Appearing before the same committee, which has been set up to scrutinise the plans, Education Secretary Michael Gove was asked about the implications of legalising gay marriage for the teaching of sex and religious education in schools and was asked what protections there were for teachers who had moral and religious objections to same-sex marriage.
Mr. RIVERS: Such as orphans and such as the need for clean water, particularly as the religious right becomes more influential in this country and becomes increasingly effective in pushing its own moral agenda with regard to sex and related topics.
It would embolden opponents of same-sex marriage and deprive proponents of one of their most potent moral claims in the political process that the denial of marriage rights offends American values of equality.