Harrison lived a life full of change and drama growing up. A mother that was dependent on alcohol and disfellowshipped from the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses twice, move after move after move, including living with a grandmother that was also eventually disfellowshipped, there was a lot of chaos at times. Having not really been interested in “The Truth” as JWs call it, a chance month of field ministry around the age of 16 with a young couple that showed him interest would change everything. Well, not quite everything, as Harrison was gay and knew it, but he would end up serving at the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bethel. You’ll learn about Harrison as a person, as a JW, and as a Bethelite, along with some insights into the culture of Bethel, a place that is idolized by members of the cult.
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This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app or on YouTube. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.
Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Harrison. I’m so glad you have found community and purpose after leaving. I felt that being gay gave me something to run towards, and was an amazing opportunity to understand who I really am and to choose how I want to live my life. Welcome to freedom! Wishing you the best.
Thanks Geoff! It’s a unique circumstance glad we made it 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am not sure if we crossed paths much.. but I was in San Antonio Russian congregation. We visited Dallas a few times and I am sure we met at some point.
Queerdo here!
Thanks for being so brave. I was raised in Tulsa, OK. I have been struggling with the past. You are so inspiring ❤️
I was able to take healthy space, and grown into myself.
I’m glad you’re on the outside!
We made it B*tch!
This was very important, the similarities are outstanding. If you are ever in the DC area let’s grab a bite.