- Public schools in Brevard, Florida, have implemented a ban on clothing and accessories that imitate “non-human characteristics.”
- This decision comes as a response to conservative claims that children are identifying as animals.
- Reuters fact-checking has debunked these claims, confirming that students do not identify as animals or engage in animal-like behaviors at school.
Last week, a unanimous vote by a school district in Florida led to a ban on clothing associated with “furries.” This decision comes after multiple meetings addressing the unfounded myth that schools are accommodating students who identify as animals. According to a report by Florida Today, the ban on clothing items with “non-human characteristics” was added to the new policy due to concerns raised by students in a dress code survey.
The term “furries” refers to a community interested in anthropomorphic or animated animals. The new guidelines prohibit items like cat ears, tails, and collars at Brevard schools, as reported by Florida Today.
Although the policy does not explicitly mention furries, previous discussions surrounding the policy focused on furry-related attire within the community and among board members, according to Florida Today.
During a prior board meeting covered by Florida Today, board chair Matt Susin expressed his concerns about furry behavior, stating, “What it does is, they then do the barking and all the other weird stuff.”
This myth about children identifying as animals is linked to conservative rhetoric targeting transgender students. MetroWeekly reports that Republican politicians have connected concerns about children choosing their gender to concerns about children identifying as animals.
The ban on non-human attire is one of many responses to accusations that school districts are accommodating students who identify as animals. Despite these claims made by at least 20 politicians, a NBC News investigation found that the districts deny the existence of such a policy.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert claimed that schools in Durango, Colorado, had litter boxes for students who identified as cats. However, the district spokesperson refuted this claim, stating that it was “absolutely not true,” as reported by the Colorado Times Recorder.
A fact-checking investigation by Reuters confirmed that there is no evidence supporting the claim that students are identifying as animals or that schools are recognizing them as a protected identity group.
These false accusations contribute to fears surrounding gender nonconforming and transgender individuals. Florida Today’s reporting revealed that the litter box issue was merely a “talking point” used to imply that protecting LGBTQ+ students would lead to accommodating students identifying as animals.
Similar claims about litter boxes arose in a board meeting for Michigan’s Midland Public School district when parents protested the school’s implementation of federal regulations allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their gender identity, as reported by LGBTQ Nation.
Nikita Shephard, a PhD candidate at Columbia University, explained in an interview that comparisons between the furry subculture and transgender identification are not valid. These comparisons gain traction by invoking centuries-old tropes that associate marginalized groups with animals.
Shephard stated, “It’s a way of mocking, poking fun at, and demonizing… young people’s efforts to challenge the gender binary and live more expansive lives.”
Despite concerns about vague enforcement of the dress code, Florida Today reported that the ban was passed without changes and will be implemented in the upcoming school year.
Insider reached out to the Brevard district for comment but did not receive a response.
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