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 School Costume Event Draws Church Ire
by The Associated Press
Posted: April 7, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(Reedsburg, Wisconsin) 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 in Reedsburg 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.
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.
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 told the Baraboo News Republic. ``Our purpose was to have
a Wacky Week, mixing in a bit of silliness with our reading, writing and
arithmetic.''
©365Gay.com 2008
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