Aaron Goldenberg - Homeschool, Conversion Therapy, and Finally Coming Out

Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

True Crime, Talk Radio, Comedy, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Aaron Goldenberg, actor, comedian, and (hilarious) content creator, joins Lola and Meagan to talk about being gay as a Christian child, what it was like learning Bill Gothard’s IBLP homeschool curriculum as a boy, and how his parents discovered his queerness and sent him to conversion therapy.

He talks about Exodus International, a now-disbanded “ex-gay” Christian ministry that taught that you could heal your gayness (until its president apologized to the gay community and said it didn’t work), doubling down on his belief that he could force himself to be straight, and how getting sober finally forced him to confront the truth and accept himself for who he really was.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is exactly right.
0:06.2	The Girlfriends is back with a new season, and this time I'm telling you the story of Kelly
0:11.1	Harnet.
0:12.0	Kelly spent over a decade in prison for a murder she says she didn't commit.
0:16.7	As she fought for her freedom, she taught herself the law.
0:19.9	He goes, oh God, Ar, in that jailhouse lawyer.
0:22.9	And became a beacon of hope for the women locked up alongside her.
0:27.0	You're supposed to have been faith in God, but I had nothing but faith in her.
0:29.9	I think I was put here to save souls by getting people out of prison.
0:35.1	The Girlfriends, Jailhouse Lawyer.
0:37.3	Listen on the IHeart Radio app,
0:39.0	Apple Podcasts,
0:40.0	or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:44.8	Trust me.
0:46.2	Do you trust me?
0:47.9	Would I ever lead you astray?
0:49.5	Trust me.
0:50.4	This is the truth.
0:51.5	The only truth.
0:52.9	If anybody ever tells you to just trust them, don't. Welcome to
0:57.5	trust me, the podcast about cult's extreme belief and manipulation from two unfortunately straight
1:03.0	women who've actually experienced it. I'm Lola Blanc and I am Megan Elizabeth. Today our guest is
	...

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