FAC’s Letter to The Pride Center
After learning about the termination of Clarence Collins, who had worked for The Pride Center (an LGBTQ community center in Florida) for fifteen years as a janitor, FAC was compelled to contact the center.
Below is a copy of the letter.
Letter To The Pride Center 04102018
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great letter Gail i would like to know if they respond. goes to show you how bad RSO’s get it in this country even groups that face similar prejudice wont associate with us
Here’s something that’ll make you scratch your head…
Check out The Pride Center’s Calendar:
http://www.pridecenterflorida.org/calendars/
They have AA and NA meetings on campus.
Perhaps they should review the MADD statistics on children killed by drunk drivers (https://www.madd.org/statistics/) or government statistics on drug abuse (https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics) before they want to “pick and chose” who they want to help and who they want to vilify or who they want hanging around their facility.
Shame on them!
I just wanted to point out something else, since The Pride Center is dedicated to serving the gay community. There is a myth that gay people don’t molest kids. I was locked up for 12 years and met several gay guys who were there for sex crimes against children. It is likely that there are sex offenders who are served by this organization. I also grew up with a gay brother. He had sexual relationships with gay adults when he was still under the age of consent. It wouldn’t surprise me if the man they fired was adept at spotting possible abusers, and actually helped to protect children near there.
Gerald Trudell – I am not sure where you get that information that there is a myth that gays do not molest kids….however, for decades there WAS a myth that ALL gays molested kids. In fact, that was the myth that perpetuated most of the bigotry against gays. I also want to point out that the fact that the liaisons concerning your brother when he was underage were definitely against present laws and would be child abuse they do not sound as if they were violent or non consensual. My point being that the fact that they were gay does not make those encounters any different then a heterosexual encounter that fits that same scenario. The fact is there are RSOs in all walks of life – some that are caught up in this nightmare and some that are not – sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.
Karen seems to have misunderstood my earlier comments regarding the fact that there are some gay child molesters. My criticism was aimed at The Pride Center for dumping a good employee without offering him help to keep him from becoming homeless. Homelessness up in Michigan where I live can be a life threatening condition, especially during the winter season. Also, Karen’s assertion that sexual encounters between adults and my brother when he was underage not being violent or non consensual is simply wrong on legal grounds. Age of consent laws mean that a person who is underage CANNOT consent legally to sex. It is also automatically classified as a violent offense, even if the victim initiated the sexual encounter. I would never disparage gay people. They didn’t choose their sexual orientation anymore than I did. I was just trying to point out the real possibility that there could be users of that facility who are more of a danger to kids than the guy who proved himself for 15 years after prison, but is still branded (unjustly) by society as a pervert.
The LBGTQ community appears to be just as ignorant of what is and isn’t true and as hateful as the general public.
About the employer, well – I’m sorry that he was so afraid that he couldn’t stand up for a man who thought that he was a valued employee.
I m certainly no expert on the subject but I think trying to group the whole gay community in one group is a problem because . Most lesbians are such because they have a problem with men. Most gay men are such because of a problem with women. Then there are older men who want just younger boys. And lesbians, some want to take on a masculine role and some that don’t. So you have great division in the community,and one section doesn’t necessarily want to be associated with the other. Nor be associated with sex offenders.
Not sure where that is a myth. The standard SO scoring test, the Static 99, penalizes you a point or two if your victim was the same sex as you. From what I heard in therapy, etc. the mental health community thinks that the MOST dangerous type of sex offender is a predatory, sadistic male pedophile who targets male victims.
Absolutey wonderful FACt filled letter! Great job Gail!
I hope that one day no I pray that when the day comes I will have someone like you to stand beside me too. thank you. knowing how hard it is to live every day as rso.
Good job! My heart breaks for him and I will help as soon as I am able
If The Pride Center had stayed faithful to their mission statement, the right thing to do would have been to sincerely help him find a new job in the community. 15 years as a valued employee should have earned him at least that much. The bigwigs would have gotten severance pay to see them through. And since they were aware of his criminal past when they fired him, they shouldn’t be allowed to deny him unemployment benefits either. I sure pray that a lawyer will take notice of his case and offer a little free help.