School’s cross-dressing event causes a stir

[TJ Phaserman 2]

REEDSBURG, Wis. - An elementary-school event in which kids were encouraged to dress as members of the opposite gender drew the ire of a Christian radio group, whose angry broadcast prompted outraged calls to the district office.

 

Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in costume all last week as part of an annual school tradition called Wacky Week. On Friday, students were encouraged to dress either as senior citizens or as members of the opposite sex.

 

A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles.

 

"We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," said Jim Schneider, the network's program director. "Our station is one that promotes traditional family values. It concerns us when a school district strikes at the heart and core of the Biblical values. To promote this to elementary-school students is a great error."

 

Schneider co-hosts "Crosstalk," a nationally syndicated call-in Christian radio show.

 

After the program aired, both the school and Reedsburg School District office were flooded with calls complaining about the event.

 

The response surprised Principal Tammy Hayes, who said no one had raised any objections beforehand. She said a flier detailing Wacky Week had been sent home with children the prior week, and an announcement was also included in teacher newsletters.

 

The dress-up day was not an attempt to promote cross-dressing, homosexuality or alternative gender roles, district administrator Tom Benson said.

 

"The promotion of transgenderism — that was not our purpose," Benson told the Baraboo News Republic. "Our purpose was to have a Wacky Week, mixing in a bit of silliness with our reading, writing and arithmetic."

 

The theme for Friday's dress-up day came from students, Hayes said.

 

"It's different every year. They basically present the ideas, and they vote on what they would like from Monday through Friday," Hayes said. "... They did not mean anything by this day. They were trying to have fun and come up with a fun dress-up day."

 

About 40 percent of the student body dressed up Friday, Hayes estimated, with half portraying senior citizens and half dressing as the opposite sex.

 

"I can assure you we will not be having this day (again)," Hayes said.

 

Reedsburg is in southern Wisconsin, about 60 miles northwest of Madison.

 

just what we need is another castrated Christan conservative blowhard just making lives difficult for others to express themselves.

[ddillard 2]

When I was in school this happened every year, but it was called spirit week, and friday everyone dressed as the opposite sex and the day was ended with a powder puff football game.

[MrPsychic 1]

Christian groups like this always feel like they're being attacked about anything happening. Note to them, you're the majority. Anyway, the kids are having fun, what harm is that? Then again, the groups lashed out about Harry Potter before, even with millions of kids reading.

[Lady Britannia 0]

A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles.

 

"We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," said Jim Schneider, the network's program director. "Our station is one that promotes traditional family values. It concerns us when a school district strikes at the heart and core of the Biblical values. To promote this to elementary-school students is a great error."

 

Schneider co-hosts "Crosstalk," a nationally syndicated call-in Christian radio show.

 

Who says a school has to abide by Biblical values?

[MrPsychic 1]

A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles.

 

"We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," said Jim Schneider, the network's program director. "Our station is one that promotes traditional family values. It concerns us when a school district strikes at the heart and core of the Biblical values. To promote this to elementary-school students is a great error."

 

Schneider co-hosts "Crosstalk," a nationally syndicated call-in Christian radio show.

 

Who says a school has to abide by Biblical values?

These groups tend to ignore that little item in the Constitution about separation of church and state. A school is a state funded entity, therefore, separate from the church.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Some of you are indeed ignoring the constitution - if the US constitution guarantees the right of individuals to bear children - do they not have the right to have a voice in how those children are raised. I am constantly alarmed by the rather militant view of many public school systems that they have the right to teach children whatever they choose without regard to parents wishes. And a great many people on this board seem to follow that viewpoint. Remember these are the people that label four year olds as sexual harassers for hugging a teacher.

 

The truth is there are some groups that oppose dressing as the opposite sex - it doesn't matter whether you agree with them or not - by law they should have the right to have their children opt out of such activities. Twenty years ago it may not have been a big deal but in light of what public schools are doing today - I can see how this type of activity could alarm some people. So while they probably weren't trying to promote alternative lifestyles in this event - since it is now very common for schools to do so and people are more senstive to it - I can understand them being upset. The question arises in whether the schools were providing an opportunity for this event or actually encouraging the children to behave in a certain way.

 

Schools need to respect the values of the parents regardless of their source. Imagine a similar situation where a school took it upon itself to promote environmentalism or denigrated hunting etc and this happened in the middle of ranch country - do you not think there would be outrage? Or consider schools promoting being a vegan in the same cattle country.

 

Diversity by its very definition means we are not all the same - can schools respect our differences or do we need to abolish public schools and become even more isolated in our affiliations. The real question is can you support a society, culture or school system that is respectful and fair to all regardless of how much you despise certain people. If no, then what right do you have to demand it of them?

 

That said - one can wonder why these parents received notice of the event and didn't object until a radio broadcaster told them they should.

[ddillard 2]

While I do see your points, the students were not forced to participate. The article states that only about 40% of the students participated. And the school did send home a notice to inform the parents in advance of the activities, but no one seemed to concerned or upset about it until after the radio show host made a big deal about it. Also, it does not state that it was parents that were calling in, just that they were flooded with calls. These calls could have been coming from anyone not just parents, so therefore we have no way of knowing if the parents of the children objected to the activity or if it was others in the area that were just hyped up by the talk show host. If the parents had an issue with it they had plenty of time to have contacted the school before the date of the event.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

..., but no one seemed to concerned or upset about it until after the radio show host made a big deal about it.

 

Which is an interesting point - I've accidentally listened to talk radio a couple of times - it makes me nauseaus. They misrepresent, mislead and basically try to stir up an emotional response versus a factual one so that very well could be the case here.