Kids' Cross-Dressing Event Draws Ire

(AP)  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 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, along with Vic Eliason and Ingrid Schlueter.

"We became aware of this from constituents in your area. Anything that concerns the populace is important enough to talk about," Eliason said. "This is tax-funded - this is not a dress-up party in somebody's house. There are parents, taxpayers who do not appreciate the imposition of a particular lifestyle being portrayed as a normal lifestyle for the kids."

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.

"Nobody contacted me," Hayes said.

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 said. "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. The Wacky Week schedule was created by Pineview's Student Senate with the guidance of secretary Shari Miller.

"It's different every year. They basically present the ideas, and they vote on what they would like from Monday through Friday," Hayes said. "I feel awful for the kids and Shari. 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.

Schneider said VCY America had no plans to rebroadcast its news special.

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

[keithle1]

Some Christians think there is a widespread gay conspiracy in the USA. Heterosexual kids minding their own business are being corrupted & turned into ***! You see it all the time. It''s so easy to end up gay. All a boy has to do is dress up like Boy George or Adam Ant just once & the next thing you know he doesn''t want to play football or date the cute girl next door & instead wants to decorate the house & listen to Judy Garland!

[keithle1]

Christians specialize in outrage. Give them something to get upset about. A phone number they can call to complain about it.

Some of them don''t like Halloween either. I hear they don''t like gay people. Jesus was about tolerance. Last time I checked. But Christians love condemning & judging. Pointing to the Bible to justify their "outrage."

What are we going to do with these Christians?

[reedsburgres]

This whole situation absolutely makes me outraged. Should we tell children they can''t dress as the opposite *** on halloween? Where do we draw the line? Does anyone actually think these students had a clue what an alternative lifestyle meant before it was brought up? After this became an issue the kids probably asked many more questions, and possibly even felt they did something wrong. Did they? Do these "christians" actually believe the school was trying to "promote alternative lifestyles?" It''s an embarrassment to call myself a Christian when I hear these stories.
I was raised a Christian, but this is RIDICULOUS. Let children be children, for GOD''S sake.

[ianlou]

Conform!!! Conform!!!
How can we ever hope to remain Free if we don''t Conform!!!!!!!

Like children of old, I would prefer the Religious Right seen but not heard.

[bobnjersey]

[People without education don''''t seem to care about it. ]
[Posted by marcpcbs at 02:10 PM : Apr 07, 2008]

the people who can''t think for themselves seem to care too much about it.

[pfd572]

dinodavid: I understand why you are frustrated. But don''t stoop to their level. Tarring the entire Christian world with the same brush is unfortunate. There are good, reasonable, tolerant people who call themselves Christian. It is using the same tactics as these zealots when you make statements like you have done.

[pfd572]

The school administrator who stated that the one thing they have learned is not to repeat next year is sending a wonderful message to the students. Just give in to bullys and extremists. Even when you know you have done nothing remotely identifying with the religious zealots accusations. I am sick of this kind of surrender by schools and other organizations. This is a minority of ignorant, phobic, foolish hysterics. My daughter''s school did something similar for years, as far as I know they still do, not one of the children expressed an interest in experimenting in an ''alternative'' lifestyle from wearing a wig. Nor did all the kids who dressed as firefighters become firefighters, it was fun at the time. Woman wear jeans, etc. all the time, does it mean we are all closet lesbians or does it seem to bother the zealots? But have a child ''dress up'' and the world is coming to the end. Homophobia is rampant in these cults (yes), what is the fear, do they question their own sexuality too much? Funny all the news reports lately of child pornographers, child molesters and closest *** coming from fundamentalist and zealot churches. If this school caves into these fools, then shame on them.

[usbrit-2009]

I went to an all-boys school in England. When we had a school play which required female roles, some of the boys got dressed as girls. My wife and son will vouch that my inclusion in such "deviant" behaviour did not have any lasting effect on me. Just another example of so-called "Christians" (who in truth have no idea what the term means) having their heads so far up their a$$e$ that their brains have been addled with $h!t. What complete morons.

[jt_lancer]

suzieq2308 - "if you don''''t like an idea - DONT PARTICIPATE IN IT"

I don''t like the idea of a government controlled monopoly on public education where I am forced to pay for the ''edukashun'' of someone else''s child through my property taxes.

Can I ''choose'' not to pay my property taxes?

[jt_lancer]

Another reason to get your kids out of the government indoctrination centers (also known as publick skoolz). Before its too late.