Guests Judith Light, Tipper Gore say book is transformative.

West Coast launch event to be held Tuesday in L.A.

Washington D.C – 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 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. 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 in terms of the book as he described how the project received its impetus in May 2007 while meeting with Cox News’ National Reporter Scott Shepard at the Center Cafe in Union Station.

During the interview, he said Shepard asked him why he had founded an organization that is dedicated to helping people better understand the harm caused by a societal climate of rejection and condemnation – which is most often promoted and justified with misguided religious belief.

“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.

“From that I realized that there are many good people who identify with the varying faith communities but they simply do not realize the harm that is being done,” he said.

Light, special quest 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 o 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,” Gore stated. “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.

“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, Ari Gold, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, Hilary Rosen, Jody Huckaby, Lane Hudson, Dan Karslake, Alexander Robinson, Joe Solmonese, Robert Wrasse, Kevin Jennings, Bob Williams, Jim McGreevey, Jimmy Creech and Brent Childers.

The West Coast launch event is scheduled for next 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.