The Queer Christian

Brandan joins Sam to talk about what it was like to find belonging in a fundamentalist Baptist community at twelve years old and to be a closeted gay kid inside it at the same time. He speaks honestly about the cognitive dissonance of feeling genuinely loved by a community whose theology told him who he was amounted to sin, and the anxiety and fear that slowly built underneath that. The conversation moves through his experience of conversion therapy, the point at which he realised he couldn't keep forcing the two things to fit, and what it looked like to eventually find a spirituality built on something other than fear. It's a compelling, open conversation about identity, survival, and what it actually takes to rebuild your sense of self and faith on your own terms.Who Is Brandan?Rev. Brandan Robertson is an author, activist, and public theologian working at the intersection of spirituality, sexuality, and social renewal. He serves as Pastor of Sunnyside Reformed Church in NYC and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Known as the "TikTok Pastor," his digital ministry reaches nearly 400,000 followers worldwide.Robertson has authored or contributed to more than twenty books on faith and justice, including True Inclusion, an INDIES Book of the Year Award finalist. His work has been featured by TIME Magazine, NBC, CNN, and The Washington Post, and he has spoken at the White House, Oxford University, and the Parliament of the World's Religions.A passionate LGBTQ+ advocate, he was named to Rolling Stone's "Hot List" and Out Magazine's 2025 OUT100. He lives in New York City and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Drew University.ConnectBrandons Website - https://www.brandanrobertson.comFind Brandan on social media - Facebook | Instagram | YoutubeYou can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.auTo connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservicesWant to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective