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![]() | On 25 December 2022, it was proposed that this article be moved to Litter box canard. The result of the discussion was not moved. |
I left the following feedback for the creator/future reviewers while reviewing this article: Hello, the article should state that this was a hoax. Perhaps the title also..
Bruxton ( talk) 21:41, 5 September 2022 (UTC)
There is some prehistory (if you will) to these rumors. For at least 10, maybe 15 years, stories have circulated online of attendees at furry conventions requesting litter boxes for their hotel rooms. These too are likely hoaxes that originated from and have been perpetuated by Internet trolls, as I'm not aware of any credible instances of it actually happening. However, nearly all such discussion took place on social media sites and website comment sections that wouldn't qualify as reliable sources by Wikipedia standards, so it may be difficult to find references to back it up. As far as we know, these rumors were just furry haters doing Internet troll things and it's doubtful they were motivated by transphobia. mwalimu59 ( talk) 12:53, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: SUPPORT for move to litter boxes in schools hoax. Minnemeeples ( talk) 13:37, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
Litter boxes in schools → Litter boxes in schools hoax – In order to correctly identify the subject as a hoax. The current title suggests that the article is about actual litter boxes in schools, not about the hoax. Surachit ( talk) 17:44, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
When the subject of an article is referred to mainly by a single common name, as evidenced through usage in a significant majority of English-language sources, Wikipedia generally follows the sources and uses that name as its article title. It is not disputed that this is a hoax, but by policy we don't put the word "hoax", "conspiracy theory" and like to the titles since that is unnecessary editorializing (and can be rightfully seen as pontificating). Since nobody has presented evidence (other than a bare assertion) that this is commonly known as "Litter boxes in schools hoax" in RS, I cannot support the move. Tip: check out the titles in Category:Hoaxes and check out how many titles that aren't NDESC use the word "hoax" or similar. No such user ( talk) 13:17, 13 October 2022 (UTC)
The photo of an actual normal litter box seems to me to somehow lend a sense of concrete reality to the idea that litter boxes were in schools. That doesn't seem like a good idea, given that it's a hoax. Novellasyes ( talk) 12:43, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Who is writing this article? The DNC? It's hyperpartisan, right-wing this, right-wing that. I don't fault anyone for believing anything when it's obvious that almost any lunacy can find political support these days. MurrayGreshler ( talk) 04:53, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
The article starts saying "The Litter boxes in schools hoax is an urban myth". That seems strangely contradictory. Is it a hoax, a delibrately fabricated falsehood, or is it a myth, a false storie making the rounds? Worded like it is now it might even imply that there is an urban myth that there is such a hoax. Str1977 (talk) 08:25, 12 November 2022 (UTC)
I've done a dive into this out of an interest in hoaxes and mythology, and it appears several of the premises of the article are not accurate. The earliest mass/national press coverage of this that I could located actually was from August 2021, and came from Jezebel ( https://jezebel.com/we-salute-the-teen-furries-taking-over-this-kentucky-hi-1847565515) which seems to publicize a claim from Meade County, Kentucky about this happening in Spring 2021. They were channeling a local news report based on an anonymous claim from a grandmother (so no direct knowledge, it would seem). I'll dive into this more, but I expect to make a significant text edit that will anchor the dates better and make it less politically-charged (which isn't helping this otherwise interesting hoax). Neptune1969 ( talk) 16:05, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: not moved. Clear consensus against the move. ( closed by non-admin page mover) echidnaLives - talk - edits 11:05, 1 January 2023 (UTC)
Litter boxes in schools hoax → Litter box canard – WP:GOOGLE results for the phrase "Litter boxes in schools hoax" overwhelmingly show webpages that reference this Wikipedia page, and citing them would run afoul of WP:CIRCULAR. The name "Litter box canard" for this particular hoax is sourced. [1] [2] I WP:BOLDly moved the page to this sourced name, but Valjean reverted to the previous name, citing WP:BRD. CJ-Moki ( talk) 07:48, 25 December 2022 (UTC)
commonly recognizablethan litter box canard. – RoxySaunders 🏳️⚧️ ( 💬 • 📝) 10:29, 25 December 2022 (UTC)
References
The litter box canard also serves another political purpose: Trying to scare parents.
Yet, here we are playing whack a mole with the litter box canard.
I'm aware of a couple of cases where claims have been made that schools or teachers are required to allow/acknowledge students who identify as furries or animals (usually cats), but without any mention of litter boxes.
One example occurred in a print newspaper sent to Illinois voters just a couple of weeks before the 2022 midterm elections. The one I received was called The McLean County Times, and they have website, but I couldn't find some of the more shocking stories from the print edition on their website. Note that the same publisher has more than thirty other similar publications with essentially the same content (at the above link, scroll down near the bottom to 'Other Publications'). What's available online indicates the site is heavily right-leaning, but the above-mentioned print content that's missing from the website would likely get a rating of questionable source/conspiracy theories. It's almost as if they knew keeping those stories off the website would make them harder to scrutinize.
