Retiring Prinsburg state representative Tim Miller's legacy on the Minnesota House floor forms the lede of Politfact's analysis, Debunking, rebuttals didn’t stop claim about litter boxes in schools from spreading before midterms.
Madison Czopek begins:
Since January 2022, when it was propelled across the internet in the U.S. by a conservative Twitter account, the false claim has stubbornly persisted that school districts are providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats or furries.
Republican politicians and right-wing figures with large followings kept the claim alive, often repeating stories they’d supposedly heard from friends or seen online, without offering evidence to substantiate them.
"In my district, I had a pastor come to me and he said he is being told that in the one school district — and I’m not saying this is the case, we don’t know, it’s unconfirmed," said Minnesota state Rep. Tim Miller, a Republican, in April. "But he is being told by multiple people that there is a litter box in one of the locker rooms."
Miller was one of three lawmakers in the state who shared the unsubstantiated rumor that month.
In the months leading up to the midterm election, online mentions of the false narrative increased significantly, as Republican candidates repeated the hoax and news outlets tried to put the falsehood to rest. . . .
Miller isn't the only Minnesota Republican mentioned in the article:
. . . his fall, the claim was repeated by Republican New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee; Scott Jensen,the Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota; U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; and [Seth] Rogan.
Rogan later walked back his claim: "It doesn’t seem that there’s any proof that they put a litter box in there." . . .
The article delves into the cultural and political dynamics of the rumor-mongering--definitely worth a read, especially because Miller's fellow cat box scratchers Eric Lucero and Steve Drazkowski have graduated to the Minnesota Senate.
For those still busy with Christmas and holiday shopping, the Poynter Institute publication provides a summary of the research:
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
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Online mentions of the false narrative that schools are providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats or furries intensified in the months before the 2022 midterm election, an analysis shows.
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Despite a complete lack of evidence and rebuttals from schools, conservative political candidates, pundits and elected officials continued to repeat the unsubstantiated claim.
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The falsehood reflects a misunderstanding of gender identity and the furry community that dehumanizes LGBTQ people, experts told us.
Perhaps Miller will stick to his battle against reproductive rights and privacy. A cat lady can only hope.
Related posts
- MNGOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen repeats Draz & Tim Miller's school furry logic
- Did Tim Miller's House floor remarks on litter boxes for school kids inspire BOLD prank?
- MNHouse Republicans falsely claim schools are providing litter boxes for kids identifying as cats
- [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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