Mainers United, the folks on the good side of the upcoming vote in the state to permit gay couples to wed, have released two more ads today for the final week of the campaign.

The first features the son of a lesbian couple talking about his desire to see his moms marry:

The second ad, features two parents – one a teacher – talking about how they, not schools, are the ones who teach their children about family values and marriage.

I think these are two incredibly strong closing arguments. The first ad demystified gay families by showing that the children from these relationships are the same as any other: well-spoken, smart, compassionate people. It’s similar to what then college student Zach Wahls did in his powerful testimony before the Iowa Legislature that went viral and launched him to being one of the gay and trans community’s most engaging advocates.

The second ad is effective because it not only address the regularly used fear tactic that gay marriage will have to be taught in schools and will make your kids gay, but because it refutes it and flips that around to talk about what real family values are – respect, acceptance and compassion. It reminds people that no, you don’t learn what love means in a classroom – you learn it at home.

The other news out of Maine today comes from the Bangor Daily News, which came out in support of marriage equality, writing that,