Another recent story, caught George Takei's attention, involves an Arizona woman named Lindsey Graham (not to be confused with the South Carolina senator), who tried wearing a cat costume to a school board meeting, claiming to identify as a cat, the stunt intended to mock the school's policies on transgenderism.
In both of the above examples, there is no mention of litter boxes, but they are more direct about conflating gender identity and 'species identity'. Given that, would it still be okay to address claims such as these in this article? That's not either of these are well-sourced enough to merit inclusion, but even if not, most likely there have been other instances and they may continue to happen in the future. mwalimu59 ( talk) 19:28, 26 December 2022 (UTC)
Might it be worth adding a mention of North Dakota HB 1522, which (as drafted) prohibits "providing a place, facility, school program, or accommodation that caters to a student's perception of being any animal species other than human", and Oklahoma SB 943, which prohibits "engag[ing] in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries"[sic]? Neither explicitly mentions litterboxes, but the hoax would appear to have inspired these clauses. I appreciate that suitable reliable sources will be needed to support the connection - plenty of unreliable ones are available, so it's just a case of finding a source that meets WP:RS. Tevildo ( talk) 09:49, 10 April 2023 (UTC)
Just noting that there may be some legitimate uses of cat litter in a school to mop up spills of dangerous or bad-smelling liquids, for instance spilled oil or vomit. So schools may actually be purchasing it, just not for the purpose mentioned in the hoax. That might actually be the origin of the hoax.
Not sure if adding this to the article would improve it however. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ambrosechapel ( talk • contribs) 23:00, 22 June 2023 (UTC)
It is true kids are dressing like cats. Uxbridge school district allows it. 159.250.11.207 ( talk) 16:12, 19 July 2023 (UTC)
No literal litter boxes in the stories, but is it worth including the June 2023 story about pupils at a UK school supposedly identifying as cats ( Rye College#Gender identity controversy)? Some of the commentary at the time ( https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/23/pupil-identifies-as-cat-claims-denied/, https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/25/natasha-devon-lbc-cat-school-recycled-homophobia/) saw it as a continuation of the US hoax.
I wrote it up for this article in this edit in July, but it's since been removed. Belbury ( talk) 14:52, 23 August 2023 (UTC)
![]() | This article is rated B-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
![]() | This has been
mentioned by multiple media organizations:
|
![]() | On 25 December 2022, it was proposed that this article be moved to Litter box canard. The result of the discussion was not moved. |
I left the following feedback for the creator/future reviewers while reviewing this article: Hello, the article should state that this was a hoax. Perhaps the title also..
Bruxton ( talk) 21:41, 5 September 2022 (UTC)
There is some prehistory (if you will) to these rumors. For at least 10, maybe 15 years, stories have circulated online of attendees at furry conventions requesting litter boxes for their hotel rooms. These too are likely hoaxes that originated from and have been perpetuated by Internet trolls, as I'm not aware of any credible instances of it actually happening. However, nearly all such discussion took place on social media sites and website comment sections that wouldn't qualify as reliable sources by Wikipedia standards, so it may be difficult to find references to back it up. As far as we know, these rumors were just furry haters doing Internet troll things and it's doubtful they were motivated by transphobia. mwalimu59 ( talk) 12:53, 9 October 2022 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: SUPPORT for move to litter boxes in schools hoax. Minnemeeples ( talk) 13:37, 17 October 2022 (UTC)
Litter boxes in schools → Litter boxes in schools hoax – In order to correctly identify the subject as a hoax. The current title suggests that the article is about actual litter boxes in schools, not about the hoax. Surachit ( talk) 17:44, 10 October 2022 (UTC)
When the subject of an article is referred to mainly by a single common name, as evidenced through usage in a significant majority of English-language sources, Wikipedia generally follows the sources and uses that name as its article title. It is not disputed that this is a hoax, but by policy we don't put the word "hoax", "conspiracy theory" and like to the titles since that is unnecessary editorializing (and can be rightfully seen as pontificating). Since nobody has presented evidence (other than a bare assertion) that this is commonly known as "Litter boxes in schools hoax" in RS, I cannot support the move. Tip: check out the titles in Category:Hoaxes and check out how many titles that aren't NDESC use the word "hoax" or similar. No such user ( talk) 13:17, 13 October 2022 (UTC)
The photo of an actual normal litter box seems to me to somehow lend a sense of concrete reality to the idea that litter boxes were in schools. That doesn't seem like a good idea, given that it's a hoax. Novellasyes ( talk) 12:43, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
Who is writing this article? The DNC? It's hyperpartisan, right-wing this, right-wing that. I don't fault anyone for believing anything when it's obvious that almost any lunacy can find political support these days. MurrayGreshler ( talk) 04:53, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
