New Kinship #56 - Stephen Shim’s B-sian Story: Being Gay, Korean-Canadian, and a Side B Christian
Note: This episode includes a brief mention of suicide and community response to it.
As the child of a Korean pastor and raised in North America, Stephen Shim has been wrestling with coming to terms with being, in his words, “a minority of a minority of a minority”—a gay, Korean Christian. Stephen is a leader in the “B-sian” group—a community of Asian, Side B Christians that developed from the Revoice annual conference.
Now in his late 30s, Stephen has continued to walk down the path of his life with a bit more peace and a bit less wrestling, while trying to love God and love others as best as he can. You can contact him on X/Twitter or Bluesky: skshim.bsky.social.
Note: This episode uses the terms “Side A” and “Side B” (and X, Y) as shorthand quite a bit. If you’re new to the conversation, you might find it helpful to check out episode #3, where we talk through the four “sides”: #3 - A-B-Y-X | 4 Sides on SSA/Gay Sexuality
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★ Timestamps
(00:00) #56 - Stephen Shim's B-sian Story: Being Gay, Korean-Canadian, and a Side B Christian
(02:11) Growing up: Dad was a pastor, Mom was often sick
(20:47) "Are you gay? Or are you Asian?"
(42:28) Talking to my father about sexuality
(53:28) Why side B? Reading scripture literally, familial obligations
(56:51) Finding Side B through Revoice: "I do not like new things"
(01:04:54) The B-sian Origin Story
(01:20:59) "Why does this guy keep talking about race?"
(01:26:25) How are multicultural spaces supportive, or not?
(01:32:45) How can people connect with you?
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★ Send us feedback, questions, comments, and support!
Email: communionandshalom@gmail.com | Instagram: @newkinship | Substack: @newkinship | Patreon: @newkinship
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★ Credits
Creators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ Espinoza | Audio Engineer: Carl Swenson, carlswensonmusic.com | Podcast Manager: Elena F. | Graphic Designer: Gavin Popken, gavinpopkenart.com ★
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