A Common Bond NYC Presents Workshop to Packed Classroom
Delegates of the True Colors conference held at the University of Connecticut at Storrs on March 13, 2009, packed a classroom to hear two representatives of A Common Bond New York City (ACBnyc) speak at a workshop.
The delegates included high school students from all over Connecticut and also social workers and healthcare workers. The workshop titled, “Gay and God: Reconciling your Sexual Orientation with your Childhood Religion,” drew individuals from many religions, but all of the social and healthcare workers said that the workshop attracted them because many of their cases involved Jehovah’s Witness youths.
“I reached out to [the youth’s] parents, but they really didn’t want to talk about his sexual orientation,” said one school counselor. She said that the boy and his Jehovah’s Witness parents had to meet in a restaurant because the parents refused to meet in their home or at their Kingdom Hall, settings she thought would have been more comfortable. “How do I deal with this?” she asked.
Other social workers sought more information about the Jehovah’s Witnesses and asked if foster youths who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender would find support if placed in homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Sadly, that is not the case,” said Bobby, a facilitator of ACBnyc and one of the workshop presenters. “Youths who are struggling with their sexuality will not find support in homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses and would probably be ostracized.”
True Colors of Connecticut, who promotes tolerance of sexual minorities and provides support to individuals and families struggling with their sexual orientation, sponsored the three-day conference. This was the first time that ACBnyc participated in the conference.
“The large turnout of youths demonstrates that kids respect religion and want to find a way to reconcile their sexuality with their faith,” said Jesse Dean a facilitator of ACBnyc and one of the workshop presenters. “The problem arises when our social and religious identity that is formed early in life, becomes in conflict with our sexual identity, which tends to form later on.”
Several thousand students attended the conference coming primarily from middle and high schools from all of the state and Rhode Island but the popularity of the ACBnyc workshop threw the presenters by surprise. “I expected a half a dozen people, but standing room only was shocking,” said Jesse.
The workshop was recorded and excerpts will be made available.
ACBNYC Mini-Conference 2008
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ACBNYC Mini-conference 2008More than twenty former and current Jehovah’s Witnesses gathered at the A Common Bond mini-conference on September 28, 2008. |
Welcome
ACBnyc is the greater New York City chapter of A Common Bond, the international support network for current and former Jehovah’s Witnesses who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning persons. Our members and associated persons are former or inactive publishers, former bethelites, elders, pioneers, circuit overseers and missionaries, who now are entrepreneurs, teachers, activists, professionals, university students (both at undergraduate and graduate levels), parents, artists and writers.
We understand the moral dilemma posed by our sexual orientation among Jehovah’s Witnesses, all religions and societal norms. To that end, we seek to establish a common bond with other LGBT current and former Jehovah’s Witnesses, through social networking, discussion and debate.
We meet monthly, every third Saturday at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan and organize other periodic outings, volunteer events and community outreach opportunities. (Note that our schedule has changed from meeting monthly, every fourth Saturday).
A Common Bond Mission Statement
A Common Bond is the international support network of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals whose common bond is that we are now, or have been, associated with Jehovah's Witnesses. Our purpose is to give support to one another by sharing our experiences, giving and receiving encouragement and hope to others whose lives have been impacted by their sexual orientation and association with the Watchtower organization.
As a group, we are not associated in any way with any organized religion. Our members are free to choose their own spiritual path, or none at all without condemnation. Our ultimate goal is to assist our members in finding genuine happiness and self esteem.