Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

ICYMI, conservatives in the United States have been slowly and steadily threatening progressive values in schools across the country. From attacking the inclusion of LGBTQ+ history and identity in school to boycotting literature and music deemed controversial for being inclusive of race, sexuality, and gender identities, the conservative wave has been accelerating at a breakneck speed.

Case in point the recent banning of an old Miley Cyrus track from 2017 at an elementary school in Wisconsin.

Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, has reportedly removed the song from the set list of the school’s upcoming spring concert for first graders. One of the students’ mother told LA Times that her daughter was asked not to perform Cyrus’ ‘Rainbowland’ at the concert, much to the child’s disappointment as the song is quite popular amongst the kids.

‘Rainbowland’ is from Cyrus’ 2017 album Younger Now and is a duet between the singer and her godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton.

At the time of the song’s release, Parton had said that the song stood for unconditional love, “It’s really about if we could love one another a little better or be a little kinder, be a little sweeter, we could live in rainbow land. It’s really just about dreaming and hoping that we could all do better. It’s a good song for the times right now.” Later, Cyrus had added, “So it’s saying if all of us are so different and we all look so different and different shades of humanity, what a rainbow we could really be and live in that land and celebrate it.”

With lyrics like, “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise. Where we’re free to be exactly who we are“ and “Let’s all dig down deep inside. Brush the judgment and fear aside,” it’s clear that the song doesn’t have any explicit content that could be potentially controversial for a school performance. However, the school’s superintendent Jim Serbert told news outlets that the song could be “perceived as controversial.”

While the school hasn’t confirmed the reason behind the ban. Many parents have speculated that Cyrus’ past as a controversial figure and her close association with LGBTQ activism might be the reason behind the ban.

School teacher Melissa Tempel took to Twitter to call out the school for banning the song because of its lyrics that talked about acceptance and love.

What do you think of the reason behind the ban?