Maryland Marriage Alliance Commercial Highlights Threats to Parental Rights

Annapolis, Md. – Thursday the Maryland Marriage Alliance began airing a television commercial “Parents Have No Rights.”  The 30-second commercial highlights one of the threats that parents face if same-sex marriage becomes law.  Based on what has happened across the country, parents in Maryland have a real concern about the rights they lose if Question 6 passes.

The commercial features David and Tonia Parker, Massachusetts parents who objected when the school that their young son attended began teaching second graders about gay marriage. The Parkers were not the only parents who were opposed to their children being instructed using a book King & King, the story of a prince who marries another prince.

In Massachusetts parental rights were completely ignored.  The same could happen in Maryland.  A group of concerned parents asked that they be notified in advance so they could opt their children out of class for this instruction. School officials refused. The Parkers and other parents sued to assert their parental rights. In the case of Parker v. Hurley (Case 07-1528) the first District Court of Appeals ruled that parents were not entitled to notification about this instruction, nor did they have any opt-out right to remove their children from class.

In the commercial, Tonia Parker urges parents, “don’t make the same mistake and think that gay marriage won’t affect you.”

To view the ad, visit the Maryland Marriage Alliance webpage, http://Youtube.com/MMANoOn6.

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