School cancels concert with Tom Hugo after reactions From parents
By Henrik Ihme, September 30th, 2023,
Fædrelandsvennen 30. Of September 2023
Translated September 30th, 2023,
by Karina Brandt, KEiiNO NEWS
Lindebøskauen school at Flekkerøy has cancelled a concert with the artist Tom Hugo Hermansen after several parents reacted to the lyrics.
KRISTIANSAND: – It is a bit special that they cancel because of one group of parents who will censor culture. The only thing we want is to make difference harmless. They probably haven’t seen the concert or misunderstood what the lyrics are about, says Tom Hugo Hermansen, to Fædrelansvennen.
Among other things, he is known from the group KEiiNO, which has won Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest.
These days, he plays in schools as part of The Cultural schoolbag with the concert performance “EDEN – Straight pop with queer people” role models,” which he co-wrote with his husband Alexander Olsson.
On Friday, he learned that two schools had canceled upcoming concerts. The Christian private school, Oasen, at Birkelid, and the middle school, Lindebøskauen, at Flekkerøy.
Tom Hugo Hermansen says that he has family at Flekkerøy and that he played there several times.
“It’s very sad and strange that some parents should prevent students from getting to experience the concert. Their children, of course, need not see it, but to prevent the rest of those at Flekkerøy to hear me sing along with Amazing musicians is stupid,” he said.
It became difficult
School principal, Marianne Jonassen, confirms that they have cancelled the performance, after several parents have reacted to the lyrics to be performed.
“We have parents and students who feel that it will be difficult with thought of religious society and the like. So, we didn’t have time to make an alternate arrangement, as the concert was supposed to be on the following Monday, after autumn holidays, she says to Fædrelandsvennen.
– If we had had more time, we could have made an alternative plan and run the concert. But we have a group we have to look after, and with such a short time, it became difficult, she says.
– How many parents have reacted?
– There is a large group of parents, and the feedback was just right late in the day that we did not have the opportunity to create an alternative for your children.
– What are they reacting to?
– In some of the texts it is related to Nazism and to homosexuality. At the same rate with other schools we also have the teaching plan Week 6 and we teach about diversity, but the parents who have reacted believe that the song lyrics do not represent a strengthening of the content of the curriculum.
– What do you mean yourself?
“Right now, this is the best we could do in a short period of time. If we Had we had more time, we could have designed an alternative arrangements so that the concert could have been carried out and all the students would could be taken care of. In the personnel group, the focus is on working with diversity, but we are united in this decision today.
In booth with Nazis
In the foreword, Tom Hugo Hermansen writes, that the pop lyrics are about something other than love between boy and girl, and that he hopes that the lyrics will make it easier for everyone to be proud of who they are. Local politician, Helen Rosvold Andersen (Pp), is the leader of a parent organization that is critical of current sex education I the school. She informs Fædrelandsvennen that she has been involved in organizing the involvement of parents in the matter, but that she has not had direct contact with Lindebøskauen school.
– What they react to, is that they have not received sufficient information about what the performance contains, and that the content is exclusionary and appear condescending towards a minority.
– What do you mean?
– The performance wants to contribute to normalizing difference, and one means is blasphemy of Christianity. Among other things will be Christians sat in booth with the Nazis, she says. She refers here to the text in Fade Out, where it is referred to, among other things, the Nazi march against gays in Kristiansand in 2017.
– This is perceived as the hanging of Christians, says Rosvold Andersen the reactions. That there is a reaction to the lyrics to Fade Out has Tom Hugo Hermansen no understanding of.
– I don’t think those who react are very good at analyzing lyrics. It refers to the Nazis who marched through Kristiansand and claimed that they should crush the gay lobby, he says.
The lyrics from “Fade Out” that cause noise
They will teach you how to be a girl
About Jesus and how sinners burn
They own half your lovin’ city
Wanna fade out
I just fade out
Fade out now
Fade out now
They tell lies about a Nordic race
It’s just politics to kill all gays
When free speech is cutting of my head
Wanna fade out
I just fade out
Fade out now
Fade out again
Tell me: Who needs police
That let nazis walk our streets
I’m so angry
I can’t sleep
I’m so angry
But I fade out
Fade out now
Fade out again
Fade out again
fade out again
Fade out again
He says he would rather record and stream a concert so that students can see it.
– Then they can form their own opinion about what we are trying to convey, which is tolerance and showing that everyone is equally valuable.
Show diversity
Helen Rosvold Andersen (Pp) has been particularly involved in the fact, that a biological understanding of gender must be the basis for teaching in schools and kindergartens. Photo: Lena Lislevand Ingunn Olsen Høgetveit, is the producer and specialist responsible for the production in the cultural school bag (DKS).
– The production is about making difference harmless, and the theme is inspired by queers’s experiences. We put up to a democratic discussion, and we have no hidden agenda. We shall show diversity and different parts of society, she says.
– We are very lucky to have such skilled performers as Tom Hugo involved with DKS, and most schools are happy and grateful that he is out with them them. She says that on Friday she was contacted by some people who reacted to the texts that are performed.
– From DKS’s side, it is about showing diversity, and we believe that this is a golden opportunity for the schools to have that discussion, she says.
