Our conferences provide the opportunity for people with common interests to meet in person.Questions We Are Frequently Asked about Our International Conferences
(1) Why does A Common Bond hold annual international conferences?
We believe that meeting other gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals with a background in Jehovah's Witnesses face-to-face is an experience not to be missed. While we fully support and encourage our internet correspondence groups as an important and integral part of our network of support, the experience of actually being in the same room with others of a like background, being able to share our mutual experiences, and developing new friendships, is unparallelled.
(2) What is an ACB Conference like? How does it feel to attend the conference?
This can best be answered with a touching testimonial from Frank of Palm Springs, California:
"Flying home from the first one I attended I found myself getting teary-eyed. I had found a beautiful group of people who had walked my walk and talked my talk and found freedom for themselves -- and I was not alone!"
(3) Why should I consider attending this conference? What happens at the conferences?
For those considering attending the conference weekend, here is a rough schedule that may or may not be followed, but an approximation of what has been followed in the past, just to give you an idea:
Friday night, we typically have an icebreaker gathering where we get the opportunity to introduce ourselves to one another and catch up with friends we haven't seen. Many attendees are new to ACB and/or the conferences, but they are welcomed as if they were old friends. For those so inclined, some will then head out to dinner followed by dancing/clubbing.
Saturday begins the conference itself. There may be a couple of outside speakers, but it's mostly members (it can be YOU!) sharing their personal stories or talking on some area of expertise. Past topics presented have been:
- My years at bethel
- Coming out to family -- psychological effects
- Financial planning past 1975
