this post was submitted on 03 May 2025
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A Texas bill, known as the FURRIES Act, would ban non-human behaviors in public schools, including the use of litter boxes and wearing animal accessories.

Rep. Stan Gerdes, the bill's author, claimed schools were providing litter boxes for students acting as "furries."

When pressed, Gerdes could not find an example. The bill was left pending in committee.

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[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 198 points 1 day ago (7 children)

To be clear, cat litter buckets in classrooms is a real thing in some schools but only to use in active shooter lockdowns if needed. When a classroom of kids is trapped for hours, someone will need to poop, and they’re going to want to cover up it and not smell it the whole time. So unfortunately there’s a perfectly valid reason for kids to poop in litter buckets at schools that these conspiracists, who are probably the same nutjobs who think school shootings are fake, are twisting into furry accommodation.

[–] preussischblau@lemmy.ca 188 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 38 points 1 day ago

We're pretty stupid over here right now. Sorry, world.

[–] Bunbury@feddit.nl 14 points 1 day ago

Here I was laughing at a silly man trying to forbid something that never happens. Now I’m sad again. How on earth is this the lived reality of so many children? Can’t do much from over here in Europe but what the heck.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Slight misinfo here.

I was not able to find anyone selling or providing kitty litter buckets for active shooter response kits. I think kitty litter would not be an idea lchoice because it relies on absorbing moisture, swelling, and covering the feces via the cat's natural scraping behavior.

However, their are a number of classroom lockdown kits that do include a 5 gallon bucket to shit in, and a deodorizer tablet/solution.

[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

It was a DIY solution, not a kit, but great to know the idea was monetized.

[–] termaxima@programming.dev 20 points 1 day ago

The extreme irony of course, is that the same kind of person who thinks school shootings don’t exist, is the kind of person who shoots up a school.

[–] grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org 26 points 1 day ago

Tbh, kitty litter sounds like a practical idea in case of a lockdown. I was just cautioned to make sure my office trash bin doesn't have any cracks.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Yup.

And they'll do this dumbass shit before addressing gun violence or police who hang out scrolling on their phones during school shootings instead of stopping them, every single time.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Uh... citation needed 🤦🏼‍♂️

[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"The only known official instance of cat litter being placed in school classrooms for potential use by students was in the late 2010s by the Jefferson County Public School District in Colorado, where the 1999 Columbine High School massacre took place. Some teachers were given "go buckets" that contained cat litter to be used as a toilet in an emergency lockdown situation, such as during a school shooting.[4][43][44]" — Note: official instance. I’ve been told it was popular enough for someone to sell premade “go buckets”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litter_boxes_in_schools_hoax

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 17 hours ago

Exactly. Fuckin' FUD getting slathered around, and I'm the bad guy for hinting it's bullshit?

Whee, the internet. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[–] grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)