What is a furry? Subculture targeted in Oklahoma bill has nothing to do with litter boxes

If you dress and behave like an animal, does that make you a furry?

No, but there are aspects that are similar (see below).

The topic came up recently when Oklahoma lawmaker Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, decided to file a bill targeting "furries," or people in a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, in Oklahoma schools.

In later interviews, the legislator claimed the bill was written in response to students behaving like animals and using litter boxes at schools, which has widely been debunked as a hoax.

More: Oklahoma bill would require 'furries' be picked up from school by parents, animal control

So, what is true about furries and furry fandoms?

What is a furry?

Furries are anthropomorphic enthusiasts — in short, furries, furs or fursuiters, according to those in the furry community. Think of people dressed up like giant stuffed animals. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and popular cartoon characters that walk and talk like humans are often cited as examples of anthropomorphic.

The topic of furries, while new to the Oklahoma legislature, is one that's been discussed during the past few years in educational and political arenas.

Attire can range from accessories as simple as animal ears, tails or shirts to elaborate costumes. Some people create a "fursona," or an animal persona they dress up as with "distinct personalities, histories, relationships and attitudes," according to Furscience.

For some kids, the practice is a fun hobby or a way to cope with feeling like they don't fit in.

That one time furries gave kids a happy Christmas at a Shriners holiday party

What is furry fandom?

Furry fandom refers to being a fan of the furry community. Another way to say furry fandom? Fanboying or fangirling about furries.

What's the difference between furries and cosplay?

Cosplay, which is short for "costume play," generally involves people creating costumes reflecting pre-existing characters, characters seen in film or comic books. With a lot of furry characters, they are original, much like steampunk.

Oklahoma has its fair share of cosplay conventions that host celebrities from science-fiction movies and TV shows and attract guests and vendors interested in "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "Harry Potter" and anything Marvel.

Do you have to dress up in costume to be a furry?

"The furry fandom encompasses musicians, writers, artists, cartoonists, sculptors and people who really just want to read comics and stories about these things," John Cole, co-founder of Megaplex, told FLORIDA TODAY in a 2017 story. Only about 20 percent of furries have costumes, he added, like fans of cosplay or comic book conventions. "The ones who don't necessarily want to costume, they go to conventions," Cole said. "Not all furries are fursuiters, and some fursuiters aren't really furries. Some are just people who like to perform."

AnthroExpo, furry conventions and other cosplay events are great opportunities for people-watching or learning about the furry fandom.

What could be considered furry accessories?

Some fur costumes feature a mask, tail and street clothes. Furry accessories range from cat ears, similar to the headbands that Ariana Grande made popular in her early days as a pop singer, to headbands that have bunny ears (popular around Easter and Halloween).

House Bill 3084 labeled 'Oklahoma furry bill'

Ahead of the 2024 Oklahoma legislative session, Humphrey filed a bill targeting "furries," or people in a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, in Oklahoma schools.

Humphrey's bill, House Bill 3084, would ban "students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries at school" from participating in class and school activities.

The bill would require parents or guardians to pick the student up from school. But, if parents are unable to pick the student up, the bill says "animal control services shall be contacted to remove the student."

Who is Justin Humphrey? Oklahoma lawmaker targeting 'furries' in schools

Do students really use litter boxes at schools?

In a video talking about the bill, Humphrey said he doesn’t wanna see kids using litter boxes, and that people have “lost their minds” by allowing students to “pretend to be animals” at school.

“If you’ve got an animal coming to school, how about we vaccinate them? How about we get them neutered? How about we sent them to the pound?” Humphrey said in a video talking about the bill.

The false claim that students use litter boxes has been widely reported as a hoax, reports the Associated Press, though it is still used as fuel for political candidates amid culture debates and issues of gender identification in schools.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What is a furry? Subculture targeted in litter box hoax, Oklahoma bill