A Far-Right School Board Won The Battle But Lost The War

A story of love triumphing over hate in Wisconsin

Last week in Watertown, Wisconsin, students in the high school band were excited for their spring concert. They were especially eager to play one song in particular: A Mother of a Revolution, a piece written to honor transgender icon Marsha P. Johnson.

Then, six days before the concert, their school board abruptly made a decision: the students wouldn’t be allowed to perform the song after all. Their band director had followed district policy to the letter — parents were notified, and students were free to opt out. The band had been practicing for months. But at the eleventh hour, the board changed its mind.

At an explosive meeting, school board members forbid the band from playing the piece. They claimed their decision was about "ending indoctrination and radical curriculum.” The song, by the way, has no lyrics or text whatsoever. It’s an instrumental piece for a wind ensemble that simply honors the legacy of a trans pioneer.

A board member erupts during the Watertown School Board meeting on May 12. Photo submitted by Wendy Pliska.

Students begged them to reconsider. Camila Siebenlist, an LGBTQ seventh grader who plays the trombone, told them, “I don’t think you guys understand how hard it is to listen to you guys not accept them, because I know it’s like to not be accepted. To hear them play a piece by an LGBTQ composer would mean so much.”

Students staged a walkout to protest the decision, but the school board stood firm. In the end, the piece was removed from the May 18th concert. It appeared that the far-right school board had won.

But don’t despair yet, because the story isn’t over.

After a huge outcry from students, parents, and the entire community, a local church stepped up. Just two days ago, Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church hosted a community performance of A Mother of a Revolution by current band members and alumni alike. Even better, the actual composer of the piece — Omar Thomas — heard about the controversy and flew in from across the country to conduct the concert personally.

The event sold out, with hundreds of neighbors in attendance, and those who couldn’t fit inside the church listened outdoors with their ears pressed to the walls. Thousands more across the country listened to the livestream online. The music ended up reaching so many more people than the original student band concert ever could.

Composer Omar Thomas celebrates the band

“This feels like a day of redemption,” said one Watertown resident. Another said, "When art is silenced, community speaks louder.”

What started as a school board’s attempt to censor a song because of transphobia ended with thousands of people inspired by Marsha P. Johnson and the power of community. When we stand up for our values, we win!

If you want to make a difference like this in your own community, check out the Red Wine & Blue Network!