A Michigan grade school is defending its decision to stage a rainbow-themed holiday musical that featured Santa Claus and rainbow-colored reindeer.
“A Rainbow Christmas” was performed by kindergarteners and other children at Kincheloe Elementary School.
School leaders described the program as a “joyous holiday musical” that is “secular in nature.”
“It teaches a valuable lesson about acceptance,” the school said in a statement that was posted on its Facebook page.
The holiday program tells the story of a “Black and White Forest” where the residents only accept things in that are black and white.
Enter Santa Claus and his rainbow-colored reindeer who teach the creatures of the forest that “the world is full of different colors and that they should be tolerant and accepting and share their world with others whose colors are different than theirs.”
Once the citizens of the Black and White Forest understand the error of their intolerant ways, they rename their home, “The Rainbow Forest.”
The children sang songs titled, “We Share The Rainbow” and “Christmas is a Rainbow.”
Parents were shocked and angered — accusing the school of cramming an LGBT agenda down the throats of their children.
They also took issue with the school hijacking a Christmas show and turning it into a Gay Pride celebration — complete with children waving rainbow flags.
But school leaders say such accusations are unfounded.
“It is just a rainbow of color,” Principal Cathy Stone wrote in a message posted on the school’s Facebook page. “It has no connotations for homosexuality or gay pride.”
She also denied that children were dancing around with Gay Pride flags. The principal explained that the children were simply waving “multicolored dancing ribbons.”
Any of you folks buying the school’s explanation?
Maryjo Schnell, the executive director of OutCenter of Southwest Michigan, praised the school’s performance.
“There are always going to be some parents who don’t like a program or something in the school curriculum,” she told Leader Publications. “However, that does not give them unilateral veto power regarding the school’s decisions on musicals, curriculum, et al.”
The school district also refuted allegations that there weren’t any Christmas songs in the holiday show.
Stone reiterated that two of the selections were named, “Christmas is a Rainbow” and the other was “Sing of Christmas Time.”
Of course!
How could the parents not appreciate the children donning their gay apparel while crooning that beloved yuletide carol, “Christmas is a Rainbow”?