litter boxes in schools for furries maine

On Jan. 20, Meshawn Maddock, the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, advanced the rumor, posting on Facebook that Kids who identify as furries get a litter box in the school bathroom, with a link to a parent activist group. Another 50 per cent of furries own furry paraphernalia a furry T-shirt, ears, collar or tail that communicates their furry interests to others. Get the latest education news delivered to your inbox daily. Mr. Sharrow did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. Courtesy of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. These rumors put us at risk of being hurt or bullied.. As strange as that may sound to some, director . Dont expect to find litter boxes at the convention, says Sharon E. Roberts, a Canadian academic and co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project/Furscience, which studies furry fandom from sociological, social, psychological and clinical perspectives.. They are trying to dismantle public education as we know it. Furries dont identify as animals; they identify with animals. She gave the example of a far-more mainstream Star Trek convention. Furrieslike so many others who have hobbiesengage in limited fantasy, Roberts writes in an email. Furry fandom? This story has been shared 178,212 times. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Brenner worries that the hoax serves as another tool for school choice advocates to sow division between public school parents and educators. However, the term furry fandom was being used in online magazines as early as 1983 and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s, according to the Wikipedia entry. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff. Talk about a health violation!! Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate that the vast majority are LGBTQ and as many as a third are transgender. Olivia, 16, from California, said shes been part of the furry community for six years. But not everyone ridicules furries, Pratt said. So, lets get the voucher system going.. 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. Shes come to realize that this is who she is, she said. But, quite frankly, its offensive. She has a bunny outfit, and her employer, Walmart, allows her to wear a bunny tail and mask while working. and litter boxes in schools . The buckets also contain candy for diabetic students, a map of the school, flashlights, wet wipes and first aid items. It takes us away from what were working on and what were trying to accomplish on a daily basis, Powers said. He plans to be there in June as Hellboy, wearing red face paint and horns. Even though they arent new, school hoaxes and rumors have become more political in recent years, said Cathy Kedjidjian, president of the National School Public Relations Association. Thu., January 19, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Young says she read that at least 20 Republican political candidates have mentioned the rumor. She legally changed her name to Bunny. Her favorite breakout group has been with psychologists who are furries, she said. In a message to the school district, Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow argued against the claims of litter boxes being provided for students that "identify as cats." (hutchyb // Canva) MIDLAND . 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. Go figure: The social media criticisms flew fast and furry-ous. This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. If your knowledge of furries. I just cant believe this is real, sputtered one incredulous commenter, while another wrote, Whats going on in this town?. Why would you attack our most vulnerable to get your point across, especially since the point is baseless?. Furries are fans of animals that have human characteristics, such as talking or walking on their hind legs. The only animals allowed in public schools are for the blind or those with a medical condition requiring a dog. Powers said that he couldnt guess what politicians like Bolduc stood to gain politically from spreading the rumors. 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. He later retracted his comments after finding out they werent true, according to reporting by the Associated Press. For many furries, the fandom is a way to build social connections with others. The school district called that blogs story completely inaccurate and not something it would permit. No, Maine students aren't using litter boxes in school by Lia Russell May 19, 2022 A fringe belief that Maine schools are accommodating children who self-identify as animals is. Have you heard of cosplay, where people costume as characters? We are, after all, talking about a Republican physician who has spoken out against Covid vaccines and condemned efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Strike said that most furries he encountered grew up with interests in anthropomorphic cartoon characters and now find comfort around others with the same interest. 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 writer, not identified by name, posted a piece in October alleging confirmed reports of furries employed at Bath Iron Works. I feel really good, and I feel like myself when Im wearing these things.. 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. NBC News agreed to keep their last names private due to their fear of harassment. This story has been shared 102,768 times. That's when a local news story about a Pittsburgh furry convention led to unfounded. Students arent achieving academically, socially, behaviorally, or emotionally. University of Waterloo apporte des fonds en tant que membre fondateur de TheConversation CA. 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 . She attended her first furry event in 2016 and got her fursuit in 2020. Thats not a big leap from her natural optimism and cheerfulness, she said. They talk about why people like being furries. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY 1/24/2022. Anything is possible and I cant disprove a negative. 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. We always want to be the ones to tell our story.. Is it possible that somewhere someone has asked for a litter box? If your knowledge of furries comes mostly from television or social media, then what youve heard about furries is probably wrong. 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. IE 11 is not supported. By starting all of this disinformation, they can say, public schools arent the answer. It is a constant suspicion of schools that they are not doing what they should be doing, which gives rise to all these crazy ideas such as the notion there are going to be litter boxes in schools.. 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.. The first group is those who read the headline and had to know what this craziness was even about. A Michigan school district is denying that litter boxes were provided to students who identify as 'furries' after a woman made the claim in a school board meeting last month.. Video of the woman . 