Tyler Parker weighs in on topics like bisexuality, Christianity at Harvard, liberation theology, and celibate partnerships. A valuable conversation… but that goes without saying. Join us!

About Our Guest:

Tyler Parker is a campus minister at Harvard College, where he studied government and filmmaking during his undergraduate studies. He is a follower of Jesus, is bisexual, and is filled with a deep passion for LGBTQ+ people to experience the lives of flourishing that are borne out of radical encounters with the love of Christ. He also helps lead a growing Revoice chapter in the Greater Boston area and serves on staff at Aletheia Church, Cambridge. He can be reached on Instagram: @tyler.parker.1671

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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) #57 - Theology of Sex and Ministry at Harvard, with Tyler Parker

(01:36) Doing Christian campus ministry at Harvard

(10:20) Coming out (to myself and others) as bisexual

(18:37) But what is "bisexuality"?

(20:41) Why not side A? How did the early church read these passages?

(33:15) Church silence around sexuality

(38:55) Family conversations and celibacy

(44:36) Ok, but: Celibate partnerships?

(01:09:46) Can you "fall in love" without it turning to sexual attraction?

(01:18:50) Having calm conversations about sexuality at Harvard

(01:27:53) Future of the Side B movement?

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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 ★

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 ★

If you’ve never heard of Life on Side B—the podcast that in many ways inspired this one—today is your day! We interviewed Josh and Ashley on their ending season, where Side B could evolve, and how LoSB podcast was almost named “Unicorns for Jesus”.

And THEN…head on over to Life on Side B to listen to David and TJ’s reflections on interviewing people with diverse views and where Side B conversations are evolving. Listen to the other half of this episode here: www.lifeonsideb.com/episodes/episode/1d868a02/s6e1-or-tj-and-david-on-new-kinship-and-the-future-of-side-b-crossover-episode

Comments on how LoSB impacted you? Send your audio message to LoSB here: https://www.lifeonsideb.com/finalseason

Note: This episode uses the terms “Side A” and “Side B” (and X, Y) as shorthand an incredible amount. If you’re new to the conversation, I don’t know what to tell you. Welcome! And you might want to check out:

* New Kinship’s episode #3, where we talk through the four “sides”: ⁠#3 - A-B-Y-X | 4 Sides on SSA/Gay Sexuality⁠

* Life on Side B’s explainer article: The Four Sides

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★ About Our Guests

Josh was born and raised in South Florida. He is the creator and producer of Life on Side B, a podcast exploring the joys, beauty, and challenges of living the traditional sexual ethic as LGBT+/same sex attracted Christians. He is a spiritual director and inclusion consultant with a private practice called Wholly Ourselves, and he is a pastor at his local church, Providencia WPB. He holds a DMin from Kairos University and a MA in Biblical Literature from Nyack College. In his spare time, you can normally find Josh doing one of three things: hosting friends at his home with his family, watching Golden Girls, or working out.

Ashley is a queer woman in a mixed-orientation marriage of over a decade and has a three-year-old son. She and her husband met on the mission field in Latin America with Youth With A Mission and currently reside in the southern United States.

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★ Timestamps

(00:00) New Kinship #55 - Life on Side B's Final Season, with Josh and Ashley

(01:48) At the time, there weren't any Side B podcasts

(05:52) Episodes that changed us: Telling our vulnerable stories

(08:56) Why is Life on Side B ending?

(13:16) What Josh and Ashley learned in 5 seasons

(19:57) Where should the Side B movement go?

(26:45) Josh's upcoming podcast(s) and work!

(30:53) Ashley's work with Your Other...Family?

(34:01) Send a message to LoSB folks!

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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 ★

TJ and David were interviewed on Joel Carini’s podcast, the Natural Theologian, a previous guest of ours, to discuss the role of marriage, family, other significant others, covenants, Side B perspectives on kinship, and more!

Check it out!

Jason Thompson leads Portland Fellowship, a Christian organization pursuing freedom from “homosexuality and transgender confusion” through Christ. In our terms, Jason’s org is “Side X” and we are “Side B”. Jason himself has thought a bit about the various positions in the faith + sexuality debate, and he has his own description of four “sides”. Between these groupings are some seemingly wide gaps in how we, as Christians, think about sexual orientation, restoration, brokenness, and identities… tough stuff, but we are grateful for Jason’s willingness to talk about our differences as Christians.

About Our Guest: Jason Thompson experienced unwanted same sex desires in his youth, and discovered Portland Fellowship in 1989, where he received discipleship and loving support to find the freedom he was seeking. Jason now serves as executive director of Portland Fellowship; he holds a master's degree in counseling from Western Seminary and is an ordained minister. Jason and his wife Amy live outside of Portland with their two sons.

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 our 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) #54 - Side B & Side X in Dialogue: With Jason Thompson from Portland Fellowship

(00:43) About Jason and Portland Fellowship

(03:29) Clarifying Side B/X and Jason's chart

(17:24) Defining: male and female in the image of God

(20:45) Defining: sexual orientation, homosexuality

(32:50) Defining: "repentance from lust"

(34:06) Defining: gay and straight

(43:18) Juxtaposing Side X ("Rebuild") and Side B ("Resist") - change, role of marriage

(51:58) Change is possible--but what kind of change?

(01:08:39) We (all of us) don't police language

(01:11:54) "Should that person still hold a gay label when all that has changed in their life?"

(01:16:22) Wrapping up: Final thoughts

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★ Links and References

* Jason’s 4 Views PDF: “Differing Views on Christian Doctrine, Identity and Homosexuality”

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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★

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of suicidality.

Simon Kent Fung is the creator and host of Dear Alana, a limited series podcast telling the story of Alana Chen, a devoutly Catholic young woman who wrestled with same-sex attraction alongside her faith before taking her own life in 2019. Simon found that Alana's journey with the Catholic faith and conversion therapies paralleled his own story in notable ways. On this episode, we talked with Simon about his experience of conversion therapy or “reparative therapy” for LGBTQ Christian people, the expectations and harms that accompany it, and what a healthy spiritual journey and community could be.

Learn more about the podcast Dear Alana at http://dearalana.com.

Learn more about Simon at http://simonkentfung.com.

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★ Timestamps

(00:00) #53 - Conversion Therapy's Legacy, with Simon Kent Fung from "Dear Alana”

(02:20) The story of Dear Alana

(13:28) Unpacking conversion/reparative therapy

(28:24) Therapy: what we expect, what good things we need?

(43:52) Leaving conversion therapy, identifying harms

(55:23) Thinking now about "sexual orientation" as a concept

(01:01:56) Finding a healthier spirituality through community

(01:11:00) What, to you, is a good sexual ethic these days?

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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 ★