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by Renee McGuinness, Vermont Family Alliance Policy Analyst
Senator Steven Heffernan asked Senator Tanya Vyhovsky on the Senate Floor Friday whether persons that identify as animals would be exempt from Vermont’s bestiality laws.
Heffernan asked his question after the procedural second reading of H.578, an animal cruelty bill that expands upon Vermont’s existing laws, including expanding the range of sexual activities that would be considered bestiality.
“In these crazy times, what happens if the individual identifies as an animal having intercourse with an animal? How is the courts going to handle that? A follow-up question to that being that we voted through Prop 4, and if it does make it through the state, and I have a gender identity that I identify as a dog and had sex with my dog, is this law gonna affect me?(sic)”, asked Heffernan.
Heffernan asks a relevant question.
If Prop 4 “Equality of Rights” amendment is not limited to protections for the finite list of state-sanctioned historically marginalized groups named in Prop 4, and “identity”, “identity expression”, and “self-expression” are small leaps from “gender identity” and “gender expression” listed in Prop 4, could Therians, which are persons who identify as animals, be considered a marginalized group, and could they be constitutionally protected to engage in sexual activity with an animal?
Sounds cray-cray, I know. But given Article 22 Personal Reproductive Liberty guarantees the rights of any person of any age and gender identity to engage in reproductive activities, and given the expected passage of Proposition 4 Equality of Rights amendment in November, would the State have the legal legs to enforce its own bestiality laws if a Therian sued the State for its right to engage in sexual activity with an animal?
Vyhovsky responded to Heffernan, “the current law is quite clear that any act between a person and an animal that involves contact with the mouth, sex organ, or anus of the person and the mouth, sex organ, or anus of the animal without a bonafide veterinary purpose will be a crime.”
Heffernan pointed out that H.578 says “person,” and asked again that if he identifies as an animal, would he be affected by the law.
Vyhovsky responded, “Again, law is quite clear that that type of behavior between a person and an animal is not legal in either in current law or as is proposed with this law. If you’re asking questions about a potential future supreme court ruling on Proposition 4, I cannot speak for the Supreme Court (sic).”
H.578 has language that criminalizes, “engaging in sexual conduct with an animal in the presence of a minor or in which a minor is a participant”, along with three other provisions that criminalize the organization and promotion of sexual conduct with an animal in the presence of a minor, and possessing or distributing images of sexual conduct with an animal in the presence of a minor, see pages 5 and 6.
However, there are a growing number of children that identify as Therians, according to an article in Mamamia, a publication and podcast in Australia. According to the article, adults with psychology degrees advise parents to encourage their Therian-identifying children to explore their animal identity. If a minor identifies as an animal, would they also be exempt from Vermont’s bestiality laws which apply to humans, not animals? What if both an adult and a child identify as animals? Would Vermont’s bestiality laws apply to them as a couple?
If schools are encouraging students to explore their sexual identity through Kindergarten classroom books and Vermont Agency of Education’s LGBTQ+-inclusive sex education, are there some school personnel that are also encouraging students to explore their animal identity?
Heffernan ended with, “I’m gonna vote for this bill, but I wanna make this chamber aware of what’s coming.”
Was Senator Heffernan issuing a prophetic warning regarding “identity” under the expected passage of Prop 4? I think so.
H. 578 passed for a third reading on the Senate floor on Friday, May 15, 2026. The bill will likely pass its third and final reading and head to the Governor for his signature.
Senator Anne Watson, the presenter of the next bill, said, “I’m just gonna take a second to, like, shake out the from the previous conversation. Okay. So here we go, data centers . . .”
H.578 Senate floor discussion video and transcript can be found, here.
An Identity Subculture Glossary, for your reference, AI generated, check your own sources:
- Therian: Specifically refers to those who identify as earth animals (e.g., wolves, cats, dogs). The term derives from Greek words for “beast” and “human.” Therians typically distinguish their experience as an involuntary internal identity rather than a role-play.
- Otherkin : An umbrella term for individuals who identify as partly or wholly non-human. This includes animals, elves, dragons, and inanimate objects. The identity is often described as an intrinsic “sense of self” rather than a conscious choice.
- Xenogender: Xenogenders are genders that are not defined by the male/female binary. While some xenogenders may use animal metaphors (e.g., “catgender”) to describe the vibe or nature of a gender, this is distinct from identifying as an actual animal.
- Furry: A subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. While some furries create “fursonas” (animal avatars), this is generally an interest or artistic expression rather than an identity of being an animal.
- Animalgender: A xenogender term where a person’s gender is described as being like an animal, but they do not necessarily identify as the animal itself.
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Categories: Animals, Legislation
Well, I’m going to identify as a ghost because dead men pay no taxes.
Dead people who had money pay plenty in democrat-run states. At least you get to vote post-mortem though in those states..
But then you’ll have to vote democrat!
Perhaps the good Senator was referring to the future day when “furries” demand inclusion into the list of protected lifestyles (along with McGill’s H.885 inclusion of homeless people) afforded by Prop 4? This notion is confirmed by Vyhovsky, “If you’re asking questions about a potential future supreme court ruling on Proposition 4, I cannot speak for the Supreme Court (sic).”
