A self-described “former leftist lesbian," Rosaria Butterfield, has a lecture tonight on the USF Tampa Campus.
Luke Blankenship, president of the P.R.I.D.E Alliance, says he hopes Butterfield's message doesn't influence young minds confused about their sexuality.
"The reason that drives me is I don't want people, especially coming out of high school, discovering their sexuality and who they are and going to this lecture, being misunderstood about the premise of what she is going to talk about," Blankenship said. "Somebody who doesn't really understand their sexuality yet and hearing that you can't be a practicing Christian and a practicing homosexual at the same time."
In the lecture, Butterfield will discuss her conversion from homosexuality to a devout Christian.
Butterfield believes homosexuality is a sin but so is homophobia.
"I do believe that homosexuality is a sin, I also believe homophobia is a sin," Butterfield said. "But if being a sinful people is what sends us to hell, because we are all born in original sin and that doesn't go away, that doesn't go away this side of heaven."
The Rosaria Butterfield lecture will begin tonight at the USF Marshall Student Center at 7 p.m. in the Oval Theater.
The P.R.I.D.E. Alliance and other student organizations will be outside the lecture protesting Butterfield and her message at 9 p.m.
