A Common Bond - Mid Atlantic
The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of A Common Bond is in the process of restructuring, and in the
meantime, the nearest ACB chapter having regular meetings is located in New York City. For
information on the meetings for that chapter, please see the ACB / NYC website at
www.acbnyc.com. For a listing of all ACB web sites,
please see the Common Bond Chapters page at
www.gayxjw.org.
The mission of the various chapters of A Common Bond is to reach out with support
to gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered individuals who have had association with the
teachings of of Jehovah's Witnesses, or who may still be active within that organization.
Since Jehovah's Witnesses teach that homosexuality is "detestable" and a "sin", gay persons
associated with the religion live lives of deeply closeted guilt, combined with a fear of
divine destruction. They also often live in fear of being forcibly removed ("disfellowshipped")
from the congregation, if they are discovered to be living a "gay lifestyle." Even former
Witnesses who have voluntarily left the religion and come out of the closet suffer shunning
at the hands of Witness families and friends, who are taught by Watchtower doctrine to avoid
all contact. To gain support in a safe, secure setting, regular meetings of A Common Bond
occur around the globe.
interim page updated 02-21-2006