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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[–] KonalaKoala@lemmy.world 10 points 6 hours ago

I wonder if this topic needs to be x-posted to !furry@lemmy.world

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 41 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Nothing is more pathetic than a politician who believes their own propaganda.

[–] projectsquared@lemmy.world 14 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Do they really believe it or do they know how fucking gullible a large swath of their electorate is?

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 11 points 6 hours ago

The Conservative Propaganda Machine has been recruiting and indoctrinating consrvatives since Rush Lbaugh hit the airwaves in the mid-80s. We are now 2-3 generations removed from that, and people who were raised on hearing conservative propganda at the dinner table, and conservative "values," have grown up and run for office.

Some of them recognize that its all a long con, but quite a few of them believe the propaganda as well. Then there are those who believe the propaganda, and and also see conservatism as a life hack to get what you want by immoral, unethical, and illegal behavior.

[–] Juliee@lemm.ee 21 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

He is probably a furry in secret, very effective way to make these things happen.

It takes real dedication to make a career in politics as republican with a single plan to turn kids into furries by goading them into protesting anti furry bill

[–] KiwiFlavor@lemmy.blahaj.zone 55 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Beyond the blatant stupidity of the bill, the most concerning part is the definition of "non-human behavior." I would not be surprised if some schools interpreted queer people, those with disabilites, and those from minority ethnic, religious, or racial groups to be exhibitong "non-human behaviors." These groups have already been dehumanized historically.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 18 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Absolutely. Any vague language has a way of being misinterpreted by the most fanatical and used for evil.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 13 points 21 hours ago

That child is dressed like a plant! Arrest him!

[–] EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 19 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Unless animal control can run up to 60mph, that cheetah kid is getting away.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 22 points 22 hours ago

Cheetah kids can only maintain 60mph over a short distance. If animal control can follow at a steady pace, they'll catch up eventually.

[–] pleasegoaway@lemm.ee 60 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] spizzat2@lemm.ee 8 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

The bill makes exceptions for mascots, school plays and Halloween.

Source

Or starting on page 4 of the bill

[–] Eddy@lemm.ee 20 points 1 day ago

You can't even meow, so no learning about the noises animals make

[–] sowitzer@lemm.ee 9 points 1 day ago

Almost every school mascot today is some sort of non offensive animal. Puma, panther, golden eagles, a few others. Probably setting up the magas who want to go back to some real non woke “American hero” names. Gen Lee Slavemasters, red injun killers, white supremists, things like that. lol.

[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 57 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The litter box in schools thing happened in all of my dad's WhatsApp friends schools, but there's no pictures of it 🤔

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 47 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

It started because of school shootings, ironically enough. If you’re in a lockdown for hours while the cops take their sweet time, (coughUvaldecough), there’s a near 100% chance that at least one of the children in your class is going to need to use the restroom during that time.

Luckily, camp toilets are a thing:

They’re basically a 5 gallon bucket with a snap-on toilet seat lid. You use a trash bag to line it, then sprinkle an alginate powder in, (the same powder used in diapers) and it turns into a gel when it gets wet. This helps avoid the smell and splashing, and a single small sachet of alginate powder is enough for the entire bucket.

As an added bonus, you can use the bucket to store other things that might be needed in a shooting or extended lockdown. Tourniquets, gauze, protein bars, etc… It’s all there in a single grab-and-go location. Lockdown starts, you pull the bucket out of the closet, dump all the supplies out, and set it in the corner for kids to use if they need to pee.

But this very quickly got flipped around, because conservatives didn’t want the left to start using “schools need toilets in the classrooms because school shootings are so frequent” campaigns. So they flipped it around, and said schools were providing litter boxes to furries. There’s also a heavy anti-trans lean on the litter boxes messaging, which just plays into the conservative fear mongering even more.

[–] CanadianCarl@sh.itjust.works 7 points 22 hours ago (6 children)
[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 0 points 3 hours ago (3 children)

We have a scenario where 8 blue states have effectively banned concealed carry, 27 red states have said concealed carry is legal without a license, and 15 (former) swing states need licenses to carry concealed weapons.

Over 30 million Americans have obtained such licenses since the early 2000's. Those 30 million Americans now hold pro-gun opinions. They have each invested thousands of dollars on expensive firearms, ammunition, range time, classes, targets, gun safes/lockers, holsters, belts, clothing compatible with concealment.

Democrats have consistently pushed for "stricter gun laws" like you are talking about. Those gun laws were never popular among the people in 27 red states, and once 30 million people in the (former) swing states started picking up licenses, those laws stopped being popular there as well.

"Stricter gun laws" being popular in only 8 states, yet being a central plank in the Democratic party, is how several swing states have turned reliably red over the past 25 years.

Stricter gun laws gave us Trump. Twice.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

They have each invested thousands of dollars on expensive firearms, ammunition, range time, classes, targets, gun safes/lockers, holsters, belts, clothing compatible with concealment.

No, actually a lot of 'em skip a lot of those steps. They have the expensive firearms, and ammunition, but rarely practice at the range, mostly don't take any classes, targets? meh - why waste money on targets when we've got old cans?, gun safes are for sissies with kids, etc.

