#Bostelman

[autotrails]

American Auto Trail-Grand Army of the Republic Highway (Bryan to Napoleon OH)

American Auto Trail-Grand Army of the Republic Highway (Bryan to Napoleon OH) https://youtu.be/Tn9PmjlPNzk This American auto trail explores Ohio Highway 34, previous U.S. 6, east from Bryan, Ohio, to the city of Napoleon on the Maumee River.

[reportwire]

These Candidates Pushed 2022’s Dumbest Conspiracy—Schoolkids Using Litter Boxes—And Many (But Not All) Lost Big

These Candidates Pushed 2022’s Dumbest Conspiracy—Schoolkids Using Litter Boxes—And Many (But Not All) Lost Big

Topline Far-right candidates who promoted the thoroughly debunked theory that schools are providing litter boxes for students who identify as animals didn’t fare well Tuesday, with several key Trump-allied candidates losing their elections—although a few big names survived. GOP candidates, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have spread the debunked theory that … [+] students are…

[camimanz]

Misinformation Information

misinformation: refers to false information that is disseminated in good faith

Republican state Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Nebraska fell victim to a hoax circulating the internet regarding teenage furries using litter boxes in schools. He decided to continue to spread this misinformation at a televised event, without providing any sort of proof, only hearsay. As a high ranking politician with this amount of reach and power he should have fact-checked the claims before continuing to spread the misinformation. His speech is the misinformation in this case. When researching for information on these claims online you would find 0 legitimate claims and mostly just strangers on the internet putting it onto social media with no 

mal-information: refers to information that is disseminated with the intent of doing harm

Since the tragic earthquake in Turkey, many people have stepped up in donating funds to support those who have been affected. Unfortunately, many people try to take advantage of others’ kindness and set up fake donation links that will only benefit themselves. BBC News has outlines some examples of scammers trying to play at people’s emotions and asking for donations. One of the example accounts @TurkeyRelief, is a good example of how to find if the account is legitimate. The account itself was created in January 2023, only has 31 followers, and at the time of making this, less than 100 tweets (all asking for donations). Another hint is that the redirects take you to a personal Paypal page and also request payments in cryptocurrencies, a humanitarian relief fund would never do either of these.

disinformation: is false information circulated with the intent of doing harm

When Taylor Swift announced her Eras Tour the demand and media attention was so immense her long-time fans began to panic about not getting a chance to get tickets. Some fans began to spread negative rumours about her in an attempt to sway casual fans away from supporting her on tour. These tweets generated thousands of retweets from other Taylor fans hoping it may actually work in lowering the demand. A quick fact check, and google search will show no proof to support any of these claims. Particularly, searching the second cannibal related tweet on twitter or google will show you several examples of this exact text copied and pasted being used for other celebrities for the same cause - to lower demand.

[solo1y]

Litter Box Hoax Comes To Ireland

Part of a series of my OnlySky articles. This was published in April 2023.

When I grew up in Ireland in the 1980s, it would take months for a movie to go from general release in America into my local cinema. Nowadays, everything is everywhere all at once. Apparently, anti-trans propaganda is following the 1980s protocol.

You might have heard a story. It’s always the same. It comes from someone you trust. This person insists that it was told to him by someone close to the source. A child in a local school is identifying as a cat. This child has furthermore demanded a litter tray be provided by the school to accommodate their new identity.

It may seem like this is a harmless fun story that adds some local colour to your morning news trawl. However, they are dangerous lies. Right-wing anti-trans politicians use these lies to galvanise public opinion against trans kids.

If you can’t spot the pipeline from litter box stories to damaging policies targeting trans people, you are in the right place.

Where did this stupid story come from?

The source of this myth may be an op-ed published in the Christian Post in 2016. The title of that piece is “Should We Provide Litter Boxes for People Who Identify as Cats?” Refreshingly,  there is no suggestion in the piece that it has ever happened. The writer is also kind enough to unambiguously link his hypothetical scenario to an attack on “transgender rights.”

