Read what Marc Mutty of Stand for Marriage Maine has to say.
AUGUSTA — Same-sex marriage opponents blasted Attorney General Janet Mills on Friday for concluding that school curriculums would not be affected by the legalization of same-sex marriage in Maine.
Marc Mutty of Yes on 1 released a 10-paragraph statement saying that gay marriage will be taught in Maine schools unless the state's gay-marriage law is repealed, regardless of whether it's an official part of state-mandated curriculum.
"When they study the facts, Mainers will see right through Ms. Mills' opinion for what it is: a shameless political ploy by supporters of homosexual marriage," Mutty said in the statement.
Mills released her opinion Thursday in response to a request from state Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, who sought clarification of whether Maine's new same-sex marriage law would affect what is taught in Maine schools.
Question 1 on the Nov. 3 ballot asks voters whether they want to reject the new law.
Mills said there would be no effect on curriculums if the law stands, but also noted local school boards "determine the exact content of each district's curricula."
Gendron and others have said that local school boards have the right to determine what is discussed or taught, and that passage or rejection of Question 1 won't change that.
The issue of whether there's a correlation between the same-sex marriage law and what's taught in schools has been a central part of the efforts by Yes on 1 to overturn the law. It's been the theme of their television advertisements for weeks, and they continued to stand by that assertion Friday.
Mutty said their conclusion is based on what's happened in other states – namely Massachusetts and California – that allow gay marriage. In Massachusetts, two couples sued their local school district over the issue.
In one instance, a 7-year-old boy told his parents that a teacher read a book to the class about two princes getting married.
"There is no getting around the fact that gay marriage has been taught in Massachusetts and California," Mutty said.
Mills, who testified in support of the bill at a public hearing this spring, said the opinion was prepared by nonpartisan staff in her office.
She said it's misleading for Yes on 1 to cite the Massachusetts case because it's not relevant to what's happening in Maine.
"Whatever one's views about the merits of the bill, the reliance on this case to generate fear and concerns about school curricula is wrong," she said.
Mills also noted that Maine law includes a religious accommodation for parents if "course content conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs."
Mutty said gay-marriage supporters had the chance to prohibit the teaching of same-sex marriage in schools when they drafted the legislation.
"They had ample opportunity to blunt our concerns by expressly prohibiting same-sex marriage from being discussed in public schools, but they did not do so," he said.
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form