Miley Cyrus/Dolly Parton Song 'Rainbowland' Reportedly Banned From Wisconsin First Graders' Show

Banned Song?

The ASSOCIATED PRESS is reporting that an elementary school in WISCONSIN has nixed a planned first grade student performance of the 2017 DOLLY PARTON/MILEY CYRUS song "Rainbowland" out of concern that it "could be perceived as controversial" due to its message of acceptance and inclusivity.

The song's lyrics include the lines:  "Wouldn't it be nice / To live in paradise? / Where we're free to be exactly who we are / Let's all dig down deep inside / Brush the judgment and fear aside / Make wrong things right / And end the fight / 'Cause I promise ain't nobody gonna win."

According to AP, Superintendent JAMES SEBERT, who oversees HEYER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in WAUKESHA, decided the children could not sing the song at their spring concert, and parents in the district say it's "because the song encourages LGBTQ acceptance and references rainbows." SEBERT told a local television station that the song might not be “appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students." He also cited a school board policy against raising controversial issues in classrooms.

SEBERT has reportedly "previously prohibited rainbows and pride flags from being displayed in WAUKESHA classrooms and suspended the school district’s equity and diversity work in 2021," according to AP.

The first-grade teacher, MELISSA TEMPEL, said the song had been part of a lineup that also includes THE BEATLES' "Here Comes The Sun" and LOUIS ARMSTRONG's "What A Wonderful World," and that she chose it because "its message seemed universal and sweet," AP reports. She also claimed school administrators had previously banned the MUPPETS song "Rainbow Connection," but later reversed that decision.

Said TEMPEL, “These confusing messages about rainbows are ultimately creating a culture that seems unsafe towards queer people."

« see more Net News