Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) spent nearly 20 minutes on the Senate floor Wednesday criticizing what he called the “mental illness” of “transgenderism” and “furries.”
Tuberville claimed that an unnamed furry group “touts … many airline pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers” among its members. He warned: “There is an ALARMING number of these DERANGED people working in our airline industry.”
“The Lord help us,” he added, “It’s terrifying when you think about this. When you walk onto a commercial flight, it’s possible that the pilot flying your plane could have a deranged fetish of dressing up like an animal.”
Media reports characterized Tuberville’s remarks as raising concerns about furry pilots in aviation roles.
Tuberville’s campaign confirmed he referenced the Air Line Furries Association (ALFA), which is “an online hub for people who work in the airline industry and are furries.”
The ALFA website shows minimal activity, with its last update dating to 2022. It includes no substantive content but rather posts filled with gibberish Latin.
At a recent Furry Migration convention in Minneapolis, attendees held a breakout session focused on aviation. Shawn McHenry, a “Minnesota Furs Staff & Convention Conchair” who identifies as “Rico Raccoon,” stated he knows “that there’s all sorts of other aviation professionals in the space,” including mechanics, flight instructors, pilots, and flight attendants.
Major airline unions were contacted regarding furry-related complaints but provided no responses.
A viral incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in April involved pilots making animal sounds. One pilot was reprimanded for the behavior, though the incident has not been linked to furries or any disciplinary action by the FAA.
Tuberville later tweeted about the incident, suggesting a connection to furries. The post received a community note from users.
Shawn McHenry emphasized: “The furry pilots I know keep their personal interests separate from their work. They’re skilled professionals doing their jobs.”
He added: “Treating the furry fandom itself as a safety issue unfairly casts suspicion on qualified professionals without evidence.”
Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, noted that correlations between transgenderism, furries, and violence have become a growing concern following recent incidents.
