The board for the Edmonton Public Schools in Canada wanted to “create a policy for schools dealing with discrimination based on sexual orientation.” Here’s part of what they came up with: The Board believes that all sexual and gender minority students, staff, families and same-sex parented families have the right to: … … be included, affirmed, and represented in an inclusive, positive, and respectful manner by all school personnel; … … have their unique identities, families, cultures, and communities valued… Read more
A couple of atheists would like to designate September 6th as a day for atheists to wear the A symbol and show others that we exist: Showing your support will only require a blank shirt and a red marker. We won’t have to go out and force our beliefs on others, we will simply wear a shirt. The atheist community isn’t as small as people think and many people walk in silence because they feel they are alone, many more… Read more
Anthony Camilo designed an awesome tattoo — the “history of evolution” image walking along the Scarlet A 🙂 He got the tattoo on his arm and you can see that image here. Feel free to share links to your own tattoos in the comments! Read more
Alan-Michael White, a senior at the University of Mississippi, talks about the difficulties of being an atheist in such a religious state: Ladies and gentlemen, I am an atheist… We number some 30 million Americans and every newborn baby across the world. Despite our newest members being adorable, ours is a group deemed the second most untrustworthy group by a Gallup Poll in 2008. … My roommate was attempting to establish a Secular Student Alliance on campus. However, when the… Read more
Texas Governor Rick Perry has invited all 49 other governors to join him for a massive, worthless pray-in. Who’s in and who’s out? Out: Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder. Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal. California’s Governor