Gay students lobbying for discrimination protection in Florida schools got a
jolting civics lesson Monday from a lawmaker who welcomed them into his
office only to declare: ``God ... is going to destroy you.''
``I don't understand why the gay population is becoming so vocal,'' state
Rep. Allen Trovillion, R- Winter Park, told the Orlando-area high school
students. ``You are going to cause the downfall of this country that was
built on Christian principles.''

After listening patiently for 10 minutes as the students made their pitch,
Trovillion, a conservative lawmaker representing the Orlando suburbs, told
them flatly: ``You're throwing your life away.''

``I'm against discrimination, but I'm opposed to this,'' Trovillion, 74,
said.

The meeting left 17-year-old Chris Vasquez in tears.

Vasquez, an honors student and editor in chief of Edgewater High School's
campus newspaper, thanked Trovillion for his time but was stunned as he left
the lawmaker's office.

``The Florida Legislature says we're going to hell,'' he said.

``The part that really bothers me is the fact that he's one of the people
we're supposed to look up to for moral guidance and support,'' Vasquez
added.

``He's spouting ... ideas that only make the world more dangerous for gay
youth.''

Trovillion's daughter, Orange County School Board member Barbara Trovillion
Rushing, said Monday night she was not surprised by her father's comments.

She, too, said she sees no reason to broaden current law.

``I think they're covered by the current laws,'' she said. ``We do all we
can to make our schools safe for all our students. They all have the same
rights.''

The activists were taking part in Equality Florida Youth Lobby Day 2001,
which was intended to increase awareness of the discrimination and
harassment gay students say they endure on public school campuses.

They were looking for potential sponsors for The Florida Dignity for All
Students Act, which they hope to see introduced in the Legislature as early
as next year. It would broaden Florida's antidiscrimination laws to include
sexual orientation and gender identity.

Currently, state law forbids discrimination for race, gender, marital
status, physical disability, age and religion.

Organizers said three legislators, including Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Tamarac,
expressed interest in sponsoring a bill.

They also found a sympathetic ear in Sen. Buddy Dyer, D- Orlando, but no
commitment.

``Keep doing what you're doing,'' Dyer advised the students, sidestepping
the question of whether he would be willing to sponsor the legislation. ``I
don't know, I'd have to think about it.''

Trovillion, on the other hand, told the group he had no intention of
supporting their effort. ``I will do anything I can to keep it from
happening,'' he said.

Thomas Gentile, 19, sought to give the lawmaker a better sense of what gay
students contend with in Florida schools each day.

He described how he was beaten during his freshman year in a Boca Raton high
school classroom by assailants who targeted him because of his sexual
orientation. School administrators suspended the attackers for one day. They
also suspended Gentile, he said, suggesting he provoked the violence by
being ``too openly gay.''

Trovillion was unswayed.

``You have to suffer the consequences of your actions,'' he told the group.

``The Scripture says that no homosexual will see the Kingdom of God, and I
can't put it much straighter than that,'' Trovillion added.

``God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and he is going to destroy you and a lot
of others.''

Ann-Marie Manchise is a University of South Florida student working as an
intern for The Tampa Tribune, WFLA-TV and TBO.com.