Join your host, Zach Randles-Friedman, for engaging conversations that delves into a myriad of topics, offering heartfelt stories from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Tune in for an inclusive blend of personal anecdotes, thought-provoking insights, and empowering narratives that embrace the richness of diversity and allyship with many laughs.
All content for Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast is the property of Zach Randles-Friedman and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Join your host, Zach Randles-Friedman, for engaging conversations that delves into a myriad of topics, offering heartfelt stories from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Tune in for an inclusive blend of personal anecdotes, thought-provoking insights, and empowering narratives that embrace the richness of diversity and allyship with many laughs.
Episode 104: Reclaiming Freedom: Jonghee Celeste Quispe's Journey from the Moonies
Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast
50 minutes 4 seconds
3 weeks ago
Episode 104: Reclaiming Freedom: Jonghee Celeste Quispe's Journey from the Moonies
What does childhood look like inside a high-control religious group? In this episode, we join actor and educator Jonghee Celeste Quispe as she reveals her upbringing in the Unification Church—better known as the 'Moonies.' She describes the intense 5:30 a.m. worship rituals, the bans on dating, and the pressure of accepting an arranged 'match,' while detailing teen 'missions' that blurred into labor trafficking. With a candid reflection on her breaking point at the movement’s famed 'Prayer Rock,' Jonghee shares the shock of being sent to Guatemala at just 17 and the turmoil that awaited her upon returning home as she fought to protect her own life. We also explore the church’s schisms, money demands that hollowed out families, and how her siblings navigated their own spiritual journeys. Through all these challenges, Jonghee's unwavering belief in God remained intact, and she explains how theater, music, and love helped her reclaim her personal identity and freedom—a narrative of resilience that no institution could erase.
Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ
Everything & Anything...and a bit gay Podcast
Join your host, Zach Randles-Friedman, for engaging conversations that delves into a myriad of topics, offering heartfelt stories from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Tune in for an inclusive blend of personal anecdotes, thought-provoking insights, and empowering narratives that embrace the richness of diversity and allyship with many laughs.
