FreedHearts

FreedHearts

Freeing hearts to love and be loved! Love. Inclusion. Affirmation. Susan Cottrell is the Mom of two LGBTQ+ children; the founder of FreedHearts; an international speaker with a viral TEDx talk; a pastor and theologian; an acclaimed author; and a fierce advocate and ally. In her unique tender, relatable style, Susan is a prominent voice of unconditional love and lavish inclusion. Powerful, authentic, and relevant in today’s society, Susan has a lot to say. The Advocate calls her their “Favorite Affirming Matriarch.” OutSmart magazine calls her "The Mother of all MamaBears!" Reverend Ashley Harness from Auburn Seminary says, “Susan has this fierce, loving, don’t mess with me, Mom vibe.” If you have been excluded, or if someone close to you has been excluded because of who they are or who they love - or maybe you have been the one doing the excluding - the FreedHearts podcast is for you. Join Susan, along with her husband Rob, on the journey. You are not alone. Welcome home!

Episodes

June 24, 2026 23 mins

June is Pride Month — a time dedicated not just to parades and rainbow flags but to profound affirmation and resistance against discrimination. 

The skewed Christian view of pride involves a self-centered attitude, placing oneself above others. But the LGBTQ+ community is not declaring themselves above anyone else. 

Pride Month was born from a necessity to stand against oppression and claim a rightful place in society...

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Is this the deadliest teaching in human history?

An encore presentation of our most-listened-to episode ever — and maybe our most powerful. And honestly? It feels even more urgent now than when we first released it.

In this episode, we unpack one of the most destructive ideas humanity has ever embraced — a belief system at the root of division, oppression, shame, and violence for centuries.

It has f...

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We’ve walked through the theology, the scripture, the Greek and Hebrew — but today we’re doing something refreshingly simple: Common sense.

We explore the everyday wisdom that makes it absolutely clear: being LGBTQ — and loving who you love — is not sinful. Not even close.

No clobber passages. No theological gymnastics. Just real life, real love, and real clarity.

We break down:

🌈 Why love that harms no o...

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Religion is wrong, you are not broken. You are beloved.

A viral meme claimed your smallest sin is “infinitely offensive” to a holy God — but don’t worry, Jesus covers you.

We’re calling that what it is: spiritual shame dressed up as devotion.

In this episode, we dismantle the idea that you’re a cosmic disappointment and reclaim a deeper truth:

You were never vile.
...

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So many people are asking the same question right now:
What can I actually do that makes a difference?

In this episode, we slow things down and get practical.

Not perfect. Not performative. Not someday. Now.

We share five real, tangible ways you can show up for LGBTQ+ people
as an ally, a parent, a friend, a neighbor, and a human being. From advocacy and
voting, to supporting queer creators an...

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We’ve been told for years: be the resistance.

But what if that’s why so many people fighting for love and inclusion feel exhausted?

Inspired by a talk from Glennon Doyle, this episode flips the whole idea:
We are not the resistance. We are the river.

The current of belonging has always been moving — widening across history no matter who tried to stop it. Our role isn’t just to argue o...

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People can't give what they don't have, and many people simply don't have approval to give. But remember, this has nothing to do with you.  
 
When faced with the rejection and disapproval of others, it’s important to separate your well-being from someone else’s approval. It's just their opinion, and it doesn’t have to mean anything to you.  
 
It's not about your worth in any way w...

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March 11, 2026 25 mins

Loving queer kids today requires honesty: they are growing up in a world that actively questions their right to exist, to be safe, and to belong. In this episode, we speak plainly to parents, caregivers, and allies about what LGBTQ+ kids need — not someday, but right now — in a cultural and political climate that is increasingly hostile.

We confront the real harm caused by silence and “good intentions,” chall...

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“We can disagree and still love each other” is often framed as maturity or respect — but what happens when that disagreement puts real people at risk? In this episode, we confront how “just disagreeing” about LGBTQ+ lives, identities, and inclusion stops being neutral and starts becoming dangerous.

We examine the real-world consequences of polite harm, the myth of neutrality, and the cost of silence whe...

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Valentine’s Day can be beautiful for some — and deeply complicated for others. In this episode, we make space for those who feel unseen, pressured, or left out by traditional narratives of love.

We explore why romantic love is often treated as the ultimate measure of worth, how that harms LGBTQ+ people and their families, and what it means to reclaim a broader, more honest definition of love. 

This is an invitation t...

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You’ve heard the false teachings. You’ve read the posts. You’ve seen the statements of faith declaring, “Marriage is between one man and one woman.”

This episode is for every LGBTQ+ person harmed by those words — and for every Christian parent who affirms their child, yet still hears that sentence reverberating through their church, their family, and their faith.


Let’s be clea...

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January 21, 2026 24 mins

You’ve heard it repeated by nonaffirming Christians and right-wing politicians: “traditional values.”

But listen closely — and notice what’s missing.

Honesty. Fidelity. Compassion. Justice. Kindness.

So what are “traditional values,” really? Whose tradition are we talking about? From which era? From which culture? From which Bible — and whose Christianity?

In this episode,...

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As we step into a new year, we name the truth of this moment for LGBTQ+ lives and rights — without panic, without denial, and without losing hope. 

We talk about what’s happening now, what 2026 may bring, and how we respond with courage, clarity, and love.

This episode is for LGBTQ+ people, parents, allies, and anyone who refuses to let fear dictate the future.

We unpack the political landscape, the sh...

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This Christmas, we ask a haunting question: Do Christians know it’s Christmas time at all?

When the loudest voices in Christianity celebrate the birth of Jesus while ignoring everything he taught — feeding the hungry, welcoming the immigrant, loving without condition — something’s gone terribly wrong.

In this episode, we take an honest, sometimes snarky, always heartfelt look at how Christian nationalism and u...

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December 10, 2025 20 mins

Today, since Christmas is coming up, we will talk about lemons and blackberries.

I know, I know – what does THAT have to do with Christmas?

I want to tell you a couple of stories from my life that involved lemons and blackberries, and what I learned about abundance.

At this time of year, when we all make our lists of things we want, and of things to give, maybe it is the perfect time to really understand ...

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December 3, 2025 23 mins

Was Jesus kind of a stand-up comedian?

I mean think about it... A priest, a rabbi, and Jesus walked into a bar. Only Jesus recognized the setup for a joke.

I never really thought about Jesus being funny or not. I mean, we’ve heard the stories 1000 times and... I usually smile at the funnier parts, but I never exactly said, Jesus is really funny!

Then I found a little book that really opened my eyes.
<...

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November 19, 2025 10 mins

This episode is different. It’s sacred.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to honor and remember the transgender people whose lives were stolen by violence, hatred, and neglect.

We wish we didn’t need a day like this. We wish the world were already safe and affirming for our trans family and friends. But the reality is, many lives are lost each year—and too often, those lives are ignored, ...

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You are talking about this and then it happens: someone pulls out a Bible verse and declares that God is against transgender people.

You’ve heard it from pulpits, from politicians, maybe from your own family.

But, Beloved, here’s the truth: the Bible does NOT say what these people claim it does. In fact, what the Bible does say about this is actually fully affirming!

So today, we dig in and set the ...

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Politicians and pundits have made trans rights one of their top wedge issues. They stir up outrage, and push legislation designed to divide, distract, and control.

We’ve all seen it: bills banning gender-affirming care, bathroom access, policing pronouns, especially in state legislations. Leaders pushing them claim it’s about “protecting children” or “upholding values.” 

But, it’...

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October 29, 2025 27 mins

Let’s talk about God! Our favorite subject… Or is it?? It would be—or could be—if we hadn’t been lied to about God.

Well, our job at FreedHearts is to make you feel better about God — or have no feelings about God, that’s fine. But what we DON’T want is for you to have bad feelings about God because they’re usually connected to bad feelings about yourself – and no...

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