Susan Cottrell's Blog, page 11

Would You Rather Have a Gay Child or a Dead Child?

I am sorry if the title of this post shocks you, or strikes you as harsh or over-dramatic. But honestly, parents don’t realize what they’re asking of their LGBTQI kids. And they don’t realize what their rejection is doing to them. This is not about inclusion. This is a matter of life and death. By [Read More...]

Christians, Here’s Why You Don’t Have to be Afraid to Support Gays

“Prejudices are breaking down. Walls are breaking down. Pastors are rethinking their entrenched positions. Parents are choosing their child over learned doctrine that doesn’t reconcile with their lived experience or with the heart of God.” I wanted to share this, from a Mom who is part of my private Facebook support group for Moms of [Read More...]

To Christian Parents of LGBTQI Children

“You want to shove those words back in and put the lid on. But you can’t. Your child is gay. This goes against everything you’ve been taught. It was not what you had in mind, and you instantly wonder where you went wrong.” When you become a parent, you know to expect the unexpected. But [Read More...]

Can You Tell Which Woman is Transgender? And Why Does it Matter?

With all this conversation about who we pee next to, I wondered if you could tell who was actually a transgender woman. Can you spot her? Can you tell? Do you care? Unfortunately, many seem to care, and have responded with fear-mongering and vicious lies, trying to make this about the safety of our children. [Read More...]

Transgender & Bathrooms: Who Are The Ones Who Really Need Protecting?

What do you when the bully in a school is the teacher? What impact does it have on a child’s life when those he thought were there to protect him, turn out to be the biggest threat? J.D.’s mom, Shawna DiCintio, recalls J.D. as a happy, carefree kid, an up-and-coming advocate for youth, a leader [Read More...]

You Had Me at Hello… My Advice to Adele

She was so upset. Almost to the point of tears. And nearly an hour later, you could still see the shame on her face. But why? Her voice. Her beauty. Her charm. She plays to sold-out stadiums. She delights her fans and moves people to tears. I am simply mesmerized as I watch her—including her [Read More...]

“You must obey!” It’s One of the Biggest Lies in the Church

One of the biggest lies perpetrated throughout Christendom is that God is primarily interested in our obedience. Not true. Patently false. To say our first responsibility to God is to obey is a big fat lie and distortion of the relationship God wants with us. God’s paramount interest in us is a relationship. Didn’t Jesus [Read More...]

We Have A Secret Weapon Hidden in the Anti-Gay Church!

Shhhhh. We have a secret weapon. Powerful. Effective. Ready to change the world. And it is hidden right in the middle of the nonaffirming conservative, evangelical church. There is a wall, erected by Christian leaders who are nonaffirming, between the church and people who just so happen to be LGBTQI. Their teachings have encouraged or [Read More...]

The post We Have A Secret Weapon Hidden in the Anti-Gay Church! appeared first on FreedHearts.

LGBTQI: You Deserve to Love & be Loved! You Deserve to be Free!

Well, here you are! You’re gay or bi or lesbian or transgender or intersex or queer in some way or other. You may be or agender or pansexual. Or you may not yet be sure what the heck is going on! I understand. I really do. You may even be in a straight marriage and [Read More...]

The post LGBTQI: You Deserve to Love & be Loved! You Deserve to be Free! appeared first on FreedHearts.

The Slippery Slope of… Judgment!

November 20th was the Transgender Day of Remembrance. A day to remember the beautiful lives of precious, courageous, brave people. I was honored to be a speaker at the Austin TDOR event and wanted to share with you my talk at this special, emotional event. If you prefer to watch the video, you can just [Read More...]