![]() ![]() ![]() Rumors sparked public outcry and calls for administrative action from concerned parents, with a school board in Statesville, North Carolina proposing a formal ban on animal costumes. Throughout 20, online rumors of students dressing and acting like cats circulated, spurred on by prank videos. Brown wrote an opinion piece in The Christian Post opposing to transgender accommodations and gender-affirming procedures, stating, "if we don't stop this downward slide, we might soon be required to provide litter boxes for people who identify as cats." Some conservative politicians and alt-right media commentators had used false litter box rumors to generate alarm about what accommodations for LGBTQIA+ students might lead to, and have falsely accused LGBT-inclusive educators of "child grooming". In 2016, American radio show host Michael L. made a concerted push to ban books from libraries, predominantly those discussing race, sexuality, and gender. In 2022, parents and advocacy groups across the U.S. High rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among transgender youth were also cause for concern. School boards in the late 2010s and early 2020s saw heightened controversy (described by some as a moral panic or culture war ) surrounding accommodations for transgender, non-binary, and otherwise gender-variant students, such as unisex restrooms, and allowing students to use bathrooms and participate on sports teams corresponding to their gender identities. Sharon Roberts, a faculty member at Renison University College and co-founder of a furry research group called Furscience, had not, in a decade of researching furry conventions, encountered any instances of furries using litter boxes. Īccording to Lynn McNeill, a folklorist at Utah State University, false rumors of furries using litter boxes date back to at least the early 2000s as satire, and became a recurring urban legend. ![]() LGBTQIA+ identity is substantially over-represented among furries compared to the general population. While the fandom is popularly perceived as such, it is not innately sexual or fetishistic. Although many furries identify closely with an original character ( fursona), many view their participation in the fandom solely as a hobby, and do not identify as or perceive themselves to be animals. Background People in fursuitsįurries are a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, with fandom members frequently often interacting with others through online roleplay, art, conventions and cosplay. Some conservative politicians and activists argued that protections for LGBTQ+ students in schools had "gone too far" and that litter box accommodations are what they might lead to next, despite there being no confirmed instances of schools providing litter boxes for students to defecate or urinate in, or planning to do so. The hoax spread in North America largely as backlash against recognition of gender variance in schools. Several parents of school-age children have amplified the hoax on social media websites such as Facebook. Ahead of the 2022 elections, several prominent American politicians and media personalities spread the hoax, including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Minnesota Republican gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen, Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Heidi Ganahl, retired brigadier general and New Hampshire Republican US Senate nominee Don Bolduc, podcast host Joe Rogan (who later clarified there was no "proof that they put a litter box" in a particular school), Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok, and Christian talk show host Bill Cunningham. In the United States, popular media coverage of the hoax originally revolved around a school in Michigan in December 2021, but spread to schools in several other states. ![]() Rumors spread to other Canadian provinces and schools. The hoax was reported in Prince Edward Island in October 2021 and initially thought to be a joke, but had to be formally disavowed as misinformation circulated on social media. The claims have been described as internet trolling, fearmongering, and anti-transgender rhetoric. Many news outlets, fact-checking websites, and academic researchers have debunked such claims, and officials from every school named by those promoting the hoax have verified that the accusations are false. Various American conservative and far-right politicians and media personalities promoted the hoax in response to several school districts enacting protections for transgender students. In 20, a false rumor alleged that certain North American schools were providing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who "identify as cats", or who participate in the furry or otherkin subcultures. ![]()
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