Sen. Tommy Tuberville criticized furry culture in a Sept. 22 Senate speech, claiming without evidence that many airline workers are furries. The fandom centers on fictional animals with human traits and does not necessarily involve costumes or sexual activity.
Tuberville cited an April incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where pilots were heard making meowing and barking sounds over an air-traffic-control frequency. The FAA said it was investigating and noted that non-essential conversations are prohibited below 10,000 feet. The incident does not establish that the pilots were furries.
His comments were part of his broader opposition to transgender people and gender-affirming policies; he questioned whether people would want a furry as their pilot and called furry culture a mental illness. No major psychiatric organization classifies the fandom as a mental illness.
