[HeartStrongList] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Diocese Attempts to Silence Gay Activist

[heartstrong at heartstrong.org]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Diocese Attempts to Silence Gay Activist; Scraps Unitarian Congregation's
Lease


HeartStrong, Inc.
PO Box 2051
Seattle WA 98111
http://www.heartstrong.org
press at heartstrong.org

CONTACT:
Marc Adams, Executive Director
marcadams at heartstrong.org
206-351-9993


SEATTLE WA - "We find what Father Lavin and the Diocese of Camden have
done to be completely unacceptable," HeartStrong Executive Director Marc
Adams says.  "We refuse to allow them to imply that my message and the
message of HeartStrong is wrong, sinful or unacceptable.  They may be able
to attempt to try to intimidate or silence those who subscribe to their
beliefs, but they can't silence or intimidate HeartStrong."

The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, leased space for three
years to the Unitarian Unversalist Congregation of the South Jersey Shore.
Now, the congregation has been forced out of their leased space without
warning because of their commitment to truth.

Gay author/activist Marc Adams, was scheduled to share his personal story
and speak about HeartStrong, a non profit educational organization
providing outreach and support to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
students from religious educational institutions on November 5, 2006.

The scheduling of that program sparked a wildfire of resistance and
anti-gay Catholic positioning which ignited on November 2 and is now just
beginning to burn full force.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Jersey Shore leased
space from the Campus Catholic Ministry Center at Stockton College in
Pomona, New Jersey, since February, 2004.

On Thursday, November 2, 2006, Father Pat Lavin of the Catholic Campus
Ministry Center called Betsy Searight, church administrator for the
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Jersey Shore. Father
Lavin reported that he had received numerous phone calls from the Knights
of Columbus expressing their disapproval of Marc Adams' program.  Father
Lavin said he was concerned that he would be fired if the Sunday service
with Marc Adams as guest speaker as publicized in a local newspaper.

The Board of Directors for the UUCSJS choose to go forward as planned with
the Sunday service.

On Friday, November 3, 2006, a lawyer for the Diocese of Camden, New
Jersey, stating that the UUCSJS' lease was null and void and the service
would not be permitted to go on as scheduled.

After a direct response from the church's lawyer, the Diocese backed off
temporarily indicating a fear of public scrutiny of their actions.  The
church has since been directed that their lease is still terminated.  The
church is investigating the legality of the termination as well as the
anti-gay discriminatory position against the message of Marc Adams and
HeartStrong.

HeartStrong has provided outreach and support to gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgendered students from religious educational institutions for ten
years.  Marc Adams' is a co-founder and volunteer executive director.

"There is nothing wrong with our message," Adams states.  "For over ten
years we have provided hope and help to many people from religious
schools.  About one-third of the students who come to us for assistance
are from Catholic schools.  They are victims of the same intimidation
tactics that have been used here against the UUCSJS."

While the UUCSJS pursues legal options, Adams and HeartStrong demand an
apology.

"A letter has been sent to both Lavin and the Archbishop requesting their
public apology," Adams continues.  "We will be relentless in our pursuit
for these apologies.  Their actions and implications regarding our message
and work are wrong and we do not tolerate misrepresentation.  We don't
anticipate that they will do the right thing but that won't stop us from
pursuing this."

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for photos to use with this press release please visit the press page at
http://www.heartstrong.org