" “All of this, of course, raises the question, among others presented here, of what ‘diversity’ means and whether a school may promote one view of ‘diversity’ over another. Even accepting that the term ‘diversity’ has evolved in recent years to mean, at least colloquially, something more than the dictionary definition, the notion of sponsorship of one viewpoint to the exclusion of another hardly seems to further the school’s purported objective of ‘celebrating diversity.’ In this context, it would do well to recall the Supreme Court’s admonition in another school speech case: In our system, state-operated schools may not be enclaves of totalitarianism. . . [and] students may not be regarded as closed-circuit recipients of only that which the State chooses to communicate. They may not be confined to the expression of those sentiments that are officially approved.” (quoting from Tinker v. DesMoines Indep. Cmty. Sch. Dist., 393 U.S. 503, 511 (1969)). The federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the Thomas More Law Center alleged that school officials violated Hansen’s constitutional rights to freedom of speech, free exercise of religion, and the equal protection of the law. Moreover, the lawsuit alleged that school officials coerced students to accept the religious belief that homosexual activity is not immoral or sinful in violation of the constitution. Judge Rosen held that the Ann Arbor Public Schools and several of its employees violated Hansen’s constitutional rights to freedom of speech and the equal protection of the law. He also concluded that the school officials violated the Establishment Clause by inviting the pro-gay clergy to hold a panel on “Homosexuality and Religion.” Rosen instructed Hansen’s attorneys to file with the court an application for attorneys’ fees, which could cost the Ann Arbor Public Schools up to $100,000. "

" Do they really need a Diversity Day? Kids are smarter than they think, and by the looks of things, they're smarter than bunches of the adults. Viroqua gets a black eye over this thing, but geez, Viroqua isn't any different from Holmen, West Salem, Prairie du Chien or any other place... When do these other schools have their Diversity Day? Do they? "

" this is the reason we need diversity day. after being through the 2004 excitement of letting homosexuals speak in our school, it is evident that we need to let other voices be heard. being in college i have experienced more diversity than ever, and without diversity day i would probably have been more close-minded and not willing to make an effort to say hello to someone who looks "different" than me or who has a "different" lifestyle. the whole point of diversity is celebrating DIFFERENCES. "

" While Viroqua parents have the right to remove their minor children from public schools at any time, they did their high school age children a disservice by denying them the opportunity to examine these issues in an academic environment. Most high school students are capable of discussing these issues in a mature manner and censorship does not avail itself well toward the development of critical thinking skills. Sunday’s Desperate Housewives episode depicted two boys in a homosexual relationship. Keep in mind that this is one of today’s highest rated prime time network television programs that aired on a network owned by Disney. Approximately 450 students are enrolled Viroqua High School. If the reported number of 60 students pulled out of school on Diversity Day 2004 is correct, that's 13%. While still a minority, a group that size can reflect poorly on a community. Did this 13% of Viroqua parents fear that attending Diversity Day will cause their children to engage in the lifestyles discussed or did they fear that Diversity Day would teach their children that some educators and other community members respectfully disagree with their parents? Current Diversity Day organizers would do well to specify the possible “complications arising from legal considerations” that caused them to cancel the event. "

" This is exactly the reason people need to attend seminars like this. "

" It’s a shame these backwards thinking parents would think like this. That they don’t conform to your standard of thinking is un-American. Wait are they only asking to be accepted for the things they believe in, no this is not acceptable we must all conform to whatever you believe is correct. So much for the freedom of being different. "

" This is typical small town thinking, the people of Viroqua aren't willing to accept anything that they are not comfortable with. Anyone who sees this article or hears of this story has to just laugh and shake their head. Viroqua has just never caught up with the times, and from the sounds of it, they have long time before that ever happens. "

" By parents keeping their kids out of school, they are trying to shelter them from reality. These days, there are so many different things that are talked about openly and these old fashioned parents need to realize that their kids need to be educated in such things to make it in the real world. Would they keep them home from school if they were talking about different races, religions, etc... I have some gay friends and the thing about it is, they are the nicest most open minded individuals you will meet. I am not saying all gays, but I will say all the ones that I know. These parents are teaching their kids to be predjudice and should be ashamed of themselves!! "

" The parents of these high school age teens, would be extremely surprised if they spoke openly with their kids, to find out how many of their classmates are gay. Being a mother of two teen age daughters, they talk with me often about teens in their school who are openly gay. What great progression this is from when I was a teen. Either my eyes were closed to it, or no one spoke of it. If the community of Viroqua believes by keeping their children out of school for one day, or cancelling Diversity day altogether is some how shelting them, or keep them from the gay community, they need to think again, and think about sitting down with their kids to talk... "

" This is exactly why such offense was taken to the Onion article, to close to the truth perhaps? Viroqua may be just another little rural WI town, hoping to grow up someday and be a real town, but it isnt going to happen with narrow-minded "god fearing" people at the helm. do they honestly think by not allowing the up and coming generation to understand Diversity and how we all work together no matter our color, religion or sexual preferance."Children" these days are smarter than we think and have the capacity to know right from wrong. No amount of blinders are going to erase whats out there, they are going to run into it somewhere in their life. Better to be educated now than later. "

" The cancellation of Diversity Day or rather the idea behind why it was cancelled, intolerance, is one of the reasons I left the Viroqua area. There is "another world out there" where a DIVERSE group of individuals live and work together every day. This is the way of the world today and its future. The cancellation of this or any other Diversity Day at Virquoa High School will not change the way of the world. It is sad that parents think that sheltering their children from the truth will help to keep their fantasy world intact. A chance to be exposed to new ideas and concepts makes us into better people. This is why we encourage children to complete high school and go on to college. Knowledge IS power. Let each person learn and understand diversity and make their own decisions. The parents noted in this article not allowing their children to go to school because of Diversity Day are wrong because they are not allowing their children to learn. In turn, creating an environment where their children will be afraid to ask questions about a diverse individual or culture. It isn’t wrong to be different. Everyone is diverse in their own way. Let’s allow new generations to grow up and not be jaded in their views towards others. "

" What, exactly, do parents who keep their kids home from school during Diversity Day intend to accomplish? When those children are old enough to live on their own, there are no laws preventing them from ever having to interact with gays and lesbians; in all likelihood a co-worker or even (shudder) a supervisor will be homosexual. We live in a diverse nation, a diverse world, and no amount of smoke and mirrors thrown up by frightened parents will change this. 'Tis better we teach our children the virtues of compassion and equality now than have the police force or the judicial system teach them the same years down the road. "