Schools, Marriage and Maine- One COLAGEr’s Perspective

COLAGE is excited to share this letter-to-the-editor written by a young adult member of our Speak OUT Program. Hannah lives in Maine with her lesbian mothers.

Dear Editor,
In recent weeks, we have all heard a lot about same-sex marriage and the consequences that may or may not result from it. While I am a strong believer in freedom of speech, there is one rumor going around that I feel must be addressed: the assertion that the legalization of same-sex marriage would force local schools to teach it as an alternative to “traditional marriage”.
As the recent graduate of a Maine public school, I can honestly say that never in my twelve years of schooling, did I learn anything about marriage in the classroom. My peers and my teachers had far better things to talk about and I learned more than enough about marriage in the real world. I learned that I was not allowed to refer to my parents as “married”, someone would always correct me. I was told that my parents’ anniversary (Valentine’s Day) was “just pretend” because they never had a wedding. I was told that I was born out of wedlock, the only option that my family was given. My parents didn’t have the privilege of building a family around marriage because they are both women.
The outrageous claim that marriage equality will lead to children learning about homosexuality in school is one that leaves me dumbfounded. Maine public schools do not teach marriage. The very idea that such a lesson would be necessary is absurd.
In a debate that has become increasingly about the needs and fears of adults, I ask that we all take a moment to consider how children will really be affected by the outcome of November’s vote. I can tell you, as a student, as a big sister, as someone who just left childhood a few years ago, the children whose parents don’t want them to learn about diversity could really care less about same-sex marriage; they have the worries of childhood on their minds, as they should. It is the children like me, the ones who are reminded regularly that society does not see our families as equal that will be affected.
To me, the bottom line is simple: when it comes to teaching children about diversity, about families that may initially appear different from their own, the facts are already here. Our families are already here, with or without our rights.
Sincerely,
Hannah Melville-Weatherbee

To learn more about the Speak OUT program or how YOU can share your story to make change, email Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director by clicking HERE.