2 min read The post Joe Rogan Admits to Having "No Proof" That Schools Are Giving Furries Litter Boxes: "I Fed Into That" appeared first on. John D. OBryant, a civil rights leader of Martin Luther King Jr.s era, is honored at new Boston Common statue, Northeastern upsets UConn, 4-1, at Frozen Fenway on 29 saves by Devon Levi, the best goaltender in the country, Don Orsillo, Northeastern graduate and MLB voice, sounds off on Red Sox, Bogaerts and his time as a Husky, Northeastern mens hockey team hopes frozen Fenway Park will be a game-changer. Don't have a commenting profile? Why One Principal Is Asking Her Staff to Do Less, We Gave ChatGPT 5 Common Teaching Tasks. Young says she had to do a bit of diggingand she doesnt apologize for the punon the litter box rumor issue to respond to News@Northeasterns questions on the topic. Custodial staff CANNOT be required to clean up litter boxes. Some say litter boxes are located in transgender bathrooms in schools. He also suggested that hed support incarcerating Minnesotas Democratic secretary of state over election-related conspiracy theories. No, schools do not have litter boxes for students, Complaint filed against Pennsylvania school district alleges discrimination against LGBTQ students, alongside other extreme and baseless rhetoric, Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group, Surveys and pre-publication research from Furscience also indicate. Its fascinating to see smart, common sense people get sucked into the narrative and actually believe its happeningthat we have students dressing up like animals, that we have litter boxes in our schools, Brenner said. She even changed her name to reflect her inner identity. In other words, if you removed all the sexual content, there would still be a furry fandom. The inclusive nature of the furry fandom means that, for many furries, its a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. You dont have fetish scenes at the conventions, but some people might go back to their rooms for fun, he recently told The Post. Meanwhile on TikTok, one video claiming kids are now requesting litter boxes at school collected 3 million views on the platform. A Facebook post detailing the hilarious rumor is blowing up online. Already have a commenting profile? 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. In one segment of the video, below, at 33 minutes into the video ( the video on this page starts at 33 minutes-in, accordingly) you will see a parent whose name is Lisa mention that students identifying as furries are being provided with cat litter boxes or trays. A Michigan school superintendent debunked the rumor after a video from a December school board meeting resurfaced in which a speaker airs concerns about students who identify as cats.. Thats the case for furries, too. Photo by Getty Images. University of Waterloo apporte un financement en tant que membre adhrent de TheConversation CA-FR. Brandy Zadrozny is a senior reporter for NBC News. Tyler Kingkade is a national reporter for NBC News, based in Los Angeles. Many people think that furries dress up as animals. 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. 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. They might dress up as a storm trooper or superhero and attend a comic book convention to have fun with friends. March 8, 2022 A TikTok video of a mother at a school boarding meeting went viral in which she says she heard Michigan schools were providing litter boxes for furries students who. 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. Fursonas can be a safe, functional way for furries to explore who they are as people. Bunny considers herself a furry those who enjoy dressing like an animal. 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. She says being a furry is a fun hobby or fandom. Litter boxes will not be put in schools on P.E.I. Maine 'furries' talk about the fun, friendship and freedom that come from letting your inner animal out. For instance, in 2017, Scott Chamberlain, a councilman from New Milford, Conn., wasforced to resign when it came to light that he was a furry. What will the US economy look like in 2023? ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) A rumor going around on social media has been raising some eyebrows. FOLLOW ME . Lisa Hansen addressing the board during a Midland Public Schools meeting in Michigan last month. Prior to the litter box rumours, furries were seen as sexual deviants an idea that was reinforced by popular media that emphasized the sensational over facts. The fandom also has seen negative press from the media, she said. When shes in her fursuit, Bunny feels like a Looney Tunes cartoon character, she said. 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 . ET. Some fursuits are phenomenally engineered with fans, cooling packs and LED lights built into them. Im not a furry, and I once held erroneous views of furries, too. I dont go out wearing tail, gloves, ears, or fursuit heads on any normal day, she said in an email. There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools.. It began as a large quest for self-discovery. The furry community is constantly fending off misperceptions, though. Join our webinar to learn from experts on how to create safe spaces using neuroscience and trauma-informed approaches. In early October, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., claimed that people are putting litter boxes in schools for people who identify as cats, according to reporting from the Colorado Times Recorder. 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. His fursona, a fox called Gray Muzzle, was confirmed via Chamberlains profile on a website called SoFurry.com. Ive actually made new friends at school because of it, Dayna said in an email. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel. People make fun of you for no reason. Maddock did not respond to requests for comment. A reaction from another user calling for schools to stop admitting furries to schools brought in over 1 million views. 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. But are litter boxes an integral part of the furry fandom? Its not something you become, its something you realize you are, Bunny said in a recent phone interview. In the same way that cosplayers typically dont believe they are actually Spiderman, furries dont think they are their fursonas. For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu. At face value, this might seem like another example of folks on the right embracing yet another weird myth because it was circulated by Republicans who ought to know better. Should you get rid of your gas stove? 