He LOST His Family Overnight for Being Gay

He LOST His Family Overnight for Being Gay

From The Person Who Believed In Me with David Begnaud by Do Good Crew

May 18, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

Joel Kim Booster shares his journey of being rejected by his adoptive family for being gay and finding support from a classmate.

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…

People in this episode

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Joel Kim Booster

Topics covered

  • coming out
  • family rejection
  • chosen family
  • mental health
  • LGBTQ+ experiences
  • personal growth

Keywords

  • gay
  • adoption
  • family
  • support
  • mental health
  • comedy
  • LGBTQ+

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fire Island, The Do Good Crew

More episodes of The Person Who Believed In Me with David Begnaud

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Person Who Believed In Me with David Begnaud podcast page.