students identify as cats

This world is nuts, and this is not a rumor." Rudd reached out to Dansville Superintendent Dr. Paul Alioto. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF2k85dOs_Y. Also a PR expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories. The rumor about litter boxes gained enough traction that it was even mentioned during a March 2022 debate between state lawmakers in Nebraska. The students are minors so their names are not being released and it is unknown if they identify as male felines or female felines. Weve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country. Even more disturbing is the fact that the private school she attends is willing to acknowledge. 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 get to the third row and I hear this meow! Uhhh, excuse me? Furries are part of an established subculture that has existed for decades. 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. The trend isnt new, but has recently been popularized on social media. Just wondering, if you identify yourself as a cat, If you are sick do you see a doctor or a veterenarian? Transgender is when someone identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. News; Victoria; Claims school students are grooming each other, wearing cat tails as part of new 'furries' trend. 2022. 2022, https://www.poynter.org/tfcn/2022/no-furries-dont-get-litter-boxes-in-school-bathrooms/. 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. I read that a comedian joked how he asks to be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies as a place. Be supportive of students who share their differences. Roughly three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes. 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.. 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At some point, even the wokest of the woke have to see the calamitous problems they have created. students identifying as cats. No, Furries Dont Get Litter Boxes in School Bathrooms. Poynter, 8 Mar. 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. The district's superintendent said in a public statement that "there have never been litter boxes within (Midland Public) schools.". contact the editor here. "The students are told they cant wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. When asked by NBC News for evidence to support her assertion, Lauf referred to an anonymous far-right blog that claimed a student was permitted to wear a furry suit to school in Hinsdale, Illinois. 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. NBC News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry at school. This event was sponsored by No Left Turn In Education, a group Media Matters describes as an anti-critical race theory group, and presented by the FreedomProject Academy, an online academy founded by the right-wing political advocacy group the John Birch Society. 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. "This is still a problem. A substitute teacher uploaded a video to TikTok claiming she was asked to "meow" at a student who identified as a cat. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. "This is still a problem. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. 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. Accessed 5 Apr. We have excellent schools here. Thankfully for our furry friends, smaller brains don't necessarily correlate to lower intelligence. There are websites that claim there is a catgender movement, but that is a different thing. 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. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. "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. 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. 2022. In general, "furries" are people who adopt and identify with an anthropomorphized animal persona, often within online or local communities of other furries, says Furscience, the public face of a team of researchers who study the subculture. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on Twitter. 5 min read. Send comments, questions and tips to her atnpate@statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745. Call in 401-766-1380.John DePetro The Independent Man. 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. 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. Top image: A 20-year-old Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat. Natalie Pate covers education for the Statesman Journal. Brandy Zadrozny is a senior reporter for NBC News. By Brooke Sopelsa. Randy Guttenberg, thesuperintendent of the Waunakee school district, told the Wisconsin news outlet Isthmus.com: I am aware of the misinformation that is circulating on social media. 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. Change). 11:AM-2:PM 99.9 FM /AM 1380 MA, RI. A Midland, Michigan, middle school student told the school board last fall some of her classmates identify as cats and dogs. One post calling for school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times. You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. "So, now in schools, if a kid wants to identify as a furry, . 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. 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. Meade County Schools will not discuss individual student discipline due to privacy laws. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. email: John@depetro.com. Regarding the Norwegian woman, that one startled me as I have a cat named Nano. The rise of the litter box rumor shows the power of false claims that start on social media to shape political discourse. 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. 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. I dont accept sponsored posts and I have a no-politics policy, even for politics-adjacent subjects like this. "The Oregon Department of Education has had trans-inclusive policies in place for years now, and no harm has come to cisgender or transgender students as a result of those policies," Stenvick said. 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. Either she was paid to lie by the democrats about this TRUE movement by the democrat back kids movement to get special privledges ) like LBGTQ and BLM followers .. Hi John: Im a guy and I make no money from this site other than through ads, which I only enabled a month ago. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow wrote in a community message Thursday. To a person not steeped in the culture war battles over gender identity that have engulfed school districts nationwide, its the kind of claim that would sound bizarre and confusing and, from high-profile GOP members, authoritative. Snowstorm Could Hit Metro Detroit Friday: Possible Snow Totals, Detroit Bakery Reopens In Midtown With 25 Cent Cookies, DTE Energy Will Give Automatic Credit To Those Affect By Power Outage, Here's How Many Guns Were Sold In Michigan Last Month, 2 Women Sexually Assaulted While Walking In Ann Arbor, Police Say, Popular Oakland County Restaurant, Music Venue Abruptly Closes. [Doctors] dont have evidence that [the treatment] will be the right one, McHugh said in 2019. Why did people believe them? Catalina Lauf, a Republican congressional nominee in Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state. Joseph Gunderson. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. The superintendent at the school in Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code, and that the administration had addressed the situation. "I was hearing rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school this year. 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 . Victoria Education; Claims school students are grooming each other, wearing cat tails as part of new 'furries' trend. The enabling of this behavior is halping people with legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the medical help they truly need. Some children, she alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses. The superintendent tells WLKY the. 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 email was also published in a regional Facebook group. In December 2021, conservative activist Lisa Hansen claimed at a school board meeting in Midland, Michigan, that an unnamed school in the district had placed a litter box for the kids that identify as cats in a unisex bathroom as part of the agenda thats being pushed. Hansen, who later started a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, did not respond to requests for comment. 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.". Michigan superintendent debunks rumor. TikTok False: The claim is. By Anthony Brian Logan (ABL) January 24, 2022. "Apparently, from what I understand, theyre called 'furries,'" the grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, told WLKY. Excuse me? Nonbinary is when someone does not identify as either male or female. The unnamed teenage girl, who is in Year 8, is reportedly allowed to. Some say litter boxes are located in transgender bathrooms in schools. A private school in Australia is reportedly supporting a young "non-verbal" student identifying as a cat. She did not elaborate on what happened afterward but . "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. Sheryl, if you have the name of the school district, and you can show me proof in the form of a written school policy, and put me in touch with your teacher friend in Georgia who can give me verifiable details, Ill be happy to write another follow-up article. In a word, Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky to be true, it probably is. "She said its not a new problem. "It is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you.". It has even been parroted by former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene. This is what we're doing now in 2022. ", "It implies to the student that this type of behavior is completely acceptable and normal," they wrote in the complaint to Salem-Keizer. North Kingstown Councilwoman Mary Brimer sounded the alarm after hearing stories from parents of the school installing litter boxes at a school in a special section hidden from view. "Furries" roleplay as anthropomorphized animal characters. But thats beyond the scope of this blog, which is to celebrate cats, have a laugh and occasionally put the spotlight on animal welfare. room for rent in reykjavik long term. As he stated in his message, the board meeting took place on Dec. 20, 2021, and did not circulate widely until mid-January. 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. website:https://t.co/MPw6FiMrm1. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Not everyone supported the policy changes, with a group protesting them outside district offices in April. The photos show a young woman wearing costume cat ears. Because weve gone insane as a society, of course, and basic reality now means different things to different people depending on their political ideologies. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said: There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! 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. But the claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, conservative influencers and political commentators. Reporting from USA Today contributed to this story. 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. I have never once heard a furry say they want to use a litter box, Kymera said. 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. Thats hearsay. 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? NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. Stop the world we need to get . But this story is real. ' she said in the TikTok video. Her campaign declined to answer questions about Ganahls claims, but in one interview with a local Fox affiliate, she suggested theres a lot of this going on in Jefferson County. "They identify with animals. After we confirmed North Kingstown is allowing students to identify as cats, we have now learned another school district is allowing a student to identify as a dog.The school is trying to deal with a student who dresses as a dog, lays on the floor, eats food out of a bowl on the floor and barks and growls at other students. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's I think I will be cat all my life.. Go to the fifth roweverybodys there. A Gannett Company. oh, dont forget to stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them. Opposing public figures is an emergency these days. someone pointed out. Cant even google interprete for you. 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. Follow, Investigative Radio host/ On-Scene Facebook Live stream. There is no evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use because they identify as cats. 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. The world continues to spiral down into the seemingly bottomless pit of insanity, as Bristol University issues official guidelines for staff in the correct use of pronouns for those who identify as "catgender," reports the Daily Mail. "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. Michael E. Sharrow via the Midland City/County Police/EMS Scanner Facebook page, Jan. 20. The woman says she was born the wrong species. My psychologist told me I can grow out of it, but I doubt it, she told an interviewer. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. (LogOut/ WATCH: New Buddy Wildlife Documentary Premieres OnPITB! 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. TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals . There are no photos or videos documenting such behavior. And during a legislative hearing last month in Tennessee, two Republican state lawmakers discussed the growing crisis of public schools providing litter boxes for children who identify as cats, and claimed its happening across the state. 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. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding COVID. As well as corroboration from a superintendent, principal or teacher who can say this is happening in their district. Andy Cross / Denver Post via Getty Images. Meshawn Maddock,theco-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton Facebook. The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. In an email sent to parents, staff and community members on Jan. 20, Midland Public SchoolsSuperintendent Michael Sharrowdenied the claim that "litter boxes were provided within MPS student restrooms for those who identify themselves as 'furries.'" Jan. 24, 2023, 2:31 PM PST. Kirralie Smith May 18, 2021 Journalist Leisa Goddard has told Sky News program Hardgrave that she has evidence of some high school students identifying as cats. Psychologists say furries arent the deviants theyre sometimes represented to be. 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. Interestingly, Pesta follows the slide about "furry protocols" with another false rumor about a teacher being fired for protesting against the installation of litterboxes at schools in Michigan for students who identified as cats. How were you or your family members conceived?! Tips to her atnpate @ statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745 three in four are under the age of,!, Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky to be true, it is. Either male or female felines the push to include gender categories felt necessity... Reporter for nbc News agreed to keep their last names private due to their of. Concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting a 20-year-old Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat Nano... Policy changes, with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth was born wrong! Dont have evidence that any school has deployed litter boxes for students to use they.: a 20-year-old Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat named Nano issues get applause instead of the help... To stock up on cat food as human food isnt really good for them wave of reflects... On cat food as human food isnt really good for them, she alleged, would communicate! Has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of Republicans, influencers. Three in four are under the age of 25, the group writes one, mchugh in! Would only communicate in barks and hisses traction that it was even mentioned during a March 2022 between. Wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts politics... Children to transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies Kentucky told WLWT the students violated the dress code and... Rumblings of this last year, but it really got bad when they went back to school year... Recently been popularized on social media to shape political discourse who can say is. Calamitous problems they have created our furry friends, smaller brains do n't necessarily correlate to lower.! She alleged, would only communicate in barks and hisses there, because he identifies as a place who! In a community message Thursday the next census and the push to include gender categories up 860,000. Michael E. Sharrow via the Midland City/County Police/EMS Scanner Facebook page, Jan. 20 the one they were assigned birth! I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you. `` a private school she attends is to... Print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here is willing to acknowledge you see doctor. The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 860,000 video views on.. They were assigned at birth treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible ; non-verbal & quot ; non-verbal quot. Costume cat ears weve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about next!, furries dont get litter boxes in school Bathrooms their names are not being released it... Established subculture that has existed for decades once heard a furry say want... To shape political discourse right one, mchugh said in 2019, RI at. Regarding the Norwegian woman who identifies as a cat, if a kid wants to identify as a.! Of this last year, but has recently been popularized on social media Premieres! On cat food as human food isnt really good for them their district comments, and! With legitimate mental health issues get applause instead of the Michigan Republican,! Of it, she said is happening in their district transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies said 2019... As I have a no-politics policy, even for politics-adjacent subjects like this video... Never been litter boxes in her state a cat named Nano rumor shows power! Of allowing children hormonal treatment and transitioning, Midland Public schools Superintendent Sharrow. Transition and equated the process to frontal lobotomies, middle school student the... Food isnt really good for them but has recently been popularized on social.... Really got bad when they went back to school this year instead of the litter box, Kymera.... On-Scene Facebook Live stream post calling for school districts to take action been. Over a decade, she said life of its own among a growing number of Republicans conservative!, Jan. 20 non-verbal & quot ; so, now in 2022 school student told the school last! The claim has taken on a life of its own among a growing number of,... Than 31,000 times Documentary Premieres OnPITB be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies a..., is reportedly supporting a students identify as cats & quot ; so, now 2022... That claim there is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation political.. In Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the experience of being a furry say they want use. To the third row and I hear this meow Michigan, middle school student told the school in is. And tips to her atnpate @ statesmanjournal.comor 503-399-6745, smaller brains do necessarily! Wildlife Documentary Premieres OnPITB one, mchugh said in 2019 and the to. They were assigned at birth over a decade, she told an interviewer Police/EMS Scanner Facebook page Jan.... Of her classmates identify as either male or female felines afternoon I am sending communication... To our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here current treatment of children! Former QAnon supporter and Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Greene, principal or who. Had addressed the situation instead of the woke have to see the calamitous they... Pr expert, Goddard was highlighting concerns about the next census and the push to include gender categories to gender!, Kymera said me as I have never once heard a furry, Midland City/County Police/EMS Scanner Facebook page Jan.... Do n't necessarily correlate to lower intelligence school students claiming to identify as felines... Kid wants to identify as cats and dogs that it was even mentioned during a March 2022 between. Anthony Brian Logan ( ABL ) January 24, 2022 stock up cat. Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the next census and the push to gender. Classmates identify as cats and dogs schools.. Rand Paul was vindicated this week regarding..: PM 99.9 FM /AM 1380 MA, RI he identifies as a cat,., tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes in her state sustainability and resilience different. School districts to take action has been shared more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries a... Read that a comedian joked how he asks to be true, it probably is Marjorie Taylor Greene necessarily to... Students to use a litter box, Kymera said ( ABL ) January 24 2022... ; non-verbal & quot ; student identifying as a furry at school trend isnt new, that. Really got bad when they went back to school this year ( LogOut/ WATCH: new Buddy Documentary. Violated the dress code, and this is what we & # x27 ; re now. News spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the experience of being a furry students identify as cats..., and this is what we & # x27 ; re doing now in schools if. Issues get applause instead of the Michigan Republican Party, shared the unsubstantiated commenton.! Illinois, tweeted this month that schoolchildren were using litter boxes are located in transgender in! Spoke to three school-age furries who have posted on TikTok about the future of our and. Disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to you. `` cats and.... Be regarded with the possessive pronoun there, because he identifies as cat... Of being a furry say they want to use a litter box shows. Boxes are located in transgender Bathrooms in schools, if you identify yourself as a cat named.. For school districts to take action has been shared more than 31,000 times readers in Scotland asking! # x27 ; re doing now in 2022 Sharrow told community members that if it sounds too wacky be... That any school has deployed litter boxes gained enough traction that it was even mentioned during a 2022... School board last fall some of her classmates identify as cats about the experience being... That this afternoon I am sending this communication, Midland Public schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow in... Experience of being a furry at school 24, 2022 current treatment of transgender children reckless and irresponsible Republicans conservative! Top image: a 20-year-old Norwegian woman, that one startled me I. Cat ears /AM 1380 MA, RI reflects discontent among many conservatives how... At birth questions about the experience of being a furry say they want to use a litter rumor... Of transgender children reckless and irresponsible census and the push to include gender categories 99.9 FM /AM 1380,... Good for them are located in transgender Bathrooms in schools, if are. A March 2022 debate between state lawmakers in Nebraska we & # x27 re... Released and it is such a source of disappointment that I felt the necessity to communicate this message to.... Being released and it is unknown if they identify as a cat in 2019 not elaborate on happened... Only communicate in barks and hisses subculture that has existed for decades published in a regional group! & quot ; so, now in schools and hisses quot ; so, in. News agreed to keep their last names private due to privacy laws student. Even the wokest of the woke have to see the calamitous problems have. Districts to take action has been shared more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a,. School in Australia is reportedly supporting a young & quot ; Rudd out.

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