Texas GOP lawmaker introduces Furries Act after falling for the litter-boxes-in-schools hoax
A group of people dress up as anthropomorphic animals, aka furries. (Getty)
A group of people dress up as anthropomorphic animals, aka furries. (Getty)
Texas Republican lawmaker Stan Gerdes has introduced something called the ‘Furries Act’, after falling for an internet hoax.
The myth that claims teachers are “putting litter boxes in school bathrooms for the students who identify as cats”, has seemingly resulted in a proposed bill that aims to ban furries in schools.
The Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education Act, also known as the Furries Act and HB4814, was introduced in the Texas House of Representatives by Gerdes last week, and won the backing of the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott.
The bill set out punishments for schools if teachers didn’t clamp down on children acting like animals, proposing a fine of $10,000 (£7,700) for the first offence and $25,000 (£19,300) thereafter.
Behaviour such as “meowing”, “wearing leashes” and “licking oneself or others” were highlighted as behaviour to be banned, as well as “using a litter box for the passing of stool, urine, or other human byproducts.”
‘We have to keep this nonsense out of our schools’
“I can’t believe we have to do this,” Gerdes said in a written statement, The Dallas Express reported. “But we cannot allow these types of role-playing distractions to affect our students who are trying to learn, or our teachers and administrators who are trying to teach.
“We have to keep this nonsense out of our schools.”
Andrew Kaiser, a member of the furry community, noted a flaw in the bill: exhibiting non-human behaviour is a part of childhood. “Children are encouraged to play make-believe, Disney is attempting to make billions of dollars every year encouraging people to identify with cartoon animals,” he pointed out to the Dallas Observer.
Where did the litter-boxes-in-schools hoax start?
The myth is believed to date back to the early 2000s, and became more prevalent in the 2010s when schools began providing unisex toilets for trans, non-binary and gender-non-conforming pupils.
At the beginning of 2023, the urban legend resurfaced in a now-deleted tweet from retired NFL coach Tony Dungy.
The former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, who has voiced anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, responded to a Daily Wire story about a Minnesota state legislator pushing for schools to provide students in grades four through 12 with access to period products.
“That’s nothing,” Dungy claimed. “Some school districts are putting litter boxes in school bathrooms for students who identify as cats. Very important to address every student’s needs.”
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