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. It was also unfairly and inaccurately used to ostracize LGBTQ students, who are not necessarily part of the furries subculture, in which people dress up as animals. Administrators have had to debunk everything from rumors of menacing clowns terrorizing students in 2016 to more recent claims that schools are indoctrinating students through critical race theory, the academic concept that teaches race is a social construct embedded into legal systems and policies. 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. I really hope they stop repeating that (rumor), Young says. Furries are a subculture of people who dress up as anthropomorphic animal characters, sometimes developing online fursonas and attending conventions, one of which, Anthro New England, is scheduled for January in Boston. However, our Midland PS stakeholders may be confused about a false message/accusation that has resurfaced this week and is gaining traction in the social media realm.. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.". Humans can find intimate connections when they gather, but its not usually the reason they engaged in the activity. We have more than enough to do in teacher education than to debunk false stories. Co-founder Courtney Plante, a social psychologist, wrote a July 2017 essay for Psychology Today titled, Whats the Deal with Furries? It was subtitled, What a decade of research reveals about a misunderstood subculture.. Educators of color say its often another person seeing their potential and pushing themthat got them into leadership. 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. 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. The school districts saythese claims are untrue. Kids who identify as furries get a litter box in the school bathroom, Ms. Maddock wrote in a Facebook post sharing the video of the board meeting. The litter boxes rumor circulated on social media and local radio shows earlier this year. From the Morning Sun: Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow took to Facebook Thursday, addressing false rumors that litter box accommodations were being made for students who identify as "furries.". The wave of misinformation reflects discontent among many conservatives around how the concepts and politics of gender identity are rapidly shifting. This story has been shared 149,250 times. litter boxes in schools south dakota furries in schools bath iron works litter box kids identifying as furries litter boxes in school bathrooms north dakota schools Maine litter boxes Maine school litter boxes Maine school litter boxes Maine litter boxes in school Maine school litter boxes litter boxes in schools litter boxes furries Maine schools litter boxes furry schools litter boxes school school Maine schools litter boxes Schools litter boxes furries . Pursuit of the fursuit: The joys of being furry and making furfriends, Manage your Advertiser Democrat Subscription, Manage your Livermore Falls Advertiser Subscription, Manage your Franklin Journal Subscription, Manage your Rumford Falls Times Subscription, Manage Your Rangeley Highlander Subscription, Sun Media Groups Western Maine Weekly Subscriptions, Mark LaFlamme: Dead batteries and bruised tailbones, In a word: The long and short of well-known names, Harrison, West Paris kids are all in on winter, George Fox returns to Ukraine for third time, Its a new year, start fresh: reuse, recycle, reduce, Part 1, Katherines Bakery & Cafe expands, all the way up the street. Its a fandom. Some politicians issued warnings about children acting as cats during debates regarding school policies related to transgender and nonbinary youth. In Minnesotas gubernatorial race, former state Sen. Scott Jensen has taken some bizarre positions in recent months. "It is unconscionable that this afternoon I . However, its worth noting there are many marginalized statuses within the furry community. Awareness of what's occurring outside of school can be beneficialor a hierarchical hell in the wrong hands, Michael Fullan says. The fandom is centered around an interest in anthropomorphism, or human characteristics given to animals, according to Sharon Roberts, co-founder of a furry research group called Furscience. Breakout sessions are held for specific groups, such as people in fox suits or deer suits, Pratt said. We have furries and fuzzies in classrooms, Bolduc said at an Oct. 27 campaign event in North Hampton, N.H. They lick themselves, theyre cats. A similar claim from parents that students dressed as cats were bringing litter boxes to Iredell-Statesville Schools led board members to propose a ban on all furry costumes, Queen City. It is me, but more. crivez un article et rejoignez une communaut de plus de 158 000 universitaires et chercheurs de 4 538 institutions. In the end, Plante wrote, furries are no different than anyone else they have the same need to belong, need to have a positive and distinct sense of self, and a need for self-expression.. Please wait for the page to reload. 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. Todd Dorman. This is absurd. It started with a comment at a school board meeting, which was later amplified by a Michigan state Republican leader, and culminated with a school superintendent explaining that, no, there were no litter boxes on school grounds for students to use if they identified as furries. One of the most recent examples involves a relatively unknown community. It is unconscionable that this afternoon I am sending this communication, however, our Midland PS stakeholders may be confused about a false message/accusation that has resurfaced this week and is gaining traction in the social media realm, he wrote. 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. Every school district that has been named by those 20 politicians said either to NBC News or in public statements that these claims are untrue. Harmful misinformation about furries is running rampant on social media and even being promoted to some school boards. In January 2022, for example, unfounded rumors were circulated on social media . Laura Baker/Education Week and Irina Strelnikova/iStock/Getty. Ben Goggin is the deputy editor for technology at NBC News Digital. Ive studied more than 40,000 furries from 70 different countries over a decade, she said. All of the claims have been debunked, often by school leaders themselves who posted statements on social media and school websites to limit the rumors spread. As my colleague, Courtney Plante, says: For most folks, dehydration, lack of feeling or seeing anything, overheating and clumsiness are not conducive to sexual arousal. The Michigan Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday, and Ms. Maddock could not be reached. 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. NBC included the information in a report saying the kitty litter box rumors have become a GOP talking point in states including Colorado, Minnesota and Tennessee. It then popped up in a number of communities as the 2022 midterms campaign season gained traction.