I personally cant recall coming into contact with any myself.
Then you can relieved that it can't be said that you drove them to the "other side"...
Did You Know Any "Gay" Jehovah's Witnesses?
by minimus 58 Replies latest jw friends
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undercover
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Seeker4
Oh yes! I always said straight out (pun intended) for years that there were gay JWs, and gay JWs at Bethel. Some JWs were shocked at that statement, and I was told by a few, "You can't be gay and be a JW!" But you most certainly can - you simply cannot in any way ACT on your homosexuality. I had many a discussion with long time Bethelites who spoke openly about the gay brothers at Bethel, and I've met more than one obviously gay Bethelite. No surprise there - I would imagine that a lot of gay brothers see Bethel as a "safe" way to remain a faithful JW. But, as the gay scandal at Bethel in the 60s or 70s (can't remember which years) where some 50-60 were removed shows, Bethel might be the LEAST safe place for gay bros! Needless to say, that is a huge burden, and most of the gay JWs I know went the route that many here did - they left the Witnesses and went on to enjoy a full gay life. I had three close elder/MS friends who were married with many kids each who eventually left their wives for gay men. I had two very close friends who left and came out of the closet. One actually came back and was reinstated. He lived with his JW mother and recently died. I always wondered how he did that, and I recently talked with his ex-wife (he tried marriage, very unsuccessfully two times!), and she told me that after he died she and his daughters had to go through his belongings, and found a lot of gay porn. Guess it was a little harder to get out of the gay life than he expected. There was a well-known elder in Maine that I knew, who was gay, and had openly lived that life prior to becoming a JW. Needless to say, he didn't last as a Witness. I know a family of Witnesses here in Vermont. They have five grown kids, the three girls are out of the Witnesses, the two boys are in. One is married, the other Pioneers and is, as his sisters have told me, "gay, but he just doesn't know it yet!" I only know right off of one sister, very beautiful, who I was told by her friends that she definitely preferred women, but being a good JW went into what seems to be a sad and frustrating marriage and Pioneer life. Wait, I remember that who used to post on here as Dedalus, his mother eventually came out and is in a happy lesbian relationship the last I heard. And, oh yes, a lot of these brothers were definitely counseled to act "less gay." Ha! S4
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jstalin
I have a friend that I'm sure is gay and is a JW. He does exactly what I used to do before I was out. He has had exactly one girlfriend (he's 24) and he says he doesn't really want to date because he doesn't want to "deal" with the emotional aspects of women. I actually feel sorry for him because I know how miserable it is, and it's probably even more miserable being a JW and gay.
Speaking of the creepy JWs that are massaging the younger "brothers," I think that the reason there is so much of this kind of behavior by closeted gay JWs (and in other religions) is that the repression of the religion leaves those who are gay little to no outlet for their feelings, so they do what they can within the confines of their environment to achieve the slightest bit of attention they crave. It's unfortuante that the very religion that abhors homosexuality is actually complicit in fostering completely inappropriate behavior. These guys have no chance to have a healthy gay relationship, so they end up being creepy. I'm not defending it, by any means, but just something to think about.
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Homerovah the Almighty
Hey you know I never thought of that Undercover , I must be stud after all, but I still think Nathan is cute
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minimus
Spell Nathan's name write, like he said.♥
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Open mind
My long-time DFed older brother.
He stayed in the closet until his mid-twenties.
Then got shunned big-time by all of us.
om
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minimus
Being a young JW is bad enough. Being a closeted one is worse. And then finally coming out only to be shunned is horrible.
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jstalin
om - I hope you don't still shun him...
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hamsterbait
What is so horrible about the WT attitude to Gays is that
they are despised as potential child molestors, if single. They are expected
to be alone all the time (unless somebody needs a side-kick for field circus),
If they go out with girls the girls are warned he is queer, after the Shepherding book,
if he spends time alone with a friend (only male friends allowed in da troof) he can be DF
on the grounds of "incriminating circumstances" (IE - what the elduhs
dirty minds imagine he was doing or might have done - God help you if you live alone with an alsatian)
Everybody avoids him and is waiting for him to slip up.
My God! Is it any wonder they leave.
And yes I know several. some in miserable marriages. Some very lonely but still in the cult,
And some who said WT is crap I shall live my own way and die my own way.
HB
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BurnTheShips
The JWs are like most other fundies. INTOLERANT