{"id":2165805,"date":"2024-02-02T08:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T13:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-a-silly-oklahoma-bill-on-kids-identifying-as-furries-could-help-fight-mental-illness\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T08:16:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T13:16:19","slug":"how-a-silly-oklahoma-bill-on-kids-identifying-as-furries-could-help-fight-mental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-a-silly-oklahoma-bill-on-kids-identifying-as-furries-could-help-fight-mental-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma bill on kids identifying as &#8216;furries&#8217; may aid mental illness battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-a-silly-oklahoma-bill-on-kids-identifying-as-furries-could-help-fight-mental-illness%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2165805&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Oklahoma has \u200bjust declared war against \u201cfurries\u201d in the classroom. Oklahoma State Rep. Justin Humphrey\u2064 recently introduced <a href=\"http:\/\/webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us\/cf_pdf\/2023-24%20INT\/hB\/HB3084%20INT.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House Bill 3084<\/a>, which prohibits furries from K-12 school campuses:\u200c \u201cStudents who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, \u200cor\u2064 who\u2064 engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries\u2062 at school shall not \u2063be allowed to \u2062participate in school curriculum or activities.\u201d If students violate this rule, their parents will be \u200dasked to \u2064pick them up, and if they\u2019re unavailable, \u2064\u201canimal\u200c control services shall be contacted\u200d to remove the student.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>While funny, it\u2019s debatable whether HB 3084 should be an \u200dactual\u2062 law. \u2062At first glance, Humphrey\u2019s \u200cbill seems like\u2063 the Republican version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/03\/29\/1086720579\/lynching-is-now-a-federal-hate-crime-after-a-century-of-blocked-efforts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrats in 2022 passing \u2063a\u2063 law against \u2064lynching<\/a>: political pandering that doesn\u2019t address any real need. There\u2019s an array of other laws and policies (dress codes, student conduct\u2062 handbooks, etc.) \u2064already in \u200cplace to remedy the issue should it arise.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1935289989\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0aab6733de7400e8342ca5883cd525f1 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0aab6733de7400e8342ca5883cd525f1\"><\/div>\n<p>But\u200d there\u2019s more to this bill than meets \u2063the eye. This isn\u2019t just about cracking\u200c down on furries.\u200d As Humphrey explains, this is \u200dabout mental health: \u201cIf you \u200bthink that you\u2019re an animal, that\u2019s a mental health issue, and we need to\u2062 get you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/parents-lawsuit-claims-12-year-olds-suicide-attempts-occurred-after-secret-gender-identity-meetings-with-school-staff\/\" title=\"Parents Lawsuit Claims 12-Year-Old\u2019s Suicide Attempts Occurred After Secret Gender Identity Meetings with School Staff\">mental health assistance<\/a>. Some\u2063 people are going to say, \u2018Well,\u200d they\u2019re being \u200bartistic.\u2019\u200b There\u2019s nothing artistic\u200d about mental illness.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes\u2064 of the Problem<\/h2>\n<p>Although I have no experience with furries, I\u2019ve witnessed many students\u2063 struggling with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-than-1-8-million-california-students-became-chronically-absent-since-covid-19-pandemic\/\" title=\"Over 1.8M CA students chronically absent due to COVID-19.\">poor mental \u2064health<\/a>. Indeed, this is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/2019\/01\/gen-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one of \u200bthe hallmarks of Gen Z<\/a>, \u200dand there\u2019s \u2064no mystery behind the cause. They\u2064 spend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/business\/newsletter\/2022-04-12\/gen-z-spends-half-its-waking-hours-on-screen-time-heres-the-good-and-bad-news-for-hollywood-the-wide-shot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">too much \u2064time on screens<\/a>, avoiding\u200c forming close connections \u200dwith\u200b anyone and \u200bliving most\u200b of their waking lives online. Altogether, this \u200bmakes many of \u2064them feel <a href=\"https:\/\/healthmatch.io\/blog\/the-gen-z-mental-health-wave-what-is-causing-the-surge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">anxious and depressed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By extension, it also causes them to \u200bobsess over their \u2063identities and adopt destructive\u200b habits. \u200cFor any adults tasked with taking\u2063 care of these young people, intervention can become tricky. True, they\u200c can speak up if they see obvious signs\u200d of self-harm, anorexia,\u2063 or \u2063outward aggression that \u2064harms other kids, but if they see a girl changing her name and taking hormones or a boy wearing a collar\u2063 and crawling\u200c to\u2062 class, they may be required to respect that person\u2019s (or furry\u2019s) new\u2062 \u201cidentity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus, these young people act like freaks (for lack of a better word), and neither their \u200bpeers nor their teachers can \u200cask what\u2019s wrong with them. They have to pretend like this is normal \u200cwhen it\u2019s obvious to everyone that happy, well-adjusted people don\u2019t\u200c act\u2062 this way. \u2064There is \u200balways some toxic online influence, abusive relationship, harmful addiction, or source of deep insecurity that inspires a person \u2062to buy wholeheartedly into \u200da ridiculous delusion. In the past, such kids were given reality checks\u200d from\u200b loved ones that broke the spell of confusion and helped them\u2063 live healthy, productive lives. Today, they\u200d are validated and celebrated, which \u200bworsens the \u200dspell and\u2062 alienates them further \u200cfrom their community.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c8ca089b22ecc4d443deddd7c8df143f fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c8ca089b22ecc4d443deddd7c8df143f\"><\/div>\n<p>Of course, those on the identitarian left would object that there is nothing \u201cwrong\u201d with\u200d people who\u2064 feel \u200cmore comfortable identifying as\u2063 something they\u2019re \u200bnot, since this is who they are on the inside. OK, then\u2062 investigating the source of a youth\u2019s\u2063 new \u200cidentity and checking on their circumstances should bear this out. If this is something natural and nondisruptive \u2064and\u2062 makes the person feel happy and fulfilled, then he or she\u2062 should be left\u200b alone. But if the person\u2019s identity\u2064 is something\u2062 unnatural, disruptive, and the expression of\u200d a deep \u200dsadness with life, then he or she \u200dshould get help.