Tennessee lawmaker posts (and mysteriously deletes) letter about concerns over ‘furry club’ at University of Tennessee

Last Thursday, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) sent a letter to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville regarding a purported “furry club” at the school.

Burchett’s letter, which was posted to Facebook and deleted 30 minutes later, was obtained and published by 6 News Knoxville. The letter was addressed to President of the University of Tennessee System Randy Boyd, with Burchett seeking answers as to whether “The Furry Club at UTK” was receiving university funds or if the club exposes “students who are not club members to perverse or inherently sexual content on campus.” He also called the club’s existence “alarming.”

Burchett’s office did not immediately respond to a request to comment on why UTK’s furry club is a concern for him or why his Facebook post was deleted.

While there are furries that have a sexual interest in the furry fandom, a 2022 study affirmed that it is not inherently sexual; most furries are motivated by the social belonging found in numerous fandoms. Meanwhile, much of the criticism of furries is a roundabout way to spread anti-LGBTQ+ views, as up to 70% of furries identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 25% of furries identify as gender diverse.

Burchett has served in the U.S. House since 2019 after 15 years in the Tennessee state legislature and eight years as the mayor of Knox County. Burchett is a social conservative and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, and he was one of the 126 GOP representatives who signed on to Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

Burchett currently serves on a House subcommittee overseeing the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Debunked theories about American school children using litter boxes have been spread by prominent members of the Republican Party in recent years, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the latter of whom chairs the subcommittee overseeing DOGE.