Contact: Chip White, Press Secretary-- Northern California, 916-446-2956 campaign line, 916-215-4392 cell, chip@protectmarriage.com; Sonja Eddings Brown, Deputy Communications Director-- Southern California, 818-993-4508,
818-723-9446 cell
sonja@protectmarriage.com; both with www.ProtectMarriage.com

SACRAMENTO, October 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- ProtectMarriage.com - Yes on 8 today released its second television ad of the campaign focused on consequences to Californians if the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling is not overturned by enacting Proposition 8. The ad features a young girl arriving home from school to show her mother a picture book that was read to her class by their teacher that day. The book, "King and King," is about a prince marrying another prince, "and I can marry a princess" the girl says, to her mother's disbelief.

The ad features Pepperdine University School of Law Professor Richard Peterson asking and answering the question: "Think it can't happen? It's already happened." He explains that in Massachusetts, the only other state in which same-sex marriage is legal, gay marriage has been taught to second-graders in public school. When parents objected, courts ruled that parents had no right to advance notice about instruction about gay marriage, or to pull their child from class before being subjected to such instruction.

Yes on 8 Co-Campaign Manager Frank Schubert said of the ad and the campaign, "Proposition 8 protects our children from being taught in public schools about 'same-sex marriage' as has already happened in Massachusetts. We're talking about seven and eight year old children being exposed to gay marriage in the schools, including being read a book, 'King and King,' that includes a scene of two men kissing. Our opponents want Californians to think that gay marriage is only about two loving adults, but the Supreme Court's ruling has profound consequences for all Californians, not the least of which is what kids will be taught in public schools."

In 2006, a Massachusetts teacher read the book "King and King" to her second grade class, which included Joey Wirthlin. His parents, Robert and Robin Wirthlin, met with the school principal to request that they be given advance notice before such material was taught to their son. The principal disagreed that the school had any obligation to notify parents in advance.

Both the United States District Court in Massachusetts and the First District Court of Appeals decided that schools are not required to inform parents in advance of teaching about same-sax parents. The courts dismissed the Wirthlins' claim that parents have a right to advance notice or to remove their children from the classroom when such material is taught.

The Wirthlins appealed to the United States Supreme Court. On Monday, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal, which makes the court decision final law in Massachusetts.

California's state Education Code (Sections 51890 and 51933) requires that teachers instruct children as young as kindergarteners about marriage. If the California gay marriage ruling is not overturned, teachers will be required to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage. Proposition 8 protects children from being taught in California public schools that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage.

The ad concludes by reminding viewers that they can protect traditional marriage by voting Yes on Proposition 8.

The ad will begin airing statewide Wednesday afternoon. Copies of the ad are available on the www.ProtectMarriage.com website or by calling the campaign at (916) 446-2956.

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Chip White, Press Secretary-- Northern California ProtectMarriage.com 

(916) 446-2956 campaign line

(916) 215-4392 cell

chip@protectmarriage.com

Sonja Eddings Brown, Deputy Communications Director-- Southern California Protect Marriage .com

818-993-4508

818-723-9446 cell

sonja@protectmarriage.com 




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