not at all, they said. Once you see through this political cat-and-mouse game, the litter box story just seems doggone sad. Abbott's school voucher pitch. Public school districts have already proven they lack transparency and are willing to tolerate any abhorrent behavior. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); ***The Iowa Standard is an independent media voice. (Photo by: Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) As of late 2021 or early 2022, at least one . April 11, 2022 Updated: April 11, 2022 8:55 a.m. Mint Images/Getty Images . The anatomy of a rumor: Furries and litter boxes at Dickinson Public Schools Furries, people dressing up and acting like anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and . Danger! Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. Have yall heard about this? Well, kind of. 2. The Carroll Community School District Superintendent, Casey Burlau, sent a letter to concerned citizens in the hopes of "dispelling a damaging rumor" that there are children identifying as animals (some call them "furries") and the district has tried to accommodate them with litter boxes. A senator repeated a long-disproven hoax about children who identify as cats using litter boxes and shitting on the floor in schools on Monday, in the latest absurdity to come out of . And the school was allowing kitty litter to be placed in the classroom or bathroom or both. "Kids who identify as 'furries' get a litter box in the school bathroom. And today, I am equally stunned and a little bit upset -- well, not a little bit -- I'm furious," she said, according to a video of the meeting posted to YouTube. By clicking Accept all you agree that Yahoo and our partners will process your personal information, and use technologies such as cookies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights, and product development. And so, we've been working on that to make sure that our kids are good citizens and that they can identify author's bias or credible sources. You will begin to receive our Daily Opinion updates and our topical Pints & Politics newsletter. By the way, this is one of the 32 Republican senators guiding public policy in Iowa, not your nutty cousin on Facebook. "This is simply and emphatically not true," and goes on to say " It is very unfortunate that this rumor has been spread over the last several weeks. Carroll School District Superintendent Casey Burlau said it got so bad that he had to send a letter to students and parents on Monday. My son largely ignores them but has found out, when forced into "social" situations with them that their parents are in full support, including the kids being nude at home because cats don't wear clothes (litter boxes at home are rumored but not confirmed). Something is very wrong at home and in school if this is excepted in our schools. Stop pretending that everything you hear is an attack of some sort. Some develop elaborate video-game personas. A Nebraska state senator has walked back comments he made during a televised debate in which he referenced false rumors about schools providing litter boxes for children who . They're furious. Lawmakers are debating all kinds of extreme legislation, like Sen. Jake Chapmans school porn bill that threatens teachers with prison. Youre missing the point. And though school districts have issued statements debunking the story multiple times, some social media posts are still spreading the erroneous information. by Kathie Obradovich, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 14, 2022. The flurries of furries has reached North Dakota, with some school districts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo issuing statements to debunk the kitty litter rumors, as detailed in a Forum article . Are you hearing similar nonsense? Kersten asked. Please consider a one-time sign of support or becoming a monthly supporter at $5, $10/month - whatever you think we're worth! . " We have dress up days and kids bring stuffed animals to school. In short: This behavior is not related to Furries so please stop lumping a harmless hobby in with an actual mental illness. And we should reject the request of a transgender student to use the restroom that matches their gender identity, in the same way that we should reject a student request to use a litter box., Furries dont identify as cats or other animals, Crow said. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow also had to address those rumors, saying they were false. And others, who call themselves furries, create animal alter egos and interact with others who do the same. FUR-REAL: Iowa students, parents report kids wearing collars, barking, hissing as furries, Des Moines teacher talks about how she works around law banning CRT in class, LETTER: Axne ignoring what is happening to America, HOUSE HEARINGS: Book bill has early Wednesday subcommittee, LIVE: Iowa Senate subcommittee on the bathroom bill, In addition to sexual depictions, Gender Queer plugs adult-only website, School Cafeteria Tables Are Being Lowered for "Furries" Texas Monthly - News Point Club, Pixel Scroll 1/27/22 All Ringworlds Great And Small | File 770, Pixel Scroll 1/27/22 All Ringworlds Great And Small - Newzlab. The right-wing is waging its newest culture war on the furry community by storming school board meetings and parroting absurd talking points about schools ma. Debunking myths about kids identifying as animals, and litter boxes in schools. " We have too much time to worry about things And so, that's causing all this anxiety and decrease in mental health," he added. Monique Curet , PolitiFact. to accommodate students who identify as cats, the Public Schools Branch says. An untrue rumor that litter boxes are being placed in schools for students who dress up in furry costumes and identify as cats has made its way to two North Carolina school districts despite . Thats why Iowa Capital Dispatch, a nonprofit, independent source for quality journalism, is working every day to keep you informed about what government officials are doing with your money, your freedom and your safety. It probably wont pass, but it serves a larger purpose of making Iowa parents distrust and fear public schools at a time when Gov. Put them on a leash to go to the bathroom outside. Otherwise, if we don't stop this downward slide, we might soon be required to provide litter boxes for people who identify as cats. The personalized animal identity of a furry is known as their fursona, the portmanteau of furry and persona. Another gawker wondered how the litter box system would even work, writing: Logistically no public school has the budget to afford kitty litter for a small percentage of their community to use also ask yourself the last janitor youve met would they scoop human feces out of a litter box?. Though furries are not new, the issue of students identifying as these animals at school has attracted mainstream attention. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. Clearly it was fake. They just want to live their lives and go to school, without fear of abuse. 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, added Hansen, who defined furry as someone who identifies as a cat or a dog, whatever.. Some people laughed at how absurd it is that school kids are supposedly . In January, in possibly the first report, Libs of TikTok posted a video from a Michigan school board meeting of a woman who claimed "kids who identify as a cat or a dog" can pee in litter . Its not make-believe or fantasy. In the 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 was a litter box in the bathroom of . He didnt inform his colleagues or the district about the meeting. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. In the video, she mentions a group called "furries" which according to Merriam Webster refers to. The spokesperson wrote to parents that students were wearing items not school-appropriate. These items include collars and leather straps with spikes. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. The boss added, Let me be clear in this communication. Its a slippery slope covered with culture war slime. STURGIS "It's a social-media myth," Meade School District Superintendent Wayne Wormstadt said of the rumor that people are requesting litter boxes be placed in local schools for students who De-clawing and neutering, ha! Answering the Left: But do you know any gay people? 0:45. If your child thinks they are a cat or a dog then you failed as a parent. Feb 14, 2022 Updated Mar 22, 2022. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. These kids are already an astronomical risk for adverse mental health outcomes and suicidal ideation, Crow said. We were told there are students allowed to wear cat ears and tails while other students cannot even wear a hat. Third, they need to take their de-worming pills and dont forget their flea and ticket collars. Its more of a role-playing type thing that some people do to express themselves in a different way. Bostelman made the comments during a debate over a bill, introduced by Gretna Sen. Jen Day, that would require schools to have "points of contact" for students with behavioral health issues, They are acting just as described in this article. We did not find any credible news reports that support the claim. We thought, no way., But then we thoughtwell, you never know.. "Let me be clear in this communication. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The bizarre rumor pertains to a school in Michigan's Midland Public Schools District, Parents have claimed that at least one litter box was installed in a unisex bathroom for children who identify themselves as 'furries', Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow outright dismissed the rumors, A parent referenced the bizarre claim in a Dec. 20 meeting, A furry is someone who role-plays or identifies as an animal, or an animal character with human-like characteristics. Texas district debunks GOP hopefuls claim, Fact check: No, a Michigan public school did not provide litter boxes for students identifying as cats. Doubling down on his denial, Sharrow urged any parents to send him a message in the future if they ever have questions about any "wild accusations that don't sound like something" the district would do. Others were enjoying poking fun at the gullibility of those who were outraged in their misguided belief that children were using litter boxes instead of toilets in school. , the term furry is defined as a "diverse community of fans, writers, gamers and role players," who come up with an anthropomorphized animal character that they identify with and can function as an avatar within the community. It looks like it isnt just happening in Iowa, thankfullyI guess?