There was a dramatic uptick in these stories in 2022. This was possibly related to the 2022 mid-term elections in November of that year.

In January 2022, a school in Michigan issued a statement on Facebook about the “false message” and “wild accusations”. The comments underneath that post demonstrate a very common reaction to the debunking of these stories. One Facebook user said that while that story had been proved false, “it wouldn't be surprising if it did happen”. For some, it seems, the rumours do so much damage that a full retraction does nothing to repair it. Maybe that’s the point.

In March 2022, Republican Nebraska state senator Bruce Bostelman apologised for spreading the rumour. At least one newspaper was good enough to explain how this rumour is linked to “laws to ban transgender students from using bathrooms.”

In August 2022, Boston Children’s Hospital had received “a large volume” of threats which appeared to be a “very coordinated campaign.” The hospital “does not perform genital surgeries as part of gender-affirming care on patients under the age of 18.”

In September 2022, Republican law-makers in Tennessee claimed there was a “crisis” of cat students across the state. There was not one single case.

On 3 October 2022, CNN debunked the “bizarre hoax claim”, this time promulgated by Scott Jensen, a Republican candidate in Minnesota.

On 12 October 2022, the rumour got a bump from Joe Rogan. “My friend, his wife is a schoolteacher and she works at a school,” he said, citing his source. It’s always someone you know. He later very begrudgingly retracted the claim.

There were soon similar claims in Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois and even Prince Edward Island in Canada.

In late October, John Oliver demonstrated how trans people are targeted at every level of society by violence and intimidation. Part of his show discussed the “humiliating nonsense” spread about trans people, “perhaps the stupidest of which” is the litter box rumour.

In November, a school in New Hampshire had to deal with the “disruptive and demeaning hoax”. Again, it was emphasises that these stories are maliciously “used to ostracize LGBTQ students”.

So far, the only case of any school anywhere using cat litter boxes involves rather grim preparations in case of school shootings in a Colorado school.

We have this in Ireland too.

Bang on schedule, in January 2023, a school in Cork reported “a string of completely false claims” about a student identifying as a cat. The school was good enough to explain the these stories were invented “for the purpose of fear-mongering over gender non-conformity.”  

Just last month, similar rumours were spread about Thornhill College in Derry in Northern Ireland. The school described the rumours as an elaborate hoax.

Why would people believe this gibberish?

It’s a mix of yellow-press sensationalism and our old friend, conformation bias. Every single official who made this claim in public was right-wing. Right-wing politicians in the Republican party are currently engaged in a “coordinated national campaign against trans rights”. The ultimate expression of this campaign is hundreds of anti-trans laws in almost every state.

If you already suspect that young people choosing their identity is inappropriate, this story will appeal to you. If you already believe that trans people should not be accommodated in the education system, this story will appeal to you. If you have anti-trans feelings but have an atavistic understanding that this puts you on the wrong side of history, you can gloat along with a story that hits all your prejudices without mentioning trans people at all.

What can I do?

If we have been fooled by these stories, we shouldn’t feel too bad. They are specifically designed to take advantage of our weak human brains. The good news is we can be better. When we hear a story that seems fantastical, we can wait for confirmation from any reputable news sources. My aunt who knows someone who heard the story is not a reputable news source. If a story seems to fit dramatically into our opinion on a very tense cultural issue, we can be suspicious. We all love the dopamine hit we get from Being Right but we don’t have to let it control us.

And we don’t have to allow far-right lawmakers manipulate us so easily into helping cause lasting damage to vulnerable people.

