Early yesterday morning, freshman GOP outrage point-source Rep. Lauren Boebert fired off another trademark Twitter volley into the ongoing election year culture wars:
A North Carolina preschool is using LGBT flag flashcards with a pregnant man to teach kids colors.
We went from Reading Rainbow to Randy Rainbow in a few decades, but don’t dare say the Left is grooming our kids!
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) May 31, 2022
The coast-to-coast moral panic from the religious right over a flashcard that apparently depicted a pregnant person with short hair resulted in the resignation of the teacher involved yesterday, and police dispatched to the campus to provide additional protection for students and staff. It was not the finest hour for the state of North Carolina or pouncing opportunistic culture warriors like Rep. Boebert.
But thanks to Boebert pulling two beloved cultural icons into her rant, LeVar Burton of the long-running kids’ show Reading Rainbow along with the hilarious and impenitently gay Boebert-bashing Youtube star Randy Rainbow, some good may come this despite Boebert’s meanspiritedness. The Wrap:
But for one fan, Tuesday’s Twitter exchange between Rainbow and Boebert inspired an idea. “Personally, I think this calls for a collab from Randy Rainbow and @levarburton!” they replied. And then, the “Reading Rainbow” host himself stepped in.
It appears he’s open to the idea, tweeting at Randy Rainbow asking if they should pursue it. Now, fans of the two may need to thank Boebert, as Rainbow enthusiastically replied “Butterfly in the sky, I’d say it’s worth a try… (Yes!!!)”
Burton already has the wheels turning:
Outstanding @RandyRainbow, excellent news! I’ve got an idea I’d like to share with you. #bydhttmwfi #RandyAndLeVar#collaboration#rainbowconnection https://t.co/3VxkwqcwPn
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) May 31, 2022
That’s as much as anyone knows about Burton and Rainbow’s forthcoming collaboration, but “Burton and Rainbow” seems like a great name for whatever it is! We don’t need the credit, don’t worry.
We’re much more excited to see it than Lauren Boebert’s next Twitter nastygram.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: notaskinnycook
IN: Get More Smarter on Tuesday (Sept. 17)
BY: kwtree
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: 2Jung2Die
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: kwtree
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: Ben Folds5
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: JohnNorthofDenver
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: Ben Folds5
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: notaskinnycook
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: kwtree
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
BY: Ben Folds5
IN: Tuesday Open Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
Adversity brings out the best in some. The worst in others.
The North Carolina classroom for the flashcards was a special ed kindergarten. The teacher apparently thought the 12 cards, showing different sorts of families, different races, and different abilities among the people shown, would help the kids know that ALL sorts of families would include children like them.
There was an uproar.
The teacher resigned. Parents responded, pointing out THEY thought the teacher was doing good things with their kids. At least one said her child was being used — and hoped parents would remember who had supported NC education and who attacked it.
Good luck to the district in finding another teacher — I talked to a friend who is a junior high school principal in Georgia, who is somewhat bitter about re-starting a search for a special ed teacher after the one he recommended to his district didn't get an offer from them until AFTER she had accepted another offer in a different district. He thinks it might only take another 3 or 4 weeks to go through existing applications (again), hope there are some new ones to also consider, conduct another round of interviews, and make a recommendation.
That struggle is real: for the Principal who has to hire qualified teachers, for the kids and families struggling with disabilities and trying to find services, and for the teachers who now always have to look over their shoulders and check themselves to make sure they aren’t saying or doing something that will get them reprimanded or inspire parent (not even parent, but community) blowback.
That was one good thing about substituting: I could be an ally to gay and trans kids, even come out myself as bisexual ( although I didn’t, cuz I like my privacy and kids think all adult sexual preferences are yukky anyway), without worrying about what some hypothetical conservative student would tell his MAGA parents to get them all riled up.
I never got any crap about supporting the gay and trans kids, with their changing names and pronouns and hair colors, but if I had, I’d just say, “See ya! Good luck in finding another substitute qualified to teach your kiddos for what you want to pay me!”
After the revolution, the current pay scale for substitute teachers will be a felony!