What are ‘furries?’ Debunking myths about kids identifying as animals, and litter boxes in schools

Furries attending the annual Pittsburgh Anthrocon. Much harmful misinformation has been spread about furries in recent years. (Furscience), Author provided Editor’s Note: Anthrocon (Thu, Jul 4, 2024 – Sun, Jul 7, 2024) is an annual furry convention that takes place in Pittsburgh, each June or July.& It caters to furries, which are fans of fictional anthropomorphic animal characters in art and literature. by Sharon E. Roberts, University of Waterloo From abortion to book bans, critical race theory and transgender rights, much political rhetoric in the run-up to the mid-term elections in the United States has centered around “culture war” issues. One of the most recent examples involves a relatively unknown community. It feels like everyone has an opinion, or heard a rumour, about kids dressing up as animals, calling themselves furries and demanding litter boxes. Harmful misinformation about furries is running rampant on social media and even being promoted to some school boards. However, misunderstanding furries was mainstream long before it became political. Prior to the litter box rumors, furries were seen as sexual deviants — an idea that was reinforced by popular media that emphasized the sensational over facts. If your knowledge of furries comes mostly from television or...