Congressmen express concern over the rise of the "therians" trend in the Dominican Republic

Senator Genao advocates for drastic measures like those taken by the government of Argentina

Santo Domingo. – Legislators from different parties expressed their concern about the appearance in the country of people who identify as animals under the name of therians, a trend that has gained visibility on social networks and that, in the opinion of the congressmen, represents a distorting behavior that could affect social coexistence and mental health, especially in minors.

Senator Rogelio Genao considered that it is a trend driven by fanaticism and the search for notoriety on digital platforms, in a context where mental health already constitutes one of the main problems of the country, which warrants taking strict measures as the government of Argentina has done. “I believe it is a distorting behavior that arises from the widespread fanaticism in societies, not only ours, in the world of social networks. Now for many people the most important thing is to get likes and go viral in any way. We really like the way the President of Argentina is doing it, fining.”, expressed the legislator. Genao warned that this type of behavior does not contribute to improving the mental health situation and, on the contrary, could deepen identity and conduct problems.

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"At a time when in the Dominican case we have established that one of the main health problems is the mental health problem and the government is being asked for greater investment in that area, generating a fashion of this nature only reinforces behavioral and identity problems," he affirmed. For his part, the deputy Carlos Sánchez addressed the issue from a religious perspective, noting that the phenomenon goes beyond mental health or substance use.

"I think it's a biblical issue, a divine issue. These are things that can only be found in the Bible, because they are not earthly things," he maintained.

The legislator who chairs the Interior and Police Commission in the Chamber of Deputies, when questioned about the possible disruption of public order with the meeting called by the group for next February 27, acknowledged that any request for public demonstration would be subject to what the laws establish and to the decision of Minister Faride Raful. “The minister is the one who has the power to allow or deny any type of permit”, he pointed out. Meanwhile, Congressman and doctor Dagoberto Rodríguez described the phenomenon as a trend imported from other countries and called for an intervention from the health sector. Rodríguez insisted that, as a medical professional, he understands that these behaviors require specialized guidance. "If they have to go to a psychiatrist or a psychologist, let them go, because it really isn't possible. What there is is to redirect them and for them to reconnect with themselves," she affirmed. As the president of the Permanent Human Rights Commission, Deputy Pedro Martínez pointed out that, while the law contemplates rights for animals, this does not imply that a person can be considered an animal, nor vice versa, and warned about the confusion that can arise when these positions are transferred to the social sphere. "People have the right to act within a framework of freedom that does not affect others; that is the fundamental principle. A person is a person and an animal is an animal, and the right to freedom ends where the freedom of the other begins," the legislator expressed.

The phenomenon that's taking over social media

Therians are individuals who experience an internal identification —of a psychological or spiritual nature— with a non-human animal. This phenomenon is understood as a social and cultural expression of personal identity, and not as a bodily transformation or as the belief of having a different anatomy, but as a subjective experience that is part of how the person perceives themselves. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, it has become frequent to find teenagers who claim to identify with animals, a trend that has generated interest, debate, and also a flood of jokes and memes on social media. In the Dominican Republic, the phenomenon has begun to manifest in several recent cases, which have gained greater visibility after the call called "Meeting of Dominican Therians", scheduled for next Friday from 3:00 in the afternoon in Independence Park.