What Would the Learning Objective Be in this Cross-Dressing Day?

Last Friday (24 May), 7-year old Deidri Hernandez didn’t go to school), after officials at Tippecanoe School for the Arts and Humanities (Milwaukee, WI) confirmed they’re still holding “Switch It Up Day” – a time for students to come dressed as members of the opposite sex.

Deidri’s mother told EAGnews the day was originally billed as “Gender Bender Day,” but Tippecanoe officials made the name change after she called Principal Jeffrey Krupar to complain.  Ms. Hernandez said, “I didn’t have a problem with the title.  I had a problem with the activity taking place.”  She says it’s “ridiculous” and “creepy” to ask elementary boys to come to school dressed as girls, and vice versa, and predicts that having students dress as “transvestites” will distract from the learning process.  One other parent shared her concerns and held her child out of class, too.

 

But it’s the motivation behind “Switch It Up Day” that has Hernandez most concerned.  She wonders if it is being done to promote the acceptance of homosexuality to students in school, which runs from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.  Hernandez thinks it’s inappropriate to expose young children to these issues, even in a light-hearted manner.  “They might as well call it ‘Transgender Day,’” she says.

 

According to Hernandez, when she called Krupar with her concerns, she was told the day was chosen by the school’s student council and is only meant to be fun.  Hernandez also complained to the superintendent’s office, but was told “by someone in the office” that the school wasn’t breaking any rules.

 

Hernandez says she’s “never stepped out like this” to challenge school policy, but decided somebody had to.  “Every time something’s bothering a liberal or an atheist, they come forward to complain.  And somebody always has a problem with Easter or Christmas,” she explains.  Hernandez says her son won’t mind the day off from school, but she regrets that he’s going to miss a day of learning because of the controversy.

 

Tony Tagliavia, a spokesman for Milwaukee Public Schools, told EAGnews that “this is an idea created by students as one in a series of school spirit days” and participation is not mandatory.

 

While I can believe the school meant no harm in approving the cross-dressing day and the children didn’t come up with the idea to promote alternative lifestyles, it undoubtedly caused children at the school the distress of having to make a choice that day – either dress up as the opposite sex … which might make them feel uncomfortable, or dress normally and be out of place with the rest of the school … which might also make them feel uncomfortable.  The third alternative – skipping a day of school – meant missing a day of learning.  Given these options, perhaps schools officials should have given greater thought to the learning objective!

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel