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Close to 1,000 people last week attended events in Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y., which launched longtime advocate and businessman Mitchell Gold's unique expose on the pain of growing up gay in America . The book, "Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing The Personal, Social and Religious Pain of Growing Up Gay In America," asks Americans to awaken to the pain being inflicted today on gay teens by a society that has been led to believe that such affliction is somehow morally or religiously justified.

Judith Light and Tipper Gore, were special guests for the New York and D.C. launch events respectively. They described the book as transformative and having the potential to change the way America treats its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. The D.C. event, held at the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture store in Washington, followed the first launch event held in New York, N.Y., on Monday. Both events drew similar attendance. 

Gold said the D.C. launch was particularly significant for him as the project received its impetus in a May 2007 meeting with Cox News' National Reporter Scott Shepard.  During the interview, he said Shepard asked him why, he had founded an organization and spent so much time, energy, and money working to raise awareness about the harm caused to using religion to justify discrimination to gays.

"Without giving it a lot of thought, I simply stated how I did not wish to see one more gay teenager go through the horrible experience that I did when I was young," Gold stated. After explaining his own personal experience as a teen – and that of thousands of teens today, Gold said he witnessed the impact it had on those at the meeting.

"In that moment, I realized that there are many good people who identify with the varying faith communities that preach an anti gay position but they simply do not realize the harm that is being done," he said.

Light, special guest for the N.Y. event, said the book has the potential to change the way people treat gay and lesbian Americans by helping them realize the harm being caused by a societal climate of rejection and condemnation. "I think this book is so important in putting a face and a name on the pain and to begin a conversation about why it is still happening in this country," Light told the 400 guests gathered at the New York event.

Gore, special guest at the D.C. event, said the book will help give voice to those who face discrimination. "The stories are very compelling," she said. "The book itself is extremely significant and can be transformative in our society and I know that is the hope – that we can give voice to people here and around the world who feel their voice hasn't been heard and who have felt the sting of discrimination and being unwelcomed in their places of worship and many other places in our society.

"I think that Mitchell in his inimitable way, which is always compassionate and loving, points out that people don't really mean to do harm but he lets them know that harm is being done to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teens and that it is still happening.  Gore continued, "This book, I think, is going to change people's minds."

Gold, who co-wrote the book with Mindy Drucker, noted proceeds from the book were going to seven nonprofit organizations that work with gay youth. He encouraged attendees to help in the effort to get the book into the hands of those people who need to read it.

Numerous individuals who contributed narratives for the book were present at the New York and D.C. launch events, including U.S. Rep.Tammy Baldwin, singer/songwiter Ari Gold, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, CNN Political analyst Hilary Rosen, PFLAG President Jody Huckaby, Faith in America Communications Director Lane Hudson, Documentary producer Dan Karslake, NBJC President Alexander Robinson, HRC President Joe Solmonese, Robert Wrasse, GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings, furniture designer Bob Williams, former Governor Jim McGreevey, co-Founder of Faith in America Jimmy Creech and Faith in America Executive Director Brent Childers.

The West Coast launch event is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Los Angeles at the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture store at 7960 West 3rd Street at Edinburgh.

More information on "Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing The Personal, Social and Religious Pain of Growing Up Gay In America," can be obtained at Crisisbook.org. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Lambda Rising.

 

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