Reading around Greater Minnesota media this afternoon, I came across JP Cola's report School officials getting calls about "Litter Box Challenge" at Willmar Radio:
(Olivia MN-) BOLD School District Superintendent Jim Menton says they are getting calls from concerned community members stemming from a prank that originated on the Tik Tok video-sharing website. Menton says kids try to record shocked reactions from parents or relatives when they tell them that their school is providing litter boxes for students that identify as animals. Menton says it's an obvious prank, but some people have taken it seriously...
...Menton says it's hard to believe anyone would believe such a silly notion...
...Willmar Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Holm says he hasn't gotten any calls yet, but just in case, he wants to make sure everyone knows they are not providing litter boxes for students who identify as animals.
Now where have I heard this before?
Oh yes: on the floor of the Minnesota House last April. And one of the people asserting this "silly notion"? Retiring state representative Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, who serves most of Renville County, home to many of the community residents who send their kids to the Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian School District.
Bluestem reported last April 28 in MNHouse Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for kids identifying as cats:
We'd read debunkings of that one over and over for the past few months, including Polifact's Rated-Pants-On-Fire Schools are putting litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate kids who identify as furries. Claim about schools providing litter boxes for students debunked in several states.
At the Minnesota Reformer, Rilyn Eischens captured the moment in a news brief, Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for students identifying as cats:
Minnesota Republicans repeated debunked tales about schools providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats during debate over the House education budget bill Wednesday.
Reps. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, and Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg, shared the fictional stories in support of Drazkowski’s proposal to give lawmakers control over a statewide student survey.
The anecdotes show, Miller said, how the Minnesota Student Survey’s questions about gender and sexuality encourage “moving to the absurd” in allowing students to explore their identities. Democrats condemned the comments as inaccurate and harmful to LGBTQ youth, who are disproportionately likely to face bullying and mental health issues.
“I get concerned that people watching this may think members are intending harm, or at least feel that harm,” said Rep. Dave Pinto, DFL-St. Paul. “I want to make sure that transgender kids, all gender kids, know that you are loved. You are normal exactly as you are, in your own skin.”
Unsubstantiated rumors about schools providing accommodations for students who believe they’re animals or identify as furries — a subculture of people who enjoy acting like and dressing up as animals — have spread across the country for months. The claims, all debunked, have been spurred on by social media posts, outraged parents and lawmakers in several states, often in connection with arguments that schools’ diversity and inclusion efforts have gone too far.
The Minnesota Student Survey has been given every three years since 1989. It’s the only source of statewide data on students’ health and safety, with questions on topics including nutrition, sexual behavior, after-school programming and substance use. Schools and the state use the data to track trends in student well-being and apply for grants.
Drazkowski took issue with questions like “What is your gender identity?,” saying he didn’t know what some of the options meant and couldn’t remember if there’s a “blue gender or a green gender.” He thanked education committee chair Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, for explaining to him the meaning of “cisgender” — which describes a person whose gender matches their sex assigned at birth — during a committee hearing.
“Apparently, members, it means you’re normal,” Drazkowski said. “It’s the way God designed you.”
Rep. Eric Lucero, R-St. Michael, also spoke in favor of Drazkowki’s proposal, arguing that the survey stands in the way of schools getting “back to basics.”
“Whether a person believes themselves to be an animal, or some other inanimate object, or ‘two-spirited’ or whatever this other junk is that’s being taught in these schools —” Lucero said, referencing “Two Spirit,” an Indigenous term that encompasses a range of genders and sexualities. Democratic Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn — a descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe — interrupted with a point of order.
A number of Democrats called on Drazkowski, Miller and Lucero to apologize for disparaging LGBTQ and Indigenous people. They refused, with Drazkowski saying “truth” has to “prevail over feelings of what we think we want to be.” Miller said the criticisms were offensive to 95% of people in his district; and Lucero added, “I love all children, but there’s the reality that love sometimes has to be tough.”
“There have been some hateful, disrespectful things said on this floor today,” Becker-Finn said, addressing her comments to Two Spirit and queer Minnesotans. “We love you just the way you are. You are exactly who the creator wanted you to be. You are exactly what your ancestors dreamed of. You are not alone, and you are loved.”
Watch that moment in our post, [VIDEO] Watch Jamie Becker-Finn's MNHouse floor message to #LGBTQIA & #TwoSpirit youth.
As for Miller, that's some leadership. One wonders whether it's some sort of grooming for kids' tall-tale telling.
It's the sort of leadership we reported in late August in Retiring state rep Miller to push unconstitutional local ordinances for new PLAM Action job. Yesterday, Miller told Willmar Radio that he'll be getting some outside legal help for those unconstitutional local ordinances:
In the meantime, a group called PLAM Action, headed by State Representative Tim Miller of Prinsburg, is approaching city councils across the state, asking that they pass ordinances declaring themselves abortion-free, or "Life Cities"...
....Tim Miller says he realizes there would be legal challenges to such ordinances, but says The Thomas Moore Society has agreed to not only help write the ordinances, but also pay to legally defend them. Miller says while many small towns don't have medical clinics to perform surgical abortions, there's always the abortion pill . . .
...Miller says at this point no towns have passed abortion free, or "Life City" ordinances, but hopefully there will be some soon.
According to Wikipedia:
The Thomas More Society is a conservative[1][2] Roman Catholic[3][4] public-interest law firm based in Chicago.[5][6] The group has been engaged in many "culture war" issues, promoting its anti-abortion and anti-same-sex marriage beliefs through litigation.[5] The society filed cases as part of Donald Trump's failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump was defeated. . . .
We hope someone's cleaning the cat-box in Miller's mind, because the dung must be fairly fragrant by this point.
Related posts
- MNHouse Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for kids identifying as cats
- Retiring state rep Miller to push unconstitutional local ordinances for new PLAM Action job
- Tall grass prairie? State representative Tim Miller goes to Moorhead for grassroots organizing
- [VIDEO] Watch Jamie Becker-Finn's MNHouse floor message to #LGBTQIA & #TwoSpirit youth
Photo: A cat identifying as a cat, using a litter box.
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