this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2025
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The Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education, or FURRIES, Act, filed by Austin-area Republican State Rep. Stan Gerdes, would "prohibit any non-human behavior by a student, including presenting himself or herself, on days other than exempt days, as anything other than a human being."

The law would allow for exempt days, such as Halloween and other school dress-up days.

The law defines "non-human" behavior as "any type of behavior or accessory displayed by a student in a school district other than behaviors or accessories typically displayed by a member of the homo sapiens species," with provided examples being:

Using a litter box for the passing of stool, urine or other human byproducts

A personal or outward display, except during a school play or by a school mascot, through surgical or superficial means of features that are non-human such as using tails, leashes, collars or other accessories designed for pets

Using fur, other than naturally occurring human hair or a wig made to look like human hair

Artificial, animal-like ears

Other physiological features that have not historically been assigned to the human race through a means of natural biological development

Students who bark, meow, hiss or make other animal noises that are not human speech

Licking oneself or others for the purpose of grooming or maintenance.

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[–] Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 20 hours ago

A grown ass man had to write this for the express purpose of stopping kids from playing at school.

Stan Gerdes what the fuck is wrong with you dude? Who hurt you?

[–] Pandantic@midwest.social 12 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

That means these are illegal now too:

girl wearing a bejeweled car ear headband.

As well as goths/punks wearing collars. Both of these are things I did in high school, and I’m not a furry. This is so dumb.

[–] NutWrench@lemmy.ml 10 points 19 hours ago

So does this mean no more Christmas plays about Jesus, where the kids dress up for the manger scene as donkeys and camels? Or will there be a "special exemption" for that?

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 10 points 20 hours ago

GOP is against the thriving mascot community!

[–] SparrowHawk@feddit.it 12 points 21 hours ago

Lol most furries are plane engineers or somthin so they're angering the wrong ppl

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think we're running into a phase where Republicans are proposing laws based on shared boomer facebook posts and the like rather then actual concrete issues.

[–] Gold_E_Lox@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 2 points 19 hours ago

Sadly, it's not. This is who they are, and always have been

[–] theluckyone@discuss.online 42 points 1 day ago

The party of small government and personal freedoms.

Obviously, they were talking about their personal freedom to dictate the freedom of everyone else.

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 43 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Goth girls wore collars when I was in high school, before furries were a thing.

[–] comfy@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 day ago

FWIW, furries have have been 'a thing' since at least 1980. (just trivia: I know you're talking about trends in your area)

[–] imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works 113 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The party of small government

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago

Eggs are like $9/dozen.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 63 points 1 day ago

If enacted, I'm guessing the main effect of this would be to make "meow" the new standard greeting among a large fraction of the student population in Texas high schools.

[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 35 points 1 day ago

I'm PROUD that they CUT my Child's Lunch and Teacher's salary so they could focus on THIS!

[–] RonnyZittledong@lemmy.world 72 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's just one of several modern versions of satanic panic used to distract the dummies while they fleece them.

[–] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Is anyone actually worried about this?

Edit: about children pretending to be cats.

So many people believe the litter box thing. So many that it made it into this law. We're surrounded by idiots.

[–] Gerudo@lemm.ee 46 points 1 day ago

Hey DOGE, these are the dumbasses wasting taxpayer money.

[–] Hoimo@ani.social 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But licking oneself or others for the purpose of affection is still fine, right??

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

sorry Mr Sanders, you and your chicken man are going to jail.

1000001265

[–] Limonene@lemmy.world 60 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Using a litter box for the passing of stool, urine or other human byproducts

They put that in the law because they want people to think it actually happens.

It reminds me of the time that a proposed bill outlawed "critical race theory" in schools, which it defined (in part) as teaching that present-day white people must feel guilty about past slavery. But nobody had ever taught that.

[–] 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They do have cat litter. Its used during lockdowns when a child is locked in their classroom and cant leave to use the restroom. One school in particular that has cat litter is Columbine.

In my day it was also useful for cleaning up puke.

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[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

If nothing else in my life, it does make me feel powerful how fucking afraid of me that republicans are.

[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 51 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Lots of students with verbal communication issues about to be illegal. As are students with artifical limbs or organs or even glucose monitors. Also who gets to decide this: "other than behaviors or accessories typically displayed by a member of the homo sapiens species"?

[–] supernight52@lemmy.world 49 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's vague, specifically so they can invoke it against any child they consider part of the "out group"- like trans, n/b, autistic, developmentally handicapped, socially handicapped, awkward, queer, "strange," brown, wrong religion, wrong clothes, wrong facial expression... the list can go on. The cruelty is the point. Fascists are literally comic levels of evil. If you are not one of "them" you are evil, bad, and need removed. Same for the ideologically impure. Shit is going to get extremely crazy within the next few months to year.

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[–] supernicepojo@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Homey, they about to defund and empty the DoE, every single person in need of an IEP are about to be screwed. The students wont be illegal, they just wont be allowed in the new private school system for espousing anti-social behaviors.

Edit: I do not adhere or condone destroying the public school system in any way. The fact that the US has been defunding and legislatively attacking public schools since the 60s is deplorable behavior

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[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 48 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Jesus Christ, someone buy these guys a fursuit already. I'll chip in. We can do a GoFundMe.

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[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Students who bark, meow, hiss or make other animal noises that are not human speech

The cow says "you're under arrest".

[–] Colors@lemmy.world 52 points 1 day ago

It’s actually the pig that says that.

[–] Calcifer@eviltoast.org 36 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Okay, obvious queerphobia/freedom of expression issues and "how are these malignant societal tumors still on the debunked litter box thing" aside... Do none of these idiots remember that children often role play as animals because they have imagination and they are children? Have they even met children?!? Pretty sure "horse firefighters" or "we're all evil cats today" etc. are a common type of game played at recess or whatever. They have nothing to do with being a furry and everything to do with just regular human development? Are these people really paranoid and threatened by childhood make-believe games?

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yo they can peel my chokers from my cold dead hands

[–] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I love how there's exempt days. You can dress up like a furry once in a while as a treat.

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[–] Nikelui@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Artificial, animal-like ears Other physiological features that have not historically been assigned to the human race through a means of natural biological development

Great outrage in the anime community following catgirls ban.

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[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago

You have to laugh

[–] 5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.uk 1 points 9 hours ago

That's... really something, I'm not sure what, but it's definitely a thing.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 day ago

Leopards? Faces?

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

I bet they classify homosexual behavior as not part of normal homosapiens behavior.

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