<\/p>\n<p>For the time being, too many of these kids are not\u200c getting any help, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/teenage-stress-linked-health-problems-later-life-1861336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studies suggest<\/a> this will affect them \u200cwell into adulthood. Their mental and emotional\u200d disorders are being relabeled as \u201calternative lifestyles,\u201d\u2063 and everyone who cares for them \u2064is forced to play along. It \u2063may seem heavy-handed to pass a\u200d law\u200b that draws the\u200d line at furries, but\u200d it\u2019s better than nothing. With\u200d any\u200c hope, parents who have children struggling with mental illness may finally \u200dbe emboldened to take action, have an honest \u2064conversation, and give them\u200c a much-needed hug.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e26b3ef86b6720388b3b81deafd29451 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e26b3ef86b6720388b3b81deafd29451\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What considerations should\u200c schools take into account when addressing students who\u200c identify as furries?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Erson\u200c to\u200b \u2064adopt such behavior. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Role of Schools<\/h2>\n<p>Schools have an important role to play \u2062in promoting \u200bmental health and \u200baddressing \u200dthe challenges faced by students. It is essential for educators to recognize the signs of \u200bmental distress and provide appropriate support and resources.\u2062 However, it \u200bis equally \u200dimportant to distinguish between genuine \u200dmental health issues and behaviors that may stem from other factors.<\/p>\n<p>The introduction of HB 3084 raises questions about how schools should address students who identify as furries. On one hand, \u2062it can be argued that schools should respect the individuality and self-expression of their students. If a student feels more comfortable expressing themselves through a furry identity, it may be beneficial for the school to create a supportive environment where they can embrace\u2063 and\u2063 explore \u200dtheir identity without fear of judgment or exclusion.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, it is crucial to consider the potential impact \u200con the overall school community.\u200d Allowing students to participate\u2062 in furry behavior \u200dmay disrupt the learning environment and\u200d distract from academic\u200b pursuits. Additionally, it is important to ensure that students receive the necessary mental health support \u200bif their identification\u200d as a furry is\u200b indicative of deeper psychological\u2062 issues.<\/p>\n<p>The solution lies in \u2063finding \u200ca balanced\u200b approach. Schools should prioritize the well-being of their students while also maintaining a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/va-professor-suspended-after-pedophilia-remarks\/\" title=\"Va. professor suspended after pedophilia remarks\">conducive learning environment<\/a>. This can be achieved by providing mental \u2064health resources and support to students who need it, while also setting boundaries and expectations for\u200b behavior that align with \u200cthe values and goals \u2064of the school community.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Oklahoma&#8217;s HB 3084, although controversial, brings attention to the complex\u2062 issue of mental health \u2063among young people. While the prohibition of furries \u2063in schools may seem extreme, it underscores the \u200dneed for a comprehensive approach to supporting students&#8217; well-being. Schools must strike a balance between respecting individuality and promoting a positive learning environment.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately,\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feds-charge-trans-identifying-man-after-he-pledged-to-copycat-nashville-shooting-im-coming-for-them-in-the-bathrooms\/\" title=\"Trans-identifying man charged by Feds for threatening to mimic Nashville shooting: 'Targeting them in bathrooms\">addressing mental\u2064 health issues<\/a> \u200bgoes beyond banning \u200da specific behavior. \u2064It requires increased awareness, early intervention, and access to appropriate resources. By focusing on these \u200caspects, schools\u200b can better support their students in navigating the challenges of adolescence and promote their overall mental\u200c well-being.<\/p>\n<p>As the debate\u2062 on\u200b HB 3084 continues, it is crucial to foster a constructive dialogue that takes into account the perspectives of\u2064 all stakeholders involved \u2013 the \u200bstudents, parents, educators, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graphic-sexual-content-assigned-to-texas-students-dissenting-parents-harassed-with-anti-christiandks\/\" title=\"Graphic Sexual Content Assigned To Texas Students; Dissenting Parents Harassed With Anti-Christian\u2026\u2018D**ks\u2019\u00a0\">mental health professionals<\/a>. Only through collaboration and understanding can we create an environment that \u2062promotes mental wellness and enables students to \u2062thrive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oklahoma&#8217;s new legislation, House Bill 3084, led by State Rep. Justin Humphrey, bans furries from K-12 schools. It prohibits students from portraying imaginary animals or engaging in anthropomorphic behavior, commonly known as furries, on campus. Such activities will not be permitted in Oklahoma classrooms<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":2165806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/9580648097_1045b89166_k-e1706809460177.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2165805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/9580648097_1045b89166_k-e1706809460177.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2165805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/551"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2165805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2165805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2165806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2165805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2165805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2165805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}