Michigan's Cherry Knoll Elementary School Under Fire For Removing 'Gay' From 'Deck The Halls'

[William769]

A Michigan music teacher's decision to censor the word "gay" from a traditional Christmas carol is being met with a frosty response.

The teacher, who has not yet been named in any of the published reports, allegedly removed "gay" from "Deck The Halls" after 1st and 2nd grade students kept giggling during preparations for a Christmas concert at Cherry Knoll Elementary School in Traverse City. Instead of the traditional lyric, the students were taught to sing "don we now our bright apparel," according to UpNorthLive.com.

The school's Facebook page has since been inundated with reactions from infuriated parents and fellow educators. "By taking the word 'gay' out of 'Deck The halls' you are making it a big deal, one word can have different meanings," wrote one user. "Your personal opinions should not reflect what you teach other people's children. Please teach the children the classic song the way it was written." Another added: "Essentially, this teacher has now taught the elementary school children, including children as young as five, that gay means homosexual sex."

One user even incorporated a clever parody of the song's 19th century lyrics: "See the crazy school before us/Fa la la la la, la la la la/Prejudice with a thesaurus."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/deck-the-halls-gay-removed-michigan-_n_1130333.html

I swear, I didn't make this up.

[Ken Burch]

1. I always liked the version(it may have been Stan Freberg, but I'm not sure)

where it was changed to "Don we now DESIGNER apparel".

And it's interesting that the parents simply ASSUME that the only way the kids could have picked up that meaning of the word "gay" was from the teacher. With some people, if their kids say ANYTHING they don't agree with, it could only be because of the mythical concept of "subversion".

[Hardrada]

2. Don, we now design apparel. Fa la la etc.

[Suich]

3. I was in a choral group in Catholic high school.

When we sang the songs from "South Pacific," we had to change from "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," to "There Is Nothing Like a Girl."

Really dumb!

[REP]

4. I wonder if they know it started out as a dirty Welsh drinking song

Shots are done on the 'la's. The lyrics describe the charms of women from various towns.

Then there's the cleaner version, Nos Galan, but it has very pagan undertones.

They should be happy with this version.

Too bad stupidity isn't fatal.

[William769]

5. 'Gay apparel' back in song for Michigan students

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.— A Michigan elementary school principal says students are back to singing "gay apparel" in a well-known Christmas carol after a music teacher had them sing "bright apparel" instead.

Cherry Knoll Elementary School Principal Chris Parker told television station WPBN (http://bit.ly/vGrkqj ) on Monday that he was disappointed with the decision to make the change to "Deck the Halls" after children kept giggling.

One line in the popular version of the song is "Don we now our gay apparel," referring to festive holiday clothing.

Parker says it's a teachable moment for the educator and students at the school in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-christmascarol-ly,0,2606747.story