This week in the culture war: The Waukesha School District in Waukesha, Wisconsin, banned first graders from singing Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s 2017 collaboration “Rainbowland” on Monday, citing a rule against “controversial” issues in the classroom. Nodding to the LGBTQ+ community in its title, “Rainbowland” lyrically addresses inclusivity in broad terms, with lines like “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in heaven/Where we’re free to be exactly who we are” and “Let’s all dig deep inside/ We cast judgment and fear aside.”
moderator James Seibert wrote in a statement to WPR that “the question was whether the song was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the first graders.” The same report cited backlash from several parents and teachers, including first-grade teacher Melissa Temple, who said, “If my opinion is different from yours, or my value system is different from yours, how do I know what you think is controversial?” ?
In response to the ban, Cyrus’ Happy Hippie Foundation announced a financial donation to Pride And Less Prejudice, an organization that “provides free LGBTQ-appropriate books to classrooms from preschool to third grade.” The foundation tweeted this statement:
When our founder @mileycyrus and her fairy godmother @dollyparton wrote those words together, they meant it.
To the inspiring first graders at Heyer Elementary, keep being you. We believe at our Happy Hippie heart that you will be the one who pushes judgment and fear aside and makes us all more understanding and accepting 🌈
In honor and celebration of your bright future, Happy Hippie is making a donation to
lessprejudice to help make classes more inclusive! 💛💛💛
“Typical beer trailblazer. Hipster-friendly web buff. Certified alcohol fanatic. Internetaholic. Infuriatingly humble zombie lover.”