After hurricane Andrew in Miami, there was a long period where services like 911 just didn't exist. I thought briefly about getting a Glock 9mm and a pump action 12 gauge, but when it came to the reality of ownership I could foretell that I wouldn't spend as much time at the range as I believe I should if I were to keep such things in my home, so I opted to not buy them. 32+ years later, there have been a couple of incidents over the years where I might have pulled my weapon if I had it, none of them could have had a better outcome if I had my weapon at the time. Flipside: my stepfather concealed carried for 40 years - as was his Constitutional right. He planned scenarios, shared them, was prepared should he ever need to use one of his many weapons - his collection was probably worth $50K by the time he died. He was also an alcoholic, and eventually addicted to opioid pain killers, never gave up his guns. Luckily the only thing he ever shot besides ducks while hunting was a bookshelf by accident while cleaning his guns. All those years, all that planning on when and how to take another human life should the need ever arise, all those years and years of drug clouded judgement... I do NOT feel safer knowing that there are literally thousands of old men, and women, at various stages of dementia and infirmity out there in our county just like him.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

I pointed out the cost to demonstrate the depth of their concern. You aren't likely to cast a vote to ban your own hobbies. You aren't going to vote to make your collections worthless.

20-some years ago, I took my first concealed carry class. 30 people in the room, and only 6 of us (including me and two of my brothers) had ever fired a gun before.

Democratic leadership never bothered to consider how gun ownership would affect the political opinions of all those new gun owners in swing states. It just shunned them as Republican baby killers, and wondered why they were losing votes.

[–] CanadianCarl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Us? There has only been 9 school shootings, since 1975. I voted recently for NDP for my MP, my riding voted for a Conservative MP. Liberals won as a minority government, with Conservatives and Bloc Québécois coming in 2nd and 3rd.

Australia used to be full of guns, until the government peacefully bought back guns.

I still think U.S. citizens have too many guns.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

The number of guns we have is completely irrelevant to the matter at hand. The relevant issue is the opinions of the people who would actually be affected by the law.

Gun control is one of the major reasons why people in 42 of our 50 states are dissatisfied with the Democrats. Gun control is one of the major reasons why Trump is now in office.

Democratic leadership should have learned this lesson two decades ago, when our Federal Assault Weapons Ban sunsetted, Democrats couldn't get it renewed, and the US went from generally banning concealed carry to generally licensing it. Failing to recognize that fact in 2004, Democratic leadership should have picked up on it from pro-gun legislation passing in 42 states. But no, they were hell bent on pushing 1980's gun control efforts, and ignoring any pushback against that position.

Democratic leadership refusing to follow the will of the people is how the US got itself in this disaster.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The assault weapons ban in Australia forced the retirement of the entire set of politicians who voted for it.

They have no regrets, it is a good law and makes their country a better place to live for them and their children.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 1 points 1 hour ago

The assault weapons ban the US had from 1994 to 2004 didn't force the retirement of the entire set of politicians who voted for it. It simply drove the majority position across party lines, and left everyone wondering how the hell the Democrats become so out of touch with their own constituents.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, what the Democrats need to do is to keep shifting to the right.

/s

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 0 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Gun control in the US is a centrist position, not a leftist position. Both the left wing and the right wing are pro-gun, and largely for the same reasons.

Its the centrist, corporatist, CEO-owned Democratic leadership who doesn't want guns.

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 1 points 9 hours ago
[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 6 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Best we can do is take away hypothetical litter boxes in school.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 hour ago

I mean, there's a position nobody is going to argue against, amirite?

[–] CanadianCarl@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 hours ago

Where is the class cat supposed to piss, if you do that?

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[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 18 hours ago

No need to complicate things. A couple handfuls of sawdust eliminates the smell too

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[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 52 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We truly live in the dumbest timeline. Seems like ~50% of the population has no "bullshit filter".

They have an “actively seek out bullshit that props up my radical beliefs and hatreds” filter.

[–] helloyanis@jlai.lu 35 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If anyone wants the wikipedia article about this litter box in schools thing, here you go+

[–] kshade@lemmy.world 4 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

One thing I'd like to see under Reactions would be one from furries, because we don't want litter boxes. That's not a thing. The whole premise is broken.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

It's wiki entries like this that clearly label it as a hoax which is why Republicans think Wikipedia is woke.

[–] helloyanis@jlai.lu 5 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Oh no, look! A website gathering from various quotes and sources and citing them to build a complete and comprehensive page of information about something!

Even if anyone doesn't "trust" wikipedia, you can look at the sources or do your own ressearch.

But for any subject keep in mind to cross-check the info of your sources with multiple other sources and see if they tell you the same thing!

I understand that most people won't do it for news feeds they see online but if someone passes a law about this, it's the absolute least you can do!

Sometimes (most of the time lately) I'm happy to not be a resident of the US to avoid stupid stuff like that

Edit : Just added the link to the furries act article in the see also section!

[–] match@pawb.social 9 points 1 day ago

what, have they have been finding examples of trans kids in school sports?

[–] Sumocat@lemmy.world 198 points 1 day ago (14 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)

Hey, America, what the fuck?

[–] 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.

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[–] JPSound@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

At no point I do I think bullying should be allowed in schools but the reality is that if a kid was demanding a litter box in which to relieve themselves, they would get ostracized, bullied into oblivion, and that behavior would stop right away. No legislation required. Humans have a way of self correcting themselves in group environments. It's an evolutionary trait from our days as tribes.

Again, bullying is a huge problem that needs to be taken far more seriously in our school systems... Buuuut, humans will act like humans, especially human children, when it comes down to things way outside the norm. Its just the way we are at this stage in evolution.

bullying is a huge problem that needs to be taken far more seriously in our school systems

I fear the reason bullying isn't taken seriously in schools is because those in positions of power frequently use bully tactics to get there. Fascists and bullies are one and the same, and on some level, corrupt school administrators know that. School bullies provide useful extensions of fascist behavior, applied by peers to encourage conformity in environments where adults are absent. Why would fascists in charge ever want to stop that?

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 40 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Of course not. Like most of their "anti-woke" ideas, they are based on lofty ideas.

They do this to misdirect you from the real problems, those that they usually caused all by themselves.

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