Welcome to the web site of the Los Angeles chapter of A Common Bond

We are the worldwide support network for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals who are active, inactive, disassociated, and disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witnesses. The Los Angeles chapter is an offshoot of the San Francisco group, which was established in March 1994 by founding member and former Jehovah's Witness elder John W. Wirtanen. This chapter one of many chapters now actively meeting around the world.

The Jehovah's Witness religion teaches that homosexuality is "detestable", "an abomination", "abhorrent", and is caused by demon possession, as stated in the quotation below:

"History does not make clear how prevalent homosexuality was among the Romans. No doubt, though, they were influenced by their Greek predecessors, among whom it was widely practiced. It was customary for older men to corrupt young boys, taking them under their wing in a student-teacher relationship that often steered the youngsters into deviant sexual behavior. Undoubtedly, Satan and his demons were behind such vice and mistreatment of children." - The Watchtower, July 15, 1997 pg.10

There are thousands of gay & lesbian Jehovah's Witnesses live a life of deeply closeted guilt, in constant fear of destruction by God. Their religion teaches them to equate homosexuality with pedophilia, bestiality, and demon possession. Those who choose to leave, or are expelled, face isolation from family and friends. We are here to help!

Since first coming on line on January 29, 1998, A Common Bond - California has been receiving on average 25 to 50 visitors daily, recognizing a very real need to reach out and offer the hand of support to those who are suffering because of the Watchtower Society's homophobic teachings and beliefs. Whether you live locally here in the Los Angeles area, or somewhere else in the world, we are here to offer you support. The road to self-acceptance and self-esteem can often be a difficult journey, especially when it goes against everything your belief system ever taught you. We have traveled that road, and we are here to help! We have found that sharing our common backgrounds and experiences, even if we just share a meal and an evening together, can be a tremendous source of support.

Our gatherings are informal, friendly, and always filled with lively conversation. The purpose of our worldwide network is to offer support and friendship, not to "bash" the Watchtower organization. We welcome correspondence from anywhere, and look forward to hearing from you!

For more information about A Common Bond in Southern California, please email Stephan at socalxjw@yahoo.com.

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A Common Bond in the Media We are very pleased that the news media has taken notice of A Common Bond and the work we are doing in offering support to gay & lesbian former and current Jehovah's Witnesses.	Do We "Bash" the Jehovah's Witnesses? As one might expect, this website is not looked upon favorably by the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) religion. Its membership is taught that homosexuality is "a sin", "an abomination", "detestable", and various other assorted words synonymous with evil. These teachings are based on certain cited passages in the Bible that the JWs are taught condemn homosexuality.
Pride Events 2007 In the years 1998, 1999, and 2000, a contingent from A Common Bond has marched in the San Francisco Pride Parade, much to the delight of approximately one million onlookers annually lining both sides of Market Street. We were also televised on San Francisco's TV-20, giving us exposure to hundreds of thousands of additional viewers.	Our Coming Out Stories In the years since A Common Bond was founded, we have learned that each one of our members has their own unique story to tell about their experiences as a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. We have posted stories of some of our members in hopes that you will find encouragement, hope, and most importantly, the knowledge that you are not alone.
The Watchtower Tries to Silence Us... and fails!! On Friday, July 24, 1998, our group's web site was blocked access by Geocities, where this site was formerly located. This was done without any prior notification.	Making Our Presence Known Locally District Assemblies of Jehovah's Witnesses are held annually at the Cow Palace on Geneva Avenue in Daly City (just outside San Francisco). For the last two years, we have been making our presence known by parking our vehicles across the street from the Cow Palace with signs advertising our support group, complete with telephone numbers and our web site URL.

A Common Bond - Support for LGBTQ Former and Current JW's

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Welcome to the web site of the Los Angeles chapter of A Common Bond