Suddenly Amish is a TLC reality television show from 2026. The show consists of eight episodes, each approximately forty-five minutes long. The premise is simple: six people are going to see if they can conform to the Amish lifestyle. They have a few weeks to test the waters with the help of their Amish guides. If they pass, they may continue the process to join the community and give up their old ways for good.
These individuals come from all walks of life and must decide if they feel compatible with the changes they must make to be accepted into the Amish community. The Amish leaders guiding them must also decide how strict they must be in order to keep the rules intact, but also not be so harsh that all the potential new members leave. After all, they are scouting out new members due to the lack of genetic diversity faced within the church and are in need of “new blood” to keep things from getting problematic.
While the show’s focus is on the six people struggling with leaving their normal lives behind, the audiences soon discover that there is bisexuality afoot. As it often happens when discovering a new faith, one of the main characters, who is deciding if he wants to convert, is a man named Judah. Judah is different from the others as he reveals to the camera that he is bi.
He first reveals this to the audience, questioning whether or not it is a good idea to come out as bi in this community. He is unsure what the Amish stance is on same-sex relationships, but he also explains that if he ends up choosing to stay, he would not want to live a life hiding his truth. He further goes on to express that he would not want to be essentially lying to his fellow brethren, considering that this commitment would be him starting his life from scratch. If he is in, then he wants to be in as his authentic self.
Judah comes out to his fellow English (non-Amish) during a game of Shabooya Rollcall, catching many of the other players off guard. They react with confusion, unsure if they heard correctly, and if the others heard this proclamation. Though none of the responses seem to be homophobic in nature.
As time goes on, the others accept him, though he continues to struggle with whether he should come out to the true Amish he has been staying with and being mentored by. He grows fond of Allen, his mentor, and contemplates how his bisexuality will be seen by him specifically, afraid it will taint their relationship.
Judah is not shy about saying the word bi in this series, and rationally dissects his options in each episode as he contemplates his future in the Amish community and what that entails as a bi, black man simply looking for his place and purpose in life.
There is no scandal or salacious romance to muddy his bi waters. This is a man wondering if his newfound faith will accept all of him, and not just certain pieces of him.
After coming out to his friends, he gradually begins seeking answers about how the Amish church treats LGBT people — and whether being part of that community would automatically lead to his shunning. He gets a disappointing answer from Allen. However, it is later shown that Allen is willing to bend the rules for someone with a good heart.
Judah’s closest friend on the show, Billie Jo, asks Allen about the church’s stance on queer people, which leads to Judah finally outing himself to the established Amish. Allen does not say much, aside from a solo camera confession citing a Bible verse that claims it is wrong, though he does not put any personal opinion into his response.
It is during the final trial, where the Amish leaders do a final assessment of the English and decide who is fit to move forward with the Amish lifestyle, that Allen has the opportunity to out Judah. He could jeopardize Judah’s chances of being approved, but instead praises all of Judah’s hard work and commitment during his stay. It appears that Judah’s bisexuality is not the dealbreaker initially feared and that the community is not as biphobic as was feared or predicted. It is unknown if Judah will be out to all the Amish in the future, but there is solidarity between Allen and Judah, and an undeniable acceptance.