FURRIES Act

The FURRIES Act, whose title is a backronym for Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Educational Spaces, was a bill introduced in the Texas legislature on March 12, 2025 by state representative Stan Gerdes during the 89th Texas Legislature. It sought to prohibit animal-like behavior in public schools, listing conduct such as barking, hissing, meowing, licking oneself for grooming, and using litter boxes, and to ban animal-themed accessories such as fursuits, collars, and tails, while carving out exceptions for sports mascots, theatrical performances, and designated dress-up occasions such as Halloween. The bill classified allowing such behavior as child abuse and proposed fines starting at $10,000 for non-compliant school districts. Governor Greg Abbott supported the bill, citing debunked claims about litter boxes being provided in classrooms, while critics argued the legislation targeted LGBTQ people and could sweep in ordinary role-playing activities such as Dungeons and Dragons, raising First Amendment concerns. The bill failed to pass committee during the 89th Texas Legislature and never became law. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/