The dislike and hostility toward furries is a fairly common sentiment among many Republicans. Recently, a Texas Republican politician has taken an especially gung-ho approach to eliminating what he calls “non-human behavior” in public schools. Representative Stan Gerdes introduced House Bill 4814, which aims to prohibit animal-like behavior such as wearing accessories like tails, ears, or collars, making unusual noises like barking or meowing, and even using litter boxes on school grounds. Although the bill allows exceptions for school mascots and theatrical performances, many people have responded to it with raised eyebrows.
Not long ago, Gerdes stated that the bill was based on anecdotal reports from a school in Smithville. He even claimed that the district superintendent told him such behaviors were occurring in multiple schools across Texas. However, the Smithville school district later released a direct statement denying these claims, clarifying that no students in their schools were engaging in any kind of animal-like behavior.
Superintendent Cheryl Burns firmly stated that there are no litter boxes in the school and that students are behaving normally. There are certainly no kids wearing cat costumes or meowing at each other. She even walked the school grounds herself to ensure there were no hidden litter boxes anywhere on campus. Despite his claims being directly denied and disproven, Gerdes remains stubborn in his crusade against furries.
While it may sound absurd, Texas’ fear of “furry” behavior likely stems from an old rumor that began circulating online in 2022. In fact, the entire hoax is documented on a Wikipedia page. The rumor, bizarre as it is, claimed that schools were installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identified as animals. Though it started in Canada, the story quickly spread to the United States. While many people recognize the claim as nonsense, some politicians appear to still believe it wholeheartedly.
Internet users are certainly having a field day mocking the so-called “furry bill.” Few people are taking the Texas representative seriously. One Redditor commented, “That’s because Republicans don’t live in reality. I’m a furry and guess what. I had common sense and acted normal in school.”
Others lamented the state of Texas, criticizing politicians who seem more willing to chase conspiracy theories than rely on facts and logic. Some accused Gerdes of stirring up unnecessary drama to divert attention from more pressing political issues. “Political theater. This crap is here just to distract you from the things happening that they don’t want you to notice,” another user wrote.
