Nora Crest is back with a new video, and this one is timed to take off.
Since the last time she brought us a video message, she’s had a major profile at the Daily Mail, which helped to get word out about her experience in Scientology. As a young Sea Org member who worked at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre, she got into trouble because she kissed her female roommate — and liked it.
For that “crime,” Nora was interrogated and then assigned to the Sea Org’s notorious prison program, the “Rehabilitation Project Force.” Conditions in the RPF were so degrading, after two years in the program, Nora became so desperate to leave, she drank bleach and was hospitalized.
We’ve written numerous times about Scientology and its deep-seated homophobia. (See our stories about a man named Keith Relkin and our profile of Derek Bloch.) And Nora is the latest to come out of the organization to reveal how hellish Scientology can be about sexual orientation. With Leah Remini’s A&E series now introducing a whole new audience to Scientology watching, Nora wanted to explain some of the basic reasons why Scientology is as homophobic as it is.
“As you know I have been speaking out for a few years now about Scientology and its rampant homophobia. I have even made a couple of videos about it in the past,” Nora says. “And I worked with Leah Remini to get this video done because the truth about the repercussions of Scientology processing need to be known. In this video I cut right to the heart of why you can not be gay in Scientology, as dictated by the technology itself. This video is the most personal and raw video that I have made, and making it has been a life changing experience for me. I hope that it will speak to anyone out there who is LGBT and let them know that it is all right to be you.”
We asked Leah Remini for her thoughts on the video.
“I want to thank Nora for her bravery and honesty. This is one of the many things I had a hard time with in Scientology. It’s this kind of discrimination that needs to be known. Every Scientologist knows this to be true. No one should feel ashamed of who they are. No one should feel that there is something innately ‘wrong’ with them that needs to be fixed because of who they love. Other belief systems at least admit their bigotry, this organization hides its beliefs.”
In the video, after reviewing some of reasons Scientology inherits its homophobia from founder L. Ron Hubbard, Nora speaks powerfully and emotionally about how Scientology’s interrogations made her feel about who she was. We think you’ll find this video to be a moving testament. Please, share it far and wide.
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Go here to start making your plans.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 14, 2016 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
