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.

  • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.social
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    1 day 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.

  • -☆-@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    2 days 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?

  • NutWrench@lemmy.ml
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    1 day 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?

  • Stern@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    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.

    • comfy@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

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

  • Hoimo@ani.social
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    2 days ago

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

  • kbal@fedia.io
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    2 days 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
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    2 days ago

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

  • theluckyone@discuss.online
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    2 days ago

    The party of small government and personal freedoms.

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

  • glitchdx@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

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

  • Limonene@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    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.