Why Wisconsin School Forbids Miley and Dolly Duet Concert?

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By Joe Frank

29 March 2023

Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha had prepared a rendition of "Rainbowland" for their spring musical, but school officials removed it last week.

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Parents in the district claim that the decision was made because the song promotes LGBTQ inclusion and makes use of rainbows.

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Superintendent James Sebert acknowledged that administrators deleted "Rainbowland" from the first-grade concert due to its inappropriate age and maturity level.

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Sebert previously barred the display of rainbow and pride flags in Waukesha classrooms and suspended the school district's equity and diversity program in 2021.

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In her song "Younger Now," Miley Cyrus asks listeners to "go deep inside and brush aside judgment and fear."

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She acknowledges the world's pain and hostility, yet she encourages people to work together.

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Melissa Tempel, a first-grade teacher, said she chose the song because its message felt universal and sweet.

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The topic of the class concert was "The World," and it included songs like "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles and "What a Beautiful World" by Louis Armstrong.

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"My students were completely devastated." "They really enjoyed this song, and we'd already started performing it," Tempel explained on Monday.

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Authorities also first prohibited The Muppets' song "Rainbow Connection," but later changed their decision, according to Tempel

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Tempel was concerned about the implications of the removal of the song and other district policies prohibiting LGBTQ support for children.

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"These conflicting signals about rainbows are eventually producing a culture that appears unsafe to LGBT people," she said.

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Parton and Cyrus representatives did not immediately respond to emails on Monday seeking their comments on the restriction.

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