Poor, Poor Donald Mendell

Updated 10/31, Maine's Yes-On-1 campaign to ban same-sex marriage is short on coherent argument and long on victimization. Donald Mendell is a guidance counselor at Nokomis Regional High School in Maine. Mr. Mendell, who appeared in a Stand for Marriage Maine Commercial, made some extraordinarily ignorant and homophobic remarks in a letter to the editor of the Bangor Daily News. His polemic included the following:

UPDATE: Donald has "hired" a lawyer.

Sex education is not the spearhead of the “homosexual marriage and behavior is equal to that of heterosexuality” message. It’s being done through the teachers who are forming clubs and organizing activities that purport to speak to harassment, but in fact are aggressively promoting an equality-of-behavior agenda with children in our schools. A club-approved poster, asking “When did you decide that you were straight?” has been placed, for the past two years, in our school hallway less than 50 feet from the main entrance. Try to read the words “When did you decide that you were straight” as might 13-year-old ninth-graders their first day of high school.

Aside from the fact that this has absolutely nothing to do with marriage, this is the all too familiar dog whistle that gays are out to recruit or indoctrinate your kids. The underlying message is that this could turn your kids into queers. Suggesting that he is opposed to "equality of behavior" further demonstrates an inability to appreciate the simple fact that homosexuality is not a choice nor a "behavior." Sexual orientation is the attraction to males, females, both or neither. Sexual orientation is not a choice. As a guidance counselor, Mr. Mendell should know better.

It begs the question of how Mr. Mendell could possibly serve all of the students that he is responsibel for.  Mendell seems to be wed to notions that are at odds with his own professional organization, the American Counseling Association, as well as the American Association of School Administrators, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Psychological Association, the American School Health Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National Education Association.

Yesterday, Marc Mutty issued the following statement on behalf of Stand for Marriage Maine:

Don is a high school guidance counselor and licensed social worker. His appearance in the television ad prompted a complaint to the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation – requesting that his license to practice social work in the state of Maine be stripped away – simply because of his personal opinion on marriage.

This is false. I haven't seen the complaint nor do I know who filed it. However, this has nothing to do with Mendell's views on gay marriage. Rather, this is about Mr. Mendell's apparent views on sexuality.  Mendell's professional competency is very much called into question if he thinks that a 13 year old could be turned gay by a sign asking when he decided to be straight.

Mutty goes on to say:

This attack proves that a “YES” vote next Tuesday is about much more than protecting marriage. It is also about preserving free speech, religious liberty and right of conscience and about what is taught to children.

That, too is a lie! In no way whatsoever does recognition of gay marriage have anything to do with free speech or religious liberty. As for what is taught to students, diversity appreciation is being provided in Maine's schools as it is in thousands of school districts across the nation. Tolerance is a component of a civilized society. Sexuality and sex education are not the issue. That is something that a parent has the right to opt out of.

Mutty goes further:

This threat to Don and his family’s livelihood is proof that those who demand marriage be redefined seek to punish and silence those who disagree.

Again, false. This proves that one person questioned Mendell's competence. Moreover, Mutty cannot separate himself from the National Organization for Marriage talking points. Marriage is not redefined by allowing gay couples to wed. Mutty and his employer, the RC Diocese of Portland, seek to ban same sex marriage to prevent an official affirmation of the acceptability of homosexuality for religious reasons.