Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, has sparked controversy after banning a first-grade class from performing a Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton duet promoting LGBTQ acceptance. The song, “Rainbowland,” was pulled from the spring concert’s lineup because it “could be perceived as controversial,” according to school administrators. The decision has outraged parents and teachers in the district, who claim that the song’s message of LGBTQ acceptance and references to rainbows were the reasons for its removal.
Superintendent James Sebert cited a school board policy against raising controversial issues in classrooms and argued that the song might not be “appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students.” Sebert has a history of prohibiting rainbows and pride flags from being displayed in Waukesha classrooms and suspended the school district’s equity and diversity work in 2021.
The first-grade teacher, Melissa Tempel, said that she chose the song because its message seemed universal and sweet, and the class concert’s theme was “The World.” The concert included other songs such as “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Tempel added that her students were devastated by the decision to remove “Rainbowland” and were already practicing the song.
The ban on “Rainbowland” has sparked concerns among parents and teachers in the district. Tempel expressed her worry about what the ban and other district policies against expressing LGBTQ support meant for students, saying, “These confusing messages about rainbows are ultimately creating a culture that seems unsafe towards queer people.”
The decision by Heyer Elementary School has also drawn attention to Wisconsin’s increasingly partisan school board races, with Republicans making gains across the state’s school board races in 2022. They have used their positions to challenge policies from rules about transgender kids to COVID-19 restrictions.
As of now, representatives for Parton and Cyrus have not responded to requests for comment on the ban. Nonetheless, the controversy around the song’s removal has sparked discussions about the role of schools in promoting inclusivity and acceptance of all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.