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Author slams Hillsborough's gay pride challenge

At USF, he calls out Ronda Storms, who led the county's push to ban gay pride displays.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published April 11, 2007

TAMPA - Author and family therapist Chris Crutcher called politicians like state Sen. Ronda Storms, the former Hillsborough commissioner who successfully spearheaded a ban on county government's recognition of gay pride, an embarrassment to their community.

"We have to always go after people that make decisions like these that leave people destroyed in their wake," Crutcher said. "When the Ronda Storms of the world show up, people get together and start talking about what we have to do to get rid of bigotry."

Crutcher traveled from Spokane, Wash., to speak at the University of South Florida on Tuesday. Though he's heterosexual, Crutcher said he took the ban personally. He authored two books in the gay pride display at the public library that captured Storms' attention.

Crutcher has written books about a range of topics that young adults, gay and straight, struggle with, and said his books are banned or challenged at least six times a year.

Crutcher singled out one comment Storms made in discussions about the countywide ban, when she said she didn't want to have to explain homosexuality to her then 6-year-old daughter had she seen the library display, which was in recognition of gay pride month.

"Give me a break," Crutcher said. "What am I gonna tell my daughter? Nothing. There is nothing scary for a 6-year-old kid on that display. But there is something scary for a 6-year-old kid when she's 20 to have to say there is a hater in her legacy."

Attempts to reach Storms on Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

Crutcher said parents with beliefs like Storms' make themselves unavailable when their children face situations that deal with sexuality. Children would rather talk with a stranger because they are afraid to disappoint their parents, he said.

Crutcher, 60, spoke for nearly two hours to the crowd of close to 50 inside USF's alumni center, many in the group librarians. He shared stories about the struggles he hears from young people who come to him for counseling and talked about the need for making books available that have diverse characters.

Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.

[Last modified April 10, 2007, 22:28:23]