Texas Bill Would Ban ‘Furry Subculture’ from Classrooms

State Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville, introduced the FURRIES Act (Forbidden Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education) on Thursday to prohibit Texas public schools from allowing furry subculture behavior in classrooms and on campuses. The furry subculture involves individuals adopting anthropomorphic animal identities who often dress in costumes and attempt to mimic animal behavior.

“I can't believe we have to do this, but we cannot allow these types of role-playing distractions to affect our students who are trying to learn or our teachers and administrators who are trying to teach,” Gerdes said in a statement. “We just have to keep this nonsense out of our schools.

“No distractions. No theatrics. Just education,” he said. “While school mascots, theater performances, and dress-up days remain part of school spirit, this bill ensures that students and teachers can focus on academics – not on bizarre and unhealthy disruptions. Texas schools are for educating kids, not indulging in radical trends.”

Gov. Greg Abbott expressed support for the bill at a Texas Pastor Council event on Thursday in Austin. “In some small rural sections and school districts,” public schools are dealing with furries, he said. “Kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes.” It’s become such a problem that Gerdes filed a bill “saying no furries in public schools in the state of Texas.”

“You have one expectation your child's going to be learning the fundamentals of education: reading and writing and math and science,” Abbott continued, making his case for the need for school choice in Texas. The Texas Senate already passed its school choice bill; the House held a hearing on Tuesday and is expected to pass it, making history, Abbott said.

If children are “being distracted by furries, their parents have a right to move their child to a school of their choice,” Abbott said. “I'm not telling you anything other than what is just common sense, but common sense is very hard to deal with in this setting.”

LGBTQ Nation criticized the bill, claiming “anti-transgender Republicans” “want to punish students who act like non-human animals in schools.” The Houston Chronicle claimed Abbott “resurrected debunked rumors that public schools were putting litter boxes in classrooms for students dressed as cats.” Several news reports contradict this claim.

Gerdes says he filed the bill in response to concerns expressed by his constituents; a furry-related incident occurred at Smithville ISD, confirmed by the superintendent, he said.

“I fully expect the subculture to show up in full furry vengeance at the committee hearing,” Gerdes said. However, “they won't be getting any litter boxes in the Texas capitol. They will have to use the regular restrooms like the humans they are.”

The bill would amend Texas education code to “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.” Exempt days include holidays like Halloween.

Non-human behavior is defined as: “behaviors or accessories typically displayed by a member of the homeless sapiens species including using litter box for the passing of stool, urine, or other human byproducts;” an individual wearing “tails, leashes, colors, other accessories designed for pet,” including fur. “Barking, meowing, hissing or other animal noises that are not human speech and licking oneself or others for the purpose of grooming or maintenance” also would be prohibited.

The bill directs school boards to adopt student codes of conduct and penalties for violations, including removal, suspension, the disciplinary alternative education program or expulsion and specifies conditions for the penalties, according to the bill language.

It also would amend the Texas Family Code to define mental or emotional injury to a child to include “in an education setting, allowing or encouraging the child to develop a dependence on or belief that non-human behaviors are societally acceptable.” It defines mental and emotional injury, physical injury, sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional or physical welfare, compelling or encouraging a child to engage in sexual conduct, including human trafficking, prostitution, child pornography, use of a controlled substance, child marriage and other acts.

It would allow citizens to file complaints with the Attorney General’s Office and authorize it to file a writ of mandamus requiring compliance with the law.

The criminal element was included as furry-related crimes, including with children, have been prosecuted in other states. A Sun Valley, Calif., man was convicted of three murders after becoming obsessed with a teenager involved in a furry subculture; a furry member was charged with murder and attempted murder in Portland, Ore.; a Pennsylvania man was charged with raping an 8-year-old boy dressed as an animal at furry parties.

U.K.-based Safer Schools Ecosystem has warned that online furry platforms create potential sexual exploitation of children.