The National Organization for Marriage is out today with the first television ad opposing attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.
The group, led by Ossining’s Maggie Gallagher, said it is spending $100,000 on the ad, which will run in the Long Island, Albany, Poughkeepsie, Watertown, and Newburgh areas. The initial ad buy is set to run May 28 through May 31.
“Marriage really matters because children need a mom and dad,” Gallagher said in a statement. “New Yorkers do not want government redefining marriage for our children or grandchildren; we do not want public schools teaching first graders that gay marriage is okay, that’s a decision that should be left to parents and our values.”
The ad encourages New Yorkers to call their state senators to oppose the same-sex marriage bill.
“The rights of people who believe marriage means a man and a woman will no longer matter,” the 30 second ad states. “We’ll all have to accept gay marriage whether we like it or not.”
The ad comes after the Empire State Pride Agenda has produced two ads featuring families who want a gay family member to be able to marry in New York.
Updated: The Pride Agenda said the ad’s claims are untrue and has a fact sheet that seeks to bust myths about same-sex marriage.
The Pride Agenda said the ad carries “many of the same false messages that we’ve seen in anti-marriage equality campaigns across the country. One of their most deceiving claims is that children will be forced to learn about marriage in schools. This is absolutely untrue-and education officials in Albany have already stated that teaching about marriage of any kind is not mandated by any New York State curriculum. These ads are dishonest and are simply meant to scare people.”