Julianna Glasse, a former Christian pop singer, recently shared her inspiring journey of leaving her conservative evangelical background and starting a new nonprofit organisation focused on women’s rights. Glasse, aged 40, reflected on the significant turning point in her life which began with the birth of her daughter in 2015. This moment marked the start of her questioning the beliefs that had been ingrained in her since childhood, challenging the doctrine that taught her all humans were born evil.
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Growing up in a devout evangelical family and pursuing a career as a Christian pop artist, Glasse found herself increasingly at odds with the values she was expected to uphold. The pressure to conform to rigid beliefs became too suffocating for her to bear, leading her to confront the oppressive structures within her faith that limited her freedom as a woman. This internal conflict eventually reached a breaking point as she realised her complicity in the oppression of women and the LGBTQ+ community, prompting her to step away from her previous life.
A pivotal moment in Glasse’s journey came when she befriended a gay couple in 2016, challenging the prejudices she had been raised with. Despite initial hesitancy rooted in her upbringing, Glasse embraced the opportunity to listen and learn from their experiences, leading to a profound shift in her perspectives. She candidly shared her struggle with balancing her evolving beliefs with familial expectations, including her conflicted decision to vote for Donald Trump in 2016 and perform at the National Prayer Breakfast, actions that conflicted with her newfound convictions.
Embracing her newfound intellectual and spiritual liberation, Glasse delved into literature, philosophy, and spirituality, further expanding her worldview. However, this journey towards self-discovery was met with resistance and condemnation from her conservative community, pushing her towards a path of self-acceptance and empowerment. Eventually leaving Christianity behind in 2019, Glasse now identifies as “spiritually private” and advocates for women’s rights, education, and self-actualization through her nonprofit, This Is What Happens When Women Read.
Establishing her nonprofit as a platform for empowering women to embrace their worth and demand equality, Glasse emphasises the importance of courage and transformation in reclaiming one’s agency. Her experiences serve as a testament to the power of self-reflection and resilience in breaking free from oppressive structures and pursuing a path aligned with one’s true beliefs. By sharing her journey, Glasse aims to inspire others to assert their autonomy and champion the liberation of women from societal constraints.