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A lecture by Marc Adams, author of eight books including his award-winning autobiography, The Preacher’s Son, and The Do’s & Don’ts of Dealing with the Religious Right, will highlight the “Leap of Faith” event at Miami Beach Community Church.

SAVE Dade's InterFaithOUT Committee, in partnership with Winter Party Festival, PFLAG and the Herrschaft Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, will present "Leap of Faith," an evening of choral music and interfaith discourse on Friday, March 5, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:30 pm at Miami Beach Community Church, 1620 Drexel Avenue & Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach.

Adams was reared in a fundamentalist Baptist home, and became aware that he was gay by the age of seven. After weaving his way through religious schools, including Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and reparative therapy techniques, he started his journey to self-acceptance at age 23.

He is also the founder and executive director of HeartStrong, Inc., an educational nonprofit whose sole mission is to provide outreach and support to GLBT students "terrorized" at religious educational institutions.

"With the increase in anti-GLBT bullying and persecution in religious educational institutions worldwide, I am excited to include Miami in our stops on this, HeartStrong's 40th outreach & education trip, " stated Adams. "I will be sharing not just my own journey but the stories of students from religious schools who have survived persecution and found their way to HeartStrong and a path to a life of self acceptance, hope and peace," he added.

"Leap of Faith" is the first event to be hosted by SAVE Dade's new InterFaithOUT committee. The event is free and part of the Winter Party Festival lineup.

"After having been one of the grant recipients from the funds raised by the Winter Party Festival, I am thrilled that our very first InterFaithOUT event can be a part of this year's festival, " said Joseph Mooradian of SAVE Dade.

"Unfortunately, Marc's story is a common one for gay and lesbian Christians who are not accepted by their evangelical brothers and sisters," added Allison Grisham. "We of SAVE Dade's InterFaithOUT hope to assure the LGBT community that you can be gay and a person of faith because God loves all of his creations, gay and straight."

Marc Adams will also be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami (7701 SW 76th Avenue) on Saturday, March 13th at 7pm.

Visit www.savedade.org for more information.