The article starts saying "The Litter boxes in schools hoax is an urban myth". That seems strangely contradictory. Is it a hoax, a delibrately fabricated falsehood, or is it a myth, a false storie making the rounds? Worded like it is now it might even imply that there is an urban myth that there is such a hoax. Str1977 (talk) 08:25, 12 November 2022 (UTC)
I've done a dive into this out of an interest in hoaxes and mythology, and it appears several of the premises of the article are not accurate. The earliest mass/national press coverage of this that I could located actually was from August 2021, and came from Jezebel ( https://jezebel.com/we-salute-the-teen-furries-taking-over-this-kentucky-hi-1847565515) which seems to publicize a claim from Meade County, Kentucky about this happening in Spring 2021. They were channeling a local news report based on an anonymous claim from a grandmother (so no direct knowledge, it would seem). I'll dive into this more, but I expect to make a significant text edit that will anchor the dates better and make it less politically-charged (which isn't helping this otherwise interesting hoax). Neptune1969 ( talk) 16:05, 1 December 2022 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: not moved. Clear consensus against the move. ( closed by non-admin page mover) echidnaLives - talk - edits 11:05, 1 January 2023 (UTC)
Litter boxes in schools hoax → Litter box canard – WP:GOOGLE results for the phrase "Litter boxes in schools hoax" overwhelmingly show webpages that reference this Wikipedia page, and citing them would run afoul of WP:CIRCULAR. The name "Litter box canard" for this particular hoax is sourced. [1] [2] I WP:BOLDly moved the page to this sourced name, but Valjean reverted to the previous name, citing WP:BRD. CJ-Moki ( talk) 07:48, 25 December 2022 (UTC)
commonly recognizablethan litter box canard. – RoxySaunders 🏳️⚧️ ( 💬 • 📝) 10:29, 25 December 2022 (UTC)
References
The litter box canard also serves another political purpose: Trying to scare parents.
Yet, here we are playing whack a mole with the litter box canard.
I'm aware of a couple of cases where claims have been made that schools or teachers are required to allow/acknowledge students who identify as furries or animals (usually cats), but without any mention of litter boxes.
One example occurred in a print newspaper sent to Illinois voters just a couple of weeks before the 2022 midterm elections. The one I received was called The McLean County Times, and they have website, but I couldn't find some of the more shocking stories from the print edition on their website. Note that the same publisher has more than thirty other similar publications with essentially the same content (at the above link, scroll down near the bottom to 'Other Publications'). What's available online indicates the site is heavily right-leaning, but the above-mentioned print content that's missing from the website would likely get a rating of questionable source/conspiracy theories. It's almost as if they knew keeping those stories off the website would make them harder to scrutinize.
Another recent story, caught George Takei's attention, involves an Arizona woman named Lindsey Graham (not to be confused with the South Carolina senator), who tried wearing a cat costume to a school board meeting, claiming to identify as a cat, the stunt intended to mock the school's policies on transgenderism.
In both of the above examples, there is no mention of litter boxes, but they are more direct about conflating gender identity and 'species identity'. Given that, would it still be okay to address claims such as these in this article? That's not either of these are well-sourced enough to merit inclusion, but even if not, most likely there have been other instances and they may continue to happen in the future. mwalimu59 ( talk) 19:28, 26 December 2022 (UTC)
Might it be worth adding a mention of North Dakota HB 1522, which (as drafted) prohibits "providing a place, facility, school program, or accommodation that caters to a student's perception of being any animal species other than human", and Oklahoma SB 943, which prohibits "engag[ing] in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries"[sic]? Neither explicitly mentions litterboxes, but the hoax would appear to have inspired these clauses. I appreciate that suitable reliable sources will be needed to support the connection - plenty of unreliable ones are available, so it's just a case of finding a source that meets WP:RS. Tevildo ( talk) 09:49, 10 April 2023 (UTC)
Just noting that there may be some legitimate uses of cat litter in a school to mop up spills of dangerous or bad-smelling liquids, for instance spilled oil or vomit. So schools may actually be purchasing it, just not for the purpose mentioned in the hoax. That might actually be the origin of the hoax.
Not sure if adding this to the article would improve it however. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ambrosechapel ( talk • contribs) 23:00, 22 June 2023 (UTC)
It is true kids are dressing like cats. Uxbridge school district allows it. 159.250.11.207 ( talk) 16:12, 19 July 2023 (UTC)
No literal litter boxes in the stories, but is it worth including the June 2023 story about pupils at a UK school supposedly identifying as cats ( Rye College#Gender identity controversy)? Some of the commentary at the time ( https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/23/pupil-identifies-as-cat-claims-denied/, https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/25/natasha-devon-lbc-cat-school-recycled-homophobia/) saw it as a continuation of the US hoax.
I wrote it up for this article in this edit in July, but it's since been removed. Belbury ( talk) 14:52, 23 August 2023 (UTC)