Susan Cottrell's Blog

At FreedHearts, our mission has always been clear: to free hearts to love and be loved. For over a decade, we’ve walked alongside LGBTQ+ people and the families who love them, offering encouragement, support, and resources to help dismantle shame and embrace unconditional love. Today, we are making a huge change. ✨ From this moment […]

The phrase “family values” gets thrown around like a badge of honor by the religious right. It’s plastered across political speeches, church billboards, and campaign slogans. But let’s be honest: the way they use “family values” has little to do with actual families—and even less to do with values. When they talk about family values, […]

When we strip away the noise and fear-based interpretations and false teachings, the Bible becomes a living, breathing message of love and inclusion. Contrary to what some might tell you, Scripture does NOT condemn transgender people—in fact, its deepest truths support them. Here are five Bible passages that speak directly to God’s heart for inclusion, […]

Ah, the delicious irony: Kim Davis—the former Kentucky county clerk who’s currently petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges and rescind marriage equality—has a personal history that looks more like a soap opera than a “biblical marriage” manifesto. Brace yourself: She’s been married four times to three different men. And get this—her […]

If you’ve been around evangelical spaces for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the phrase: “The Bible defines marriage as one man and one woman.”It’s repeated like it came straight from the mouth of God, carved in stone. But here’s the thing—it’s simply not true. The Bible contains many examples of marriage, and very […]

Homophobia doesn’t always look like slurs, hate-filled protests, or outright rejection. Sometimes, it comes dressed in a smile. It sounds like “We love you, but…” or “I just don’t understand why you have to make it a big deal.” This is “polite homophobia”—a quieter, subtler form of prejudice that hides behind well-meaning words, casual jokes, […]

Jesus never turned away the marginalized. Not once. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He touched those society called “unclean.” He welcomed women, children, foreigners, and outcasts—people the religious leaders of his time avoided at all costs. And yet, today, so many who claim his name are turning their backs on the very people […]

We hear this question more and more lately: How do we save America? We hear it whispered in grief and shouted in frustration. We hear it from parents afraid for their trans kids, from exhausted teachers, from faith leaders trying to hold shattered communities together. We hear it from the hearts of people who love […]

Today, we honor the sacred strength of mothers. But not just any mothers.Today, we honor you—the mother who chose her LGBTQ+ child in a world that told her not to. We see you. We see the way you were met with condemnation from your church when your child came out. The whispers. The phone calls […]

“One prayer gets the cameras. The other gets the handcuffs. One is praised. The other is prosecuted. And both say they follow Jesus.” This week in America, we saw two very public acts of prayer. One took place at the White House. The other in the Capitol Rotunda. Both claimed to be Christian. But only […]