Alana Chen wanted to be a nun. She was 24 when she died by suicide.
Her journals were filled with prayers—and with shame. She had spent years in secret conversion therapy, urged by a priest to keep it from her family.
Simon Kent Fung never met Alana.
But when he read about her death, something broke open. He’d also been a devout Catholic. He’d also undergone conversion therapy. Her story felt eerily familiar.
He reached out to her mother. Then, he started asking questions.
What happened to Alana? Why had no one stopped it? Why do queer Catholics still have to suffer in silence?
That search became the podcast Dear Alana. And in this week’s episode of Whiplash, Simon joins us to talk about what he uncovered—and what it cost.
We talk about purity culture, Catholic guilt, and the terrifying line between devotion and self-erasure. The more faithful you are, the more you’re asked to disappear.
This story isn’t just about one girl. It’s about all of us who were told that holiness means hiding. That God wants our silence. That sacrifice is love.
Content warning: This conversation includes discussion of suicide, religious trauma, and purity culture. Please take care as you listen.
Simon reminds us: the act of telling the truth—about who we are, and what we’ve been through—isn’t just healing.
It’s holy.
Listen to our full conversation with @simonkentfung on Whiplash, available now on Spotify (with video), Apple Podcasts, and Substack.
And if you haven’t yet: go listen to Dear Alana.
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