Viroqua Diversity Day Cancelled

Viroqua is along the highway between Coon Valley and Sidie Hollow, Wisconsin. The high school's got about 370 kids in it.

For the past few years they've tried to have a "Diversity Day," you know, to learn about other kinds of people. As a teacher explained:

“Our students are not going to be living their lives out in Viroqua,” said Attleson. “They’ll be out and about in the world — in jobs, in the military, in the university —and they’re going to come into contact with people of different backgrounds. And we feel it would be real helpful for them in a nice safe place, like a high school, to have contact and be able to dispel some of the stereotypes.”

True, that.

Two years ago the school board cancelled Diversity Day when 400 people signed petitions to keep the gay, lesbian, and transgender people out of it. I don't really remember it making the news, but that's what happened, they weren't all that interested in "that kind" of diversity up there that year.

This year, the out-of-town legal buzzards came in, and Diversity Day is cancelled again.

As the La Crosse Tribune puts it:

While pressure in 2004 came largely from within the community, this time, much of the challenge was from outside, said Gregg Attleson, a Spanish teacher at Viroqua who was on the Diversity Day planning committee.

The Tribune obtained a copy of a March 8 fax to David Johnston, Viroqua district administrator, from the Liberty Counsel, a national public interest law firm with offices in Florida and Virginia.

The fax stated that Don Greven, pastor of Bad Axe Lutheran Church, and Charles Lind, grandfather of a Viroqua High senior, had raised concerns about no Christian or formerly gay viewpoints being among the Diversity Day speakers. Legal issues lead to cancellation of Diversity Day at Viroqua High

Yes, Liberty Counsel. The same guys that filed the lawsuit here in Montgomery County. Same guys, up to the SOS.

Sounds like the Viroqua Area School District put up even less of a fight than the Montgomery County Public Schools did when these slick lawyers came to town. Gave up immediately. At least MCPS made them go to court before they gave away the farm.

So Diversity Day is canceled at Viroqua High School again.

The rightwing web sites are going crazy with this. "They'd rather cancel the event than allow ex-gays and Christians at it," is of course the way the spin goes. They love this stuff. This proves how put-upon they are.

You ever been to Viroqua, Wisconsin?

I notice the story doesn't say that any "ex-gays" wanted to be part of Diversity Day. They just weren't on the schedule, so the minister over at Bad Axe Lutheran complained to the Falwell legal team.

According to the paper, they had planned to feature "Hmong, Jewish, Muslim, American Indian, African American, Latino, Buddhist, gay, physically disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged people."

The gay speakers had said they would be uncomfortable if "ex-gays" were represented. Because, well, that's what the whole "ex-gay" thing is, anyway -- if they weren't trying pressure gay people to get back into the closet they wouldn't call themselves "ex-gay," they'd call themselves "straight." Don't kid yourself, the entire concept of "ex-gay" exists as part of a mission to shame gay people into being something they're not. Somebody switches from AC to DC, fine, not a problem, but if you're for real you don't hang up a sign when you do it.

A teacher explained:

“Non-positive groups were not what we were going for,” said Ellen Byers, an English teacher on the committee.

She said it was important to have homosexuals represented because a lot of misunderstanding exists about the issue and because Viroqua has gay students.

She said the day was not supposed to be about “proselytizing,” or alienating anyone.

That last line is key, and it will be lost in the noise. It was not supposed to be about proselytizing or alienating anyone.

• Do you think the Hmong wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the Jewish person wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the Muslim wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the American Indian wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the African American wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the Latino wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the Buddhist wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the gay person wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the physically disadvantaged person wants you to become one of them?
  
• Do you think the economically disadvantaged person wants you to become one of them?

That does seem to draw a line between those invited and those not, doesn't it?

Do you think the Christian wants you to become one of them?
Do you think the "ex-gay" wants you to become one of them?

Nobody minds if you've given your life to Christ, or if you want to say you're not gay any more. What people don't like is being told there's something wrong with them, and they need to be like you. That's not diversity, that's just rudeness.