What Would Jesus Do About Transgender People?

Last updated on: April 28, 2023 at 12:11 pm By Robert Cottrell

Transgender people face increasing discrimination and marginalization with new laws being proposed and passed. They are subject to harassment, violence, and exclusion. However, many in society are waking up and becoming more inclusive; beginning to recognize the need to support and stand up for the rights of transgender people. For those who claim Christianity as their faith, it is essential to explore how supporting transgender people aligns with the values and teachings of Jesus. Jesus is often portrayed as a... Read more

10 Reasons NOT to “Feel Sorry” for Parents of LGBTQ+ Children

Last updated on: April 28, 2023 at 12:11 pm By Susan Cottrell

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“I sometimes wonder just how many people know about my son but think we (my husband and I) don’t know. I sometimes wonder if they pity us. I wonder if they say, ‘Oh no, here come Jack and Debbie. You know their son is gay? I feel so sorry for them.” My friend Debbie messaged that to our group of thousands moms of LGBTQ+ kids. I know what she means. Of course she’s right – I’ve heard women talk about... Read more

“The Church is Killing Its Gay Children” – The Deadly Results of Shame

Last updated on: April 28, 2023 at 12:11 pm By Susan Cottrell

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Shame says, “There is something fundamentally wrong with you.” It is the lie at the very root of our identity. If I did something wrong, I can apologize and make amends. But if I am fundamentally wrong, what hope do I have? Our greatest need is to be loved, to belong, to be accepted as we are. Shame says the exact opposite – that we do not fit in, are not acceptable as is and, fundamentally, are not lovable. Shame... Read more

How a Parent’s Journey Can Help Us Be More Inclusive

Last updated on: June 9, 2022 at 12:02 pm By Susan Cottrell

I’m the Parent of an LGBTQ Child… Two of Them! Our lives changed the day our child Annie called from college (at 20) to say they were bisexual. We lost family, friends, and community. A year later, our youngest came out as well! Our children took a great risk to come out and live their true authentic lives. I had to learn, and grow, and make mistakes. Annie gave me resources and I did extensive research. They told me stories... Read more

How the Duggar Sh*t Show Reveals a Dangerous System

Last updated on: December 9, 2021 at 8:19 pm By Susan Cottrell

What are we to learn – and teach – from the Duggar family? A federal jury in Arkansas has convicted former reality TV star Josh Duggar of downloading and possessing child pornography. Josh admits to repeatedly molesting, assaulting and sexually abusing his younger sisters, and another unnamed minor, as well as cheating on his wife. The parents, Josh’s wife, and others – including prominent Evangelical Christian leaders – call it all a “mistake.” Yet these are the same people who,... Read more

Moms, you are NOT a disappointment.

Last updated on: May 9, 2021 at 6:17 pm By Susan Cottrell

Moms, would you sit with me here for a minute? Mother’s Day came and went. You went to brunch with family, got a call from the kids, maybe opened a card or a present. Or not. If you got a card, it is quite likely that reading those words of appreciation brought simultaneous joy and guilt! Seems to be the nature of motherhood. Please, come sit. I’d like to talk to you as a mom. Mother’s Day is supposed to make us feel appreciated (and sell cards), but it’s... Read more

We Have A Secret Weapon Hidden in the Non-Affirming Church!

Last updated on: February 25, 2021 at 12:35 pm By Susan Cottrell

Shhhhh. We have a secret weapon fighting for equality. 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 at least justified kicking LGBTQI children of their homes, removing their LGBTQI+ brothers and sisters out of churches, conveying an unBiblical, unChristlike... Read more

The Truth Will Set Us Free!

Last updated on: February 1, 2021 at 12:36 pm By Susan Cottrell

We are seeing the blatant hypocrisy from the nonaffirming religious community as they scramble to save face—actually, to save power. People like Franklin Graham have flung their hateful and incendiary remarks for years (see my blog post here), and now that it’s a full-blown dumpster fire, they want to back away, as they desperately pretend to now condemn a message they have repeatedly openly condoned. Too late! Do I sound angry? You bet I am. But am I hopeful? You... Read more

7 Deadly Sins Parents Commit Against Transgender Kids – In Memory of Leelah Alcorn

Last updated on: November 20, 2020 at 1:41 pm By Susan Cottrell

Leelah’s story is one you have probably heard. The transgender girl who committed suicide in 2014 by stepping in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer, citing her “Christian” parents’ rejection of her as the reason. Deep, sad sigh. Heartache. Anger. A life destroyed because of people’s ignorance and cruelty. On the Transgender Day of Remembrance we remember and mourn those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia. We also draw attention to the violence endured by transgender people. Some... Read more

Christians, It’s Time to Admit the Truth and Let Go of Your Aversion to LGBTQ!

Last updated on: November 17, 2020 at 1:33 pm By Susan Cottrell

You have seen the news: The president of a ultra-conservative Christian university resigns because of a torrid voyeur threesome relationship with his wife and another man; the Christian Texas lawmaker who argued against allowing two women, together for thirty years, to marry, while in the midst of his own 5th marriage. I could go on. Really, I could go on and on and on and on. Forgive me, but sometimes I just have to laugh. I mean, really. Maybe we... Read more