He LOST His Family Overnight for Being Gay

Before Joel Kim Booster became an Emmy-nominated writer, actor, producer, stand-up comedian, and the star and creator of Fire Island, he was a 17 year old kid living in his car, kicked out by his adoptive parents for being gay, and convinced he was going to hell. Then Sarah Casey, a classmate he barely knew, turned around in choir and said the words that changed everything: If you ever need a place to stay, you can come and stay with me and my family. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, one of comedy's sharpest voices sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the girl who became his chosen family when his own family walked away.e can give you is a place to belong when the world says you don't. And sometimes, that's all you need to become exactly who you were meant to be. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro: The Girl from Choir Who Saved His Life 00:01:47 The Offer That Changed Everything: If You Need a Place to Stay 00:03:32 Coming Out in a Homeschooled Evangelical Home 00:05:50 The Exorcism: When Your Father Tries to Cast Out Demons 00:06:56 Bipolar and Undiagnosed: The Difficult Kid Nobody Understood 00:08:00 Adopted from Korea: The Complex Relationship with Janet and Ken 00:11:47 Moving In with the Caseys: A Year of Being Seen and Loved 00:13:16 Pastor Tim's Words: There Is No Biblical Basis for Hell 00:15:18 A Version of the Future I Never Considered Before 00:19:33 The Dad Who Showed Up: Quiet Support and Complicated Love 00:23:05 Neither of Them Have Ever Seen My Work: Making Peace with Distance 00:24:08 The Cases Helped Me Reconcile: Bridging the Gap with His Parents 00:25:23 Therapy and Honesty: Why He Gives His Parents Grace Now 00:27:53 Relationships Are Complex: Arthur Brooks and a Better Word 00:29:58 Best Friends from Housemates: The Porch Talks That Built a Bond 00:31:11 She Always Believed I Would Be Right Where I Am 00:33:10 Sarah the Minister: Following in Her Father's Footsteps 00:38:10 Rejection from Casting Directors Hurts More Than Family Rejection 00:39:30 Diagnosed Bipolar Two: Six Months Before the Pandemic 00:41:00 John Michael: The Man Who Loves Him Unconditionally 00:51:01 I Never Considered What It Would Be Like to Be Loved 00:51:51 The Last Six Months: Finding Stability Through Marriage and Medication 00:52:33 Not a Single Person Would Have Predicted This: Proving It to Himself 00:53:35 Chosen Family: The People Who Bump Into Your Life and Change It 00:54:10 She's a Superhero: Real Work That Changes the World 00:55:59 For the Little Girl: Giving Back to Sarah's Daughter 00:56:23 Twenty Years from Now: Kids, Stability, and Less Self-Promotion 00:57:31 To His Younger Self: You Know Jack Shit, But You'll Figure It Out ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Joel Kim Booster Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast