National Organization for Marriage Urges Connecticut General Assembly to Defeat SB 899: Bill Threatens Religious Liberty and Crosses Line into Promotion of Gay Marriage in Schools
April 20, 2009
“Presented under the guise of conforming state statutes to the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage, SB 899 would undermine existing legal protections for religious organizations and repeal statutes that help ensure that gay marriage is not taught to children in public schools.” — Brian Brown, Executive Director, NOM
PRINCETON, NJ, April 17 (MetroCatholic) – Today the nation’s leading organization, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), working to preserve marriage as a unique institution between men and women, urged the Connecticut General Assembly to reject SB 899.
“Presented under the guise of conforming state statutes to the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage, SB 899 would undermine existing legal protections for religious organizations and repeal statutes that help ensure that gay marriage is not taught to children in public schools,” said Brian Brown, executive director for NOM. “SB 899 sounds simple, but it makes profound changes in the law that could hurt religious groups and will result in gay marriage being actively promoted in the state’s public schools,” noted Brown.
SB 899 repeals existing Connecticut statute 46a-81r, which provides that, the state’s statutes “shall not be deemed or construed… to authorize the promotion of homosexuality or bisexuality in educational institutions or require the teaching in educational institutions of homosexuality or bisexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.”
“By repealing this important legal protection, the General Assembly will be putting into the law that kids should be taught about same-sex marriage in Connecticut’s public schools,” Brown said. “We strenuously object to this sneaky legislative attempt, under the guise of conforming state statutes with the Supreme Court’s ruling, to force gay marriage on young children in school. If SB 899 did not intend for gay marriage to be promoted in public schools, it would not need to repeal this section of the law. Make no mistake about it, gay marriage will be promoted in Connecticut schools if SB 899 becomes law.”
NOM also warned legislators that SB 899 poses a threat to religious institutions that are currently protected from sexual orientation discrimination claims if those claims conflict with the religious mission of the organization.
“Connecticut’s statutes protect religious organizations from legal claims by gay activists who otherwise could bring sexual orientation discrimination lawsuits against them. This is a common-sense ‘conscientious objector’ exemption for religious groups.” Brown said. “Unfortunately, SB 899 would leave these same religious groups open to lawsuits brought by gay couples who marry. A Christian school, for example, could be liable for refusing to hire a gay man married to another man to teach their students about family life.”
NOM is airing radio and Internet ads urging Connecticut citizens to contact their legislators to oppose SB 899.
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I find this to be one of the most outrageous things that I have ever read. I am an openly gay 44-year old woman who was married and has one child. My partner was also married and has four children. We have spent countless days and nights for YEARS in unbelievable trauma over the realization of our sexuality at such a late stage in life. It has been a painful coming out process for both of us, more so for me to witness her conflicting emotions about what the right thing to do for her children would be. In the end, we both decided that we loved each other very much and the pain of being apart was undescribable. At this time, we both work every single day to love the kids, show them how much we do, and are desperate to have them feel as though they are no different than their peers and their traditional families. Reading something that completely tears down what we are so passionately trying to do is beyond frustrating and for the first time in this process I feel it is important to speak out against such prejudices especially since our family dynamic in no way changes anyone elses life in any negative way that I am aware of. We don’t promote our sexuality and we certainly don’t flaunt it, but we do want to be respected. Its not about us as the adults, its about the children, and I challenge you to imagine yourself looking into the eyes of these kids and justify to them why two important people in their live’s rights to commit themselves to each other would be taken away. They won’t understand, and they will be deeply hurt and confused. Go ahead and live with THAT.
This is not ony insulting to gay families throughout the state, but it’s offensive to any child who deserves an education which will prepare them for their own independence. We don’t hide the fact that they should not talk to strangers, we don’t push them out of the room when the news is on.
Children will face homosexuals in the real world, they will be come across them in college, the work place and even their neighborhoods. Why pretend that portion of the world doesn’t exist. The suicide rate for children who identify themselves as gay is far too high, every child counts, and every child needs to feel as though they are important.
People are born gay or straight, no straight married person woke up one morning and said, you know what I’m feeling like today…… It’s not a flavor of ice cream. Social Studies and civic events keep children aware of the world they are living in, it gives the information they need to become prepared for their independence.
It’s kind of funny… unless it specifically states that religious organizations are exempt from recognizing same-sex marriage, it’s assumed they will be forced to do so… Just because a pencil does not state “Do not stick in eye” doesn’t mean the manufacturer advocates doing so.
I was not allowed to be married in a catholic church because my wife was not catholic unless we got permission from the Bishop. For this, we had to attend classes and agree to raise our children catholic. I decided against getting married there. My uncle (A catholic priest) was very upset with me… The point is. My marriage was legal by every statute in the state, yet the church was not required to allow or to recognize it.
That’s how it is, and that’s how it should be, and I will defend to the death those rights… Nobody is forced to join their church in this country. It’s a choice and therefore you either follow the rules, or you go somewhere else. I went somewhere else.
Legalizing same sex marriage is no threat against the church.. It never has been. It’s a scare tactic to help mobilize support for the opposition. Because after all… shouldn’t YOUR god, tell ME what to do?
I’m not aware of any law banning the teaching of “Gay lifestyles” that’s being repealed… Once again, Since it doesn’t specifically say.. ” Gays are evil, don’t teach kids about gay people” Then that MUST mean teaching kids that “gay is the way” is mandatory. Within weeks they will be almost forcing kids to just turn gay overnight…. I’m sure they will start handing out gay extra credit too…. This really is silly. There just really is no intelligent argument against gay marriage. If you can’t win with facts and intellect… just make stuff up that will scare people. Oh and yell really loud. The guy who yells louder must be right.
The promotion and encouragement of homosexual practices such as oral and anal copulation,violate laws of nature and good hygiene nd in addition spread the curse of AIDS.