Florida schools may move to ban "furry" clothing and accessories, such as animal tails, ears, and dog collars, in a bid to repress "barking" and "meowing" amongst students.
The Brevard Public Schools board members discussed a possible update on the dress code policy, targeting "furry" clothing items, which has been a trend among some students these days.
Florida Schools May Ban 'Furry' Clothing to Curb 'Barking,' 'Meowing'
As per a report by Florida Today, the board of the Brevard Public Schools seriously discussed a possible ban on dressing "furry," which lasts for roughly an hour. The heated debate among board members centered on concerns wherein some students are mimicking animals. Some even recreate their barking and meowing sounds for an overall package.
The Brevard School Board is at the forefront of this dress code debate, aiming to curb "furry" clothing.
But what is it in the first place? ABC News 4 explains that "furry" refers to someone who shows interest in anthropomorphism, which involves assigning human characteristics to non-human beings or entities. These people often wear clothing accessories like animal ears, collars, and even tails. In some cases, they go as far as communicating using animal sounds.
As for "furry" attire, Florida Today notes that it may include basic accessories like animal ears. But it could also go the extra mile of a full-blown animal costume. These young minds in school typically take it as some sort of fun hobby.
Board Members Heatedly Debated Banning Dressing 'Furry'
The BPS school board member Katye Campell is not fond of the "furry movement." In other words, she admits that she is not a fan. Nevertheless, Campbell still considers a headband with animal ears a mere hair accessory.
She adds that she does not find "barking" and "meowing" cool. But despite that, she argued that these animal sounds are beyond the scope of a dress code policy.
Meanwhile, the board chair Matt Susin finds these animal costumes alongside meowing and barking outright unacceptable. The New York Post reports that he shares his daughter is already sick of seeing "furries" in her school. He says, "At some point, [we have] got to be able to curb that behavior."
While most board members agree with the possible banning measure, one of them goes against the tide. Jennifer Jenkins says that her co-board members are merely "overcomplicating" things.
After a heated discussion, the new BPS dress code is still being finalized, specifically the language for prohibiting "furry" clothing and accessories that "emulate a non-human."
In the meantime, only time will tell how Florida schools navigate this contentious issue to curb rampant "barking" and "meowing."
