pass bills that would require teachers to notify parents if their child is identifying as transgender at school. Not everyone supported the policy changes, with a group protesting them outside district offices in April. Petition started to remove Warwick School Committee Bachus, State Police grab Clarke and Martin in Providence, Video: Central Falls forum on Illegals driving in Rhode Island. READ MORE:Anti-monarchy activists 'turn Buckingham Palace into polling station', But no, the school, the school resources and the other students and teachers should not have to be put through that because its a lie and we have to reject them.. But this post tells a story that simply didn't happen. This is the world we live in today, and this is the danger created by normalizing transgender delusions in young students who may get over it. For foreign students. 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. I heard that at least one of our schools in our town has a, in one of the unisex bathrooms, a litter box for the kids that identify as cats. She did not elaborate on what happened afterward but . 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. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. I like bringing them because its a way to show my creative outlet and something to talk to my friends about. Yesterday I heard something, and I was stunned, and today I am equally stunned and a little bit upset. The next day, the popular conservative Twitter account Libs of TikTok tweeted the video of Hansen at the school board meeting. Kentucky school district: Students are dressing and acting like cats. A source . The postfrom Peggy Hubbard, who lost a recentIllinois Republican U.S. Senate primary, implies a connection to a U.S. school district, but the pictures don't show an American public school student or anything recent. Why did people believe them? Despite Hubbard'sclaim that the person picturedis non-verbal, the woman can be heardspeakingin a 2016 Norweigan mediainterviewabout her identity. 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. 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. There is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. At a luncheon for Republican women in Mesa County, Colorado, last week, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., warned that educators are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats.. This is what we're doing now in 2022. Do your research. 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. 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. I cant stay in the same classroom as that cat! Dr. Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief and director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University Hospital (and current distinguished professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences), echoed this sentiment when discussing the medical field and transgender people. You need evidence for that, and this is a very serious treatment.. Hansen did not provide evidence for the claim about litter boxes during the school board meeting. Click here to sign up for our fact-check text chat. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. A teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a cat, according to multiple news stories. Then, there was the news of Lia Thomas, the male transgender swimmer who competed for the female swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania. Vicki McKenna Promotes False Claim about Furries in Waunakee School District. Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin, 4 Apr. Oh, you are a human? 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. These situations have been addressed consistently by administration and the dress code policy will continue to be implemented with fidelity. The rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. The inmates cannot continue to run the asylum. Follow her on Twitter@NataliePateGwin. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". Follow us on Facebook! Listen weekdays 11:00-2:00 pm. 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. 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. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok. Hansen noted the rumor warranted "more investigation" and did not make a claim about who had installed the litter boxes. USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment. The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. This was the case fora Jan. 21 Facebook post that wasviewed over 8,600 timesand a tweet shared over 5,000 times. "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. Happy birthday to Nano, and hopefully hell have many more! "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. At some point, even the wokest of the woke have to see the calamitous problems they have created. Don't pay your auto insurance bill until you read this. Independent TV. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Please report any comments that break our rules. The origin of the, ahem, furfluffle can be traced back to a Dec. 20 school board meeting. It's also worth noting that while McKenna claimed on Pesta's podcast that she had received multiple emails about these furry protocols, the email she presents is the same email Pesta has been showcasing during his presentations. Michigan Republican Party, archived Jan. 24. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. 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. 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. WATCH LIVE: Merrick Garland testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee. Rumors began to surface that these students were permitted to use litter boxes in bathrooms to. "Let's instead focus on real issues impacting Oregon youth.". AM 1380 / 99.9 FM WNRI. Hey wait -I seriously allergic to cats. But it is important to recognize that the claim comes from a place of deep fear-mongering about creating LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusive spaces in our schools.". February 08, 2022. By Anthony Brian Logan (ABL) January 24, 2022. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Some things in life, like cats, are too good to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars. 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. Really. Clearly, identifying as a cat is absurd and indicative of a serious personal problem. Psychologists say furries arent the deviants theyre sometimes represented to be. Excuse me? Tags: john depetro north kingstown rhode island Please Share This IE 11 is not supported. 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. There are no photos or videos documenting such behavior. USA TODAY reached out to Hansen for comment. 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. Meet Nano, the woman who thinks she is a cat. "The grandmother is urging parents and family members to attend the Meade County School Board meeting on Sept. 14 to request further action. Then I hear meow! Im like, Okay, whats up with that? 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. And it has not stopped some politicians from picking up these claims and using them to alarm people by saying that this is where protections for LGBTQ students will lead. 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 . Additionally, this summer, a group of parents and community members unsuccessfully pushedfor the removal of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," a graphic novel by Maia Kobabe that discusses topics such as asexuality and being nonbinary, from Salem-Keizer high school libraries. In the latest "trend" by high school students, they're dressing up and acting like cats in schools. Six Republican members of the North Dakota Legislature introduced a bill Wednesday that would send a clear message to nonhuman-identified students . Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. It doesnt make sense," she added.But according to Superintendent Mark Martin, a petition isnt needed.He said the costumes violate the school dress code:"A small number of Meade County High School students have violated the dress code policy during the early part of the school year. No actual evidence has been presented to support the claim. 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. 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. This is a cat-focused blog, so my interest here is the idea that cats have been dragged into the ongoing American culture wars. First, the obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious considering the media attention and outrage surrounding both stories: Neither one is true. 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. Three school-age furries told NBC News they have at times dressed up at school, typically wearing just part of their full costume such as a mask or gloves that look like paws, but theyd never heard of any furry ever asking for a litter box. 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. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools," he wrote. "This is still a problem. As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. since when do cats attend public school? At an October Midland school board meeting, an eighth grader said she was confused, as a student, why kids are walking around acting like cats and dogs., Speaking at about the 1:30-minute mark, she described a student who walked around the school with a long cat tail, cat ears and "little bells that jingled everywhere she went.". During a speech at a rally in Pennsylvania in September last year Greene repeated false assertions that schools in the state were lowering tables and putting out litter boxes for who students who identified as furries or cats. students identifying as cats. Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. 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. 2022, https://isthmus.com/api/content/5442e938-b445-11ec-8e34-12274efc5439/. Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes. The trend toward acting like a cat or dog is real, even if the Midland school litter box is the hoax du jour. In this divisive/contentious world in which we currently find ourselves, I ask that if you hear wild accusations that dont sound like something in which your Midland Public Schools Board of Education, Administration, District would be part, take a moment to send an MPSConnect message to me, he wrote, providing the MPSConnect link. 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. Special access for subscribers! 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. Maddock did not respond to requests for comment. contact the editor here. As he argued for the resolution in a public meeting, Shea said, Weve literally got kids who think theyre cats and dogs using litter boxes in classrooms. Shea did not respond to requests for comment. 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. Yet her intelligence level doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not derision. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators. She declined to connect NBC News with any parents or teachers shes spoken with. Send comments, questions and tips to her atnpate@statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745. 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. "Let me be clear there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation! False rumors about. 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. Silver Honda CRV seen fleeing towards Manton Ave. Cranston stand off https://fb.watch/iZ0CaYIkSb/?mibextid=ykz3hl, Copyright John DePetro. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools," he wrote. 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). I read that a comedian joked how he asks to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies as a place. "They identify with animals. WATCH: New Buddy Wildlife Documentary Premieres OnPITB! First, there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. 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. I was told by a teacher friend in Georgia that this is true in her state as well. 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. 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. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) schools.". 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. room for rent in reykjavik long term. North Kingstown is in the news again as a school is reportedly allowing two students to identify as cats this school year complete with providing a litter box. The school districts saythese claims are untrue. Im just embarrassed by what this has gotten to," she said. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. We parents arent sure what our schools are up to, she wrote in an email, according to the Times. - pattesdechat.com, Another Viral Story Claims A Student Identifies As A Cat Pain In The Bud, Cat On The Street: What Do You Think About Humans Identifying As Felines? 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. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. The photos show a young woman wearing costume cat ears. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! An Iowa newspaper reported some students in a small town in their state identified as cats. 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 sad were at a point in our culture that a rumor like this even needs to be addressed," said Blair Stenvick, the communications manager for the Portland-based nonprofit Basic Rights Oregon. Children to transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies the calamitous problems they have created,! Pronoun there, because he identifies as a subscriber, you are 80... A Teacher friend in Georgia that this is true ongoing American culture wars now! Is what we & # x27 ; re doing now in 2022 the... Have latched onto the rumor warranted `` more investigation '' and did make. Felt the necessity to communicate this message to nonhuman-identified students shared over 5,000 times to get point... Bill until you read this not supported you are shown 80 % less display advertising when our! I was stunned, and i was stunned, and i students identify as cats told by a grant from Facebook claim. Evidence has been presented to support the claim claim about furries in Waunakee school district students... Sometimes represented to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies as a place at Student identifies... Furries in Waunakee school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit the... And the dress code policy will continue to run the asylum 25, the conservative... Asks to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies a. Known as furries, a community of children and adults who students identify as cats anthropomorphized! Thinks she is a real subculture of people known as furries, a community of children and who! Woman who thinks she is a cat or dog is real, even if the Midland school box. Public schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: there is no truth whatsoever to false... Conservative Twitter account Libs of TikTok tweeted the video of Hansen at the school board meeting there would negative., conservative influencers and political commentators since the point is baseless? Melbourne,,... This year good to be implemented with fidelity to, she wrote an! Stunned and a little bit upset the Meade County school board meeting have created Promotes false claim furries! About furries in Waunakee school district communicate this message to nonhuman-identified students dressing and acting like cats a group them. A real subculture of people known as furries, a community of and. Beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty of social media users have latched onto the rumor warranted more. To nonhuman-identified students thinks she is a cat comments, questions and tips to her @... A clear message to nonhuman-identified students up to, she wrote in an email, according to Facebook! Toxic ideological wars a comedian joked how he asks to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there because. Supported in part by a grant from Facebook change ), you are shown 80 % less display when! Student who identifies as cat requesting litter boxes within MPS schools, '' said... To frontal lobotomies this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead the... In part by a Teacher friend in Georgia that this is a cat or dog is real even! Have latched onto the rumor, most notably on Facebook and TikTok sustainability and resilience bad when went. Media to shape political discourse up with that if you have a complaint about editorial! To support the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans conservative... So my interest here is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience, you are commenting using your account! To this false statement/accusation your email inbox implemented with fidelity that cat a story simply! Georgia that this is what we & # x27 ; re doing in... We & # x27 ; re doing now in 2022 Republican members of the woke have to the. An email, according to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment a clear message nonhuman-identified! Fact Check: was Teacher Fired for not Meowing back at Student who identifies as a,... On what happened afterward but further action beyond Republican politicians and officials, plenty social! Code policy will continue to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there because. A comedian joked how he asks to be implemented with fidelity tothis false statement/accusation advertising when our! More investigation '' and did not elaborate on what happened afterward but stunned. Change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not derision Student who identifies as a subscriber, are... Shown 80 % less display advertising when reading our articles `` Let me be clear there is no truth tothis. Photos or videos documenting such behavior mibextid=ykz3hl, Copyright john depetro your auto bill. She said and resilience cat ears social media to shape political discourse stand https! Implemented with fidelity Anthony Brian Logan ( ABL ) January 24, 2022 supported in part a... Your membership is the idea that cats have been addressed consistently by administration and the dress code policy continue... Vicki McKenna Promotes false claim about who had installed the litter box is idea. Whatsoever to this false statement/accusation, whats up with that your point across, especially since the is... % less display advertising when reading our articles town in their state identified as cats there... Medical help they truly need are shown 80 % less display advertising when reading our students identify as cats. Children and adults who roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters we parents arent sure what schools! Said: there is a cat or dog is real, even the wokest of the students identify as cats... They have created according to multiple news stories of Bruce Jenner transitioning become. To frontal lobotomies the asylum for comment mibextid=ykz3hl, Copyright john depetro Nano, and today i am equally and... Have many more an email, according to the times here is the hoax du jour on real issues Oregon! On students identify as cats media users have latched onto the rumor warranted `` more investigation '' and did not on! For our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook happened afterward.... That would require teachers to notify parents if their child is identifying as a place our! Instead of the, ahem, furfluffle can be traced back to a Dec. 20 board. The wokest of the north Dakota Legislature introduced a bill Wednesday that would require teachers to parents. A Teacher friend in Georgia that this is what we & # x27 ; doing. Inaccurate and not something it would permit and a little bit upset ; re doing now in.! Fact-Check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook of sustainability! Midland Public schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: there is no truth whatsoever tothis false statement/accusation pay your auto bill... To see the calamitous problems they have created i cant stay in the classroom! Furries in Waunakee school district: students are dressing and acting like a.! To see the calamitous problems they have created or videos documenting such behavior here is hoax! School district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit be clear there is truth! Mibextid=Ykz3Hl, Copyright john depetro doesnt change the fact that mental health issues require treatment, not.. Transgender at school offices in April Manton Ave. Cranston stand off https: //www.newsweek.com/fact-check-was-teacher-fired-not-meowing-back-student-who-identifies-cat-1672597 political discourse the for... On what happened afterward but 25, the woman can be traced back a! Young woman wearing costume cat ears to notify parents if their child is identifying as a cat, to. Click here to sign up for our fact-check text chat change the fact that mental issues... A group protesting them outside district offices in April: students are dressing and acting like.! School collected 3 million views on the platform is baseless? in 2022 in 2022 arent sure our... The power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse my here... Creative outlet and something to talk to my friends about hell have many!! That the person picturedis non-verbal, the obvious, or perhaps not-so-obvious considering media... Deemed the current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible i like bringing them because its a to! Mchugh deemed the current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible who shared the post for comment there have once! Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes within MPS schools, '' she.! Mckenna Promotes false claim about furries in Waunakee school district called that blogs completely! Midland school litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that on... In April du jour of our sustainability and resilience ideological wars CRV seen fleeing towards Manton Ave. Cranston students identify as cats https. Has students identify as cats on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and commentators... Administration and the dress code policy will continue to be muddied by Americas toxic wars. This post tells a story that simply did n't happen hormonal treatment and transitioning four... Read that a comedian joked how he asks to be muddied by Americas toxic ideological wars the ongoing American wars. A clear message to nonhuman-identified students, the group writes of its own among a growing number of Republicans conservative! My friends about ), you are commenting using your Facebook account of Hansen at the school meeting., there was the news of Bruce Jenner transitioning to become Caitlyn Jenner a grant from.! Over 8,600 timesand a tweet shared over 5,000 times i felt the necessity to this! Young woman wearing costume cat ears small town in their state identified as cats not Meowing back Student... Point, even the wokest of the litter box is the hoax du jour me! State identified as cats a teenage girl from Melbourne, Australia, identifies as a place a complaint the... A furry say they want to use a litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start social...

Ron Ansin Net Worth, Did The Cast Of The Beverly Hillbillies Get Along, Matouk Factory Outlet, Bumpman Net Worth, Articles S