Cross-dressing day crosses many
By Nathan Greenhalgh


REEDSBURG — An opposite gender dress-up day at an elementary school raised the ire of a Christian radio group Friday morning, and the Reedsburg School District was flooded with calls from outraged listeners.

Students in Pineview Elementary had been dressing in costume all week as part of Wacky Week, an annual tradition at the school. On Friday, students had the option of attending school dressed as senior citizens or members of the opposite gender. After a local resident informed the Milwaukee-based Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday, the radio network interrupted its programming at 10:30 a.m. for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin decrying the dress-up day and accusing the school district of promoting alternative lifestyles.

"We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," said Jim Schneider, VCY America 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 hosts "Crosstalk," a nationally syndicated live call-in Christian radio show, with Vic Eliason and Ingrid Schlueter. Each of the hosts took part in the special "Cross Reference News Special Report" Friday morning.

"We became aware of this from constituents in your area. Anything that concerns the populace is important enough to talk about," Eliason said in an interview Friday. "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, Pineview Elementary and the district administration office were flooded with calls complaining about the event. However, Principal Tammy Hayes said she had received no objections to opposite-gender dress-up from anyone when a flier detailing the events of Wacky Week was sent home with children the week before.

"Nobody contacted me," Hayes said, adding that the event also was announced in teacher newsletters.

District Administrator Tom Benson said the district was not attempting to promote cross-dressing, homosexuality or alternative gender roles with the dress-up day.

"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."

Hayes said the idea for senior citizen/opposite gender day came from students. The Wacky Week schedule, which changes each year, was created by Pineview's Student Senate with the guidance of adviser Shari Miller, who also works as a secretary at the school.

"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."

Hayes said about 40 percent of the student body dressed up on Friday, with half opting to portray senior citizens and half the opposite gender. She said some of the other dress-up days had higher participation rates, and added that the school would never have an opposite gender dress-up day for Wacky Week again.

"I can assure you we will not be having this day," Hayes said.

Schneider said VCY America would not rebroadcast the news special. Though the issue was discussed on the network's "Home Front" program Friday, Schneider said he was not sure it would be raised on the nationally broadcast "Crosstalk" program.



Poll at the site

Cross dressing
Did Reedsburg school officials make a mistake in allowing grade school students to dress up as senior citizens or the opposite gender as part of their Wacky Week?


Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5 38%
No 8 62%
TOTAL VOTES: 13 100%
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