State Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, on Thursday refused a conservative education group's call for her to apologize for comments she made about the vice president and the “perpetuation of rape culture.”

In a blog post, the Family Institute of Connecticut - a pro-life, anti-same-sex marriage nonprofit with a faith-based underpinning – accused Flexer of being “bigoted against religious people” when she decried Vice President Mike Pence’s choice not to dine with women without his wife present.

Her comments were made during an event Wednesday in Hartford promoting Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“Sen. Flexer’s comments are stunningly ignorant,” the blog post stated. “It is one thing to disagree with whatever practices devout people may undertake to be faithful in marriage. It is another thing entirely to accuse the vice president of ‘perpetuating rape culture’ for not dining alone with women other than his wife.”

Flexer said she is standing her ground and Pence, a Republican, should not expect any apology.

“I certainly will not apologize for condemning anyone who perpetuates rape culture, especially not the vice president, who should be held to a higher standard,” Flexer said in a press release. “Pence should be the one to apologize for practicing blatant discrimination and normalizing the idea that men can’t control their urges enough to be alone in the company of women while dining or anywhere else.”

Flexer said if her state legislative colleagues followed Pence’s example of not meeting behind closed doors with staffers of the opposite sex, she would be excluded from many conversations.

“I would not be able to meet privately with them to discuss important legislative issues,” she said. “That is, for lack of a better word, outrageous. Once again when a woman speaks up for her right to fair and equal treatment the (Institute) responds by trying to shout her down. I will not be shouted down.”

However, there are no articles stating Pence refused to meet alone with female staffers. The Atlantic ran a story recently that said several male members of Congress would not meet alone with female staffers, according to anonymous staffers. Pence was not mentioned in the article. The New York Post this week ran a column by a former female staffer in Pence's congressional office saying Pence didn't have dinner with female staffers and almost never had dinner with male staffers because he would rush home to his family after work.

Flexer said she was disappointed Institute representatives missed the main thrust of her comments.

“I am deeply concerned that at an event meant to highlight our commitment to combating sexual assault, the Family Institute’s only takeaway was to defend the perpetuation of rape culture and misogyny at the highest levels of our government,” she said.

Flexer also pointed her comments directly to Institute Executive Director Paul Wolfgang.

“Once he has been better educated on this crucial topic, I would be happy to bring Mr. Wolfgang back to the table to discuss issues of importance – that is, if we are able to sit alone at a table together,” she said.