This issue would align with the trend started by Deconstructionist philosopher Derrida in the 70s to decriminalize pedophelia (now referred to by some progressives as “minor attracted person behavior”), along with breaking down the societal barriers against the moral, cultural and institutional norms of the day that has evolved into the wokism that pervades society today in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The same paradox exists in Vermont’s abortion laws. A viable fetus is not considered a person inside the womb but once delivered instantly deserves full protection. The bending of common sense is the hallmark of the left.
I’ve heard that Ruth Hardy is going to make this issue the Trump card in her campaign to keep her seat. By all accounts even the Democrats are hoping she is unsuccessful.
Ahhh but the POC ( product of conception) has the ability to be two things at once, by the whim of the POC holder. It at the same time can be only a clump of cells and a baby!!!! If mom want it, it’s a baby and the man who helped creat a POC is then in line for male slavery. But of the woman doesn’t want it she can kill the baby, I mean remove the POC. It’s the most self centered imaginary law yet. Somebody with a brain should try this in the Supreme Court, to which it would be the defining law that bans all abortion or bans all child support by state and men….take your pick both can’t be true.
So, I see our elected representative are concerning themselves with important matters. Will we ever return to an era of Vermont enlightenment?
This is how you win, repeat their nonsense back to them.
Are they denying furry culture?
Do therrians have rights?
If I’m at somebodies house and they have alcohol and I have a fire arm will i be arrested????
These people are insane with power and control.
If you are a furry, can you sit in a hot car in the summer without expecting a good Samaritan to come along and break out the window? Just how far do we want to allow people to live out their pathological, irrational fantasies?
Apparently all the way, we let communists and Marxists hold office in Vermont, the biggest ponzu and fantasy scheme ever invented.
This is why allowing someone’s feelings or personality to define their identity is so dangerous and stupid. If you think you’re just being compassionate in saying “let them be them” and play along you are not really informed. Such actions are ignorant and toxic empathy and our legislators are really good at that.
I am confused. Is the Vermont Legislature a big Babylon Bee production studio??
If I identify as an insect and someone hits me with a fly swatter, can I claim attempted murder?
“A follow-up question to that being that we voted through Prop 4, and if it does make it through the state, and I have a gender identity that I identify as a dog and had sex with my dog, is this law gonna affect me?(sic)”, asked Heffernan.
Steve, if you can remember back to last week, you had to take a dump while people voted on Prop 4, so you actually didn’t vote.
From Digger, “Heffernan told VTDigger at the time that he left because his stomach was feeling “agitated” and he needed to use the restroom. He said he had not made up his mind on how to vote on the amendment, largely because he’d heard from constituents urging him both to vote for and against it.”
This is a nutshell why intelligent people do not take the Vermont Republican party seriously, because they are not to be taken seriously. At a time, when we need adults in the room more than ever, people like Hefferman crack jokes about identifying as an airplane because he doesn’t know what he stands for, nor do his constituents. Keep fiddling while Vermont burns.
Intellectual people never take either political party seriously at all times. There is so much mafia style extortion going on at the state house on both sides of the isle it isn’t funny. With this understanding, I feel Senator Heffernan was extremely smart in his decision relative to Prop 4. At least he didn’t replace individual rights guaranteed in the US Constitution with group identy collective rights, a violation of the Supremacy clause, like the rest of Vermont’s senators. So from my perspective he gets a gold star.
You’re proud of Heferman for taking a dump in the middle of the vote? You can’t even articulate what Prop 4 does, it certainly doesn’t replace individual rights with collective rights.
I think Vermont needs to look at reopening the Waterbury State Hospital
…and reopen Woodside.
As insane and absurd as it is that these discussions are even happening at our statehouse, and as diabolical as Prop 4 is, what may be almost as stupid is the fact that Heffernan says he’s going to vote for the bill anyway, even after the questions he asked and the possibilities he raised.
The animal cruelty bill itself is good. Heffernan was making a point about interpretive challenges of “bestiality” under Prop 4 for persons who identify as animals. I apologize for any lack of clarity on my part that might have led people to think that H578 itself is a bad bill.
And if they believed and referred to the following truth, it would put a quick end to the wasting of our tax dollars on this nonsense:
“So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1:27
It is this foundational and self-evident truth from which we derive the principle that all humans are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. And it is this principle which forms the basis of the Fourteenth Amendment which already guarantees equal protection.
It does not need to be improved upon nor deceitfully manipulated to advance the doctrines of demons, as represented by the Democrat/Progressive/Marxist/Communist agendas.
And Republican Representatives failed in epic proportions on May 13 when they remained silent on the flawed language of Prop 4, with only 14 of 56 Republicans voting against it. This applies to Senate Republicans, as well: all of whom voted in favor of a flawed proposed constitutional amendment, except Heffernan, instead of standing in truth, at risk of their own seats. This is poor governance. Everyone should be appalled.
Thank you, Renee, for your clarification about the animal cruelty bill. Please accept my apologies for commenting based on my misreading.
And thank you also for pointing out and reminding us how egregious it is that so many Republicans voted for Prop 4, with only a handful standing and speaking up for the truth. Thank you for calling them out in your original article.
We’ve come to expect that the Dems/Progressives, etc. sponsor and vote for destructive proposals (such as Prop 4 and 5). But I should have included in my comments the fact that it was also many Republicans who sided with those Dems/Progressives, etc. on those proposed amendments to our constitution.
Please, oh please, bring back common sense and proper parenting! This whole “furries” fad is in*fur*iating!!! The children wagging the parent’s tail. Good grief! How hard is it really to say “NO” to evil, to protect the children?