[camisnotes]

Misinformation Information

misinformation: refers to false information that is disseminated in good faith

Republican state Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Nebraska fell victim to a hoax circulating the internet regarding teenage furries using litter boxes in schools. He decided to continue to spread this misinformation at a televised event, without providing any sort of proof, only hearsay. As a high ranking politician with this amount of reach and power he should have fact-checked the claims before continuing to spread the misinformation. His speech is the misinformation in this case. When researching for information on these claims online you would find mostly just unverified strangers on the internet putting it onto social media with no sources to backup their claims

mal-information: refers to information that is disseminated with the intent of doing harm

Since the tragic earthquake in Turkey, many people have stepped up in donating funds to support those who have been affected. Unfortunately, many people try to take advantage of others’ kindness and set up fake donation links that will only benefit themselves. BBC News has outlines some examples of scammers trying to play at people’s emotions and asking for donations. One of the example accounts @TurkeyRelief, is a good example of how to find if the account is legitimate. The account itself was created in January 2023, only has 31 followers, and at the time of making this, less than 100 tweets (all asking for donations). Another hint is that the redirects take you to a personal Paypal page and also request payments in cryptocurrencies, a humanitarian relief fund would never do either of these.

disinformation: is false information circulated with the intent of doing harm

When Taylor Swift announced her Eras Tour the demand and media attention was so immense her long-time fans began to panic about not getting a chance to get tickets. Some fans began to spread negative rumours about her in an attempt to sway casual fans away from supporting her on tour. These tweets generated thousands of retweets from other Taylor fans hoping it may actually work in lowering the demand. A quick fact check, and google search will show no proof to support any of these claims. Particularly, searching the second cannibal related tweet on twitter or google will show you several examples of this exact text copied and pasted being used for other celebrities for the same cause - to lower demand.

[joeinct]

Rhythm, Photo by Enrique Bostelman, 1968

[noreligionisgood]

A Nebraska state senator, Bruce Bostelman, last month warned of an alarming new variety of deviance making its way into the state’s schools. “It’s something called furries,” he said. Schoolchildren, Bostelman claimed, were identifying as cats or dogs. “They meow and they bark.” And educators, indulging them, “are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for the children to use,” said Bostelman.

Perhaps needless to say, none of this was true. Bostelman later apologized for spreading falsehoods, saying, “It was just something I felt that if this really was happening, we needed to address it and address it quickly.”

What interests me is why he thought this was really happening, and not just in decadent enclaves like New York City or San Francisco, but in his own Midwestern backyard.

Part of the answer is surely social media. As The Associated Press reported, the rumor, a mockery of transgender identification, has persisted in a Facebook group called Protect Nebraska Children. The same rumor has cropped up in Iowa, where a school superintendent had to send out a letter to students and parents debunking it; in Michigan, where a parent brought it up at a school board meeting; and in Wisconsin, where it was spread by a conservative radio host.

The deeper question is why apparently functional adults find these outré suburban legends plausible. My theory is this: The current freakout over sex and gender identity in schools is a generational conflict, one driven in large part by older adults’ fear and bafflement at the sexual mores of the young.

The “satanic panic” of the 1980s, a frenzy of accusations of ritual child abuse that resulted in the conviction of dozens of innocent people, was driven in part by deep anxiety over working women and day care. Four decades later, the country is once again in a moral panic about monstrous things being done to children, with teachers and entertainers accused of “grooming” them for abuse. And once again, it’s driven in large part by unease over rapidly changing gender roles and norms.

[puipui-official]

I've never seen someone so het up about furries who is also so very wrong about what furries even are. Like, normally people who get upset about furries actually know what furries are? This man seems to think they are preschooler catkin? I'm so confused.

