If Republicans are consistent about one thing, it’s hate. Actually, they’re consistent on at least two things: hate and guns. And if they can rile up their voters to get active for the midterm elections by churning hate while burying gun violence as an ongoing issue in this nation? All the better, apparently.
One example comes to us from the recent Republican rallying cry about furries. Furries are typically people who have an interest in anthropomorphic animals; for example, you might see someone dressed up like a fox or a rabbit, but walking on two legs instead of four, or with other human characteristics. Being a furry doesn't necessarily correlate with any particular gender identity or sexual orientation, but conservatives have tied furries into their ongoing anti-trans efforts to paint queer people as predators, especially when it comes to kids and schools.
Where is this going? Well, a number of conservatives have pushed a conspiracy theory, arguing that we need measures like the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill (even on a federal level) because kids are being encouraged to be furries while at school and are using litterboxes in the classroom. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is the latest example of a conservative claiming that this is actually happening and that (surprise, surprise) it’s a result of indoctrination and radical leftists, as covered by LGBTQ Nation.
The real reason you can probably find cat litter in schools is sad and disturbing enough on its own. But Republicans won’t want voters to know about that.
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As for some bigger-picture context, Johnson is not the first conservative to use this conspiracy theory as anti-trans fuel. For example, QAnon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has waxed hysterical about the same thing, as has state Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Nebraska. As has Colorado’s Lauren Boebert. As has Minnesota’s Scott Jensen. Oh, and Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance has repeated it. Big social media players including the infamous Libs of TikTok and Joe Rogan have also pushed the dangerous narrative.
But in Johnson’s case, a caller who reached out during a virtual town hall event alleged his niece told him that her school provided litter boxes for students who identified as cats. Johnson told the caller he was “well aware” of this issue. He claimed that during the (ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic, parents have become more aware of the “indoctrination” by “radical leftists” within public education.
Johnson said he listened to a “radio show” in which England’s National Health Service declared that being trans is simply a “phase” for children and that we shouldn’t “accommodate” it. Johnson, of course, continued with anti-trans rhetoric by saying trans youth shouldn’t have access to gender-affirming health care. He also blamed teachers for “pushing this stuff” on students.
Here is that audio clip.
The real reason there might be cat litter in public schools? In case students need to use the bathroom or get sick during a school shooting or lockdown drill. As NBC News went into while debunking this bizarre conspiracy theory, some schools do have litter and buckets ready to go in the event of an emergency … and all too often here in the United States, that emergency is related to gun violence, including in our schools. According to NBC News, one school district that has an emergency supply of litter also has maps of the school, candy for diabetics, and first aid supplies. Sadly, it makes a lot of sense.
It also makes sense that Republicans are latching on to this hateful urban legend just in time for the midterm elections. Conservatives hope, at the end of the day, that they can distract their voters from the real issues. Instead of talking about their failures to lead amid COVID-19, for example, they’re happy to raise hysteria about drag queens reading to kids. Instead of talking about police brutality, they’ll yell about antifa. Instead of talking about gun violence n schools, they’ll find a way to blame trans folks for simply existing. It’s a mess, but it’s a familiar one.
Republicans are nothing if not consistent in their hate, but we’ve got to make sure we’re just as consistent when it comes to getting to the polls.
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