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Pastors warn Hillsborough School Board about political backlash over transgender restroom issue

 
Published June 15, 2016

TAMPA — Two days after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history struck a gay nightclub in Orlando, local pastors lined up at a public meeting — but not to express solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Instead, they vowed to retaliate against Hillsborough County School Board members if they add "gender expression" to a list of student protections and allow students to choose their bathrooms.

"If you vote for this, this is putting our children in danger," Brent Simpson, who leads the Brandon Assembly of God, told board members.

In a statement echoed by many of the other speakers, Alfonso Santiago of Iglesia Tampa Bay said, "all of the Hispanic congregations will be watching."

At issue is a vote on school district policy revisions, scheduled for June 28. The policy in question is a broad statement that protects students and staffers from harassment based on race, nationality, sexual orientation and other factors including gender identity. The board wants to add the phrase "gender expression."

But, while the policy does not address bathrooms, its introduction coincided with a directive in May from the Obama administration that says students should be allowed to use bathrooms that reflect the gender to which they identify. If not, the schools risk losing federal funding.

In Hillsborough, administrators responded with assurances that they will continue to respect transgender students as they work to comply with the federal order. Details at the district's more than 200 schools are to be worked out before school resumes in August.

Leading the group who appeared Tuesday — with dozens more supporters in the audience — was Terry Kemple, a conservative Christian activist who has mobilized speakers on hot-button issues in the past.

In 2012, after a controversy involving a school appearance by Council on American Islamic Relations leader Hassan Shibly, Kemple's followers appeared for months at the Tuesday afternoon meetings, speaking out about the dangers of radical Islam.

This time, Kemple and some of the preachers said, they want to protect children. In fact, Kemple, the first to speak, asked everyone in the auditorium to raise their hands if they loved children.

"We don't want you to add gender expression to your policy," he told board members. "Because by its very nature it discriminates against students whose views are formed by facts and by faith."

Board Chairwoman April Griffin tried to prevent what happened next by reminding the crowd that feelings were still raw after the Pulse nightclub killings in Orlando over the weekend.

"People are hurting. People have lost friends and loved ones," she said, asking for restraint. "This needs to be a time of healing, not further attacks."

A few of the speakers said they felt sympathy for the victims and their loved ones.

"My heart today goes out to those, also, who lost loved ones in this tragedy," Don Tanner said. "However, my heart going out to them does not approve of their lifestyle that they have chosen."

There were warnings that children will come to school in their gym clothes to avoid using the locker room, or that the bullying experienced by transgender students will worsen.

"Let's just cut through it all, all political correctness," said Jonas Alday of the Crossing church.

"As soon as something like this goes into place, every heterosexual male is going to claim to be transgender. I've been raised around football players and athletes, and that's just going to happen."

A Messianic rabbi weighed in as well. "We are called to love everybody," said Steven Weiler of Shoresh David. "But this is not the way to continue, by creating havoc among all the kids."

Nearly every pastor told the board members and audience how many constituents they represented, and at least a half-dozen said that, at election time, they will remember how the board members voted on the policy change.

There was no direct response from anyone on the School Board. When the speakers had completed their remarks after more than 30 minutes, Griffin politely told them they were free to leave "because we've got a lot of boring business to take care of."

Contact Marlene Sokol at (813) 226-3356 or msokol@tampabay.com. Follow @marlenesokol.