[pashterlengkap]

GOP Senator Ron Johnson says he’s “well aware” of kids using litter boxes in schools

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is the latest Republican politician to insist that kids are using litter boxes in schools as part of a rant attacking transgender youth. During a recent tele-town hall event, Johnson was questioned by a caller who claimed that his niece told him that her school had provided litter boxes for students who believe they are cats. The caller, who identified himself as a former Democrat, wanted to know whether the senator had heard about things like that happening and whether Johnson would support a federal law similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Johnson responded that he was “well aware of this.” “One of the things that COVID did was that parents were looking over their kids’ shoulders and they became aware of the indoctrination of our children by radical leftists within our education system,” he said. He went on to claim that he’d heard “on a radio talk show” that England’s National Health Service (NHS) has declared that “transgenderism” is “just a phase for children” and that we shouldn’t “accommodate the phase.” Johnson continued his misinformed rant saying that children should not be given “gender-blocking drugs” or receive “sex change operations.” In reality, gender-affirming genital surgeries are not performed on minors. Johnson concluded by claiming that teachers are “pushing this stuff on our kids.” NEW: During a tele-town hall, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told a caller he was “aware” of litter boxes in schools, that teachers push “transgenderism” on students and schools should “not accommodate the phase” trans kids are going through (all are false). https://t.co/8uphkfCuwN pic.twitter.com/5DAT9rZbkh — Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) October 26, 2022 Contrary to Johnson and other Republicans’ fearmongering, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, and other major medical/mental health organizations all support gender-affirming care for young people when appropriate. This often involves affirming young children’s gender identity via social transitioning, and in the case of older youths, the use of reversible puberty blockers to hold off the permanent changes of puberty so that young people have more time to understand their gender identities better. Puberty blockers have been shown to significantly reduce lifelong suicide risk among transgender people. As for Johnson’s false claim that kids are using litter boxes in schools, the absurd hoax has recently become a common talking point among Republicans attempting to demagogue transgender people. The rumor, which has been spread by anti-LGBTQ social media accounts like Chaya Raichik’s Libs of TikTok, seems to originate with a parent in Michigan who opposed allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. At a school board meeting in January, Lisa Hansen claimed that she had heard that students who identified as cats were using litter boxes in one school’s unisex restroom. The school board was forced to categorically deny Hansen’s claim. But that has not stopped schools across the country from right-wing figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Nebraska state Sen. Bruce Bostelman (R), conservative podcaster Joe Rogan, and Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen from repeating the anti-trans hoax. Johnson faces Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes in next month’s midterm election. Real Clear Politics‘ polling average shows Johnson is up by 3.3 points ahead of Barnes. http://dlvr.it/SbpQ3L

[globalfurrytv]

US politician apologises for litter bin rumours

US politician apologises for litter bin rumours

中文： 美国政治家为猫砂盒的谣言道歉 翻译 幻璃 收看：节目即将公布 Taking furries into politics: This year, it’s the US. Last year, a school board meeting was held in Michigan state. That time, a parent was worried about a rumour. The rumour claimed schools will put litter boxes in washrooms for kids who “identify as cats” – furries. This year, Senator Bruce Bostelman amplified the rumours in the State Senate. He even…

[glassofteajlc]

Republican Retracts False Claims Schools Providing Litter Boxes For Furries

Nebraska state lawmaker Bruce Bostelman has apologized after citing a debunked rumor that schools are accommodating children who self-identify as cats by placing litter boxes in bathrooms. What do you think?

Read more...

[inspire-by-desirec]

Republican Retracts False Claims Schools Providing Litter Boxes For Furries

Nebraska state lawmaker Bruce Bostelman has apologized after citing a debunked rumor that schools are accommodating children who self-identify as cats by placing litter boxes in bathrooms. What do you think?

Read more...

[jack-davvson]

Republican Retracts False Claims Schools Providing Litter Boxes For Furries

Nebraska state lawmaker Bruce Bostelman has apologized after citing a debunked rumor that schools are accommodating children who self-identify as cats by placing litter boxes in bathrooms. What do you think?

Read more...

[kristablogs]

Republican Retracts False Claims Schools Providing Litter Boxes For Furries

Nebraska state lawmaker Bruce Bostelman has apologized after citing a debunked rumor that schools are accommodating children who self-identify as cats by placing litter boxes in bathrooms. What do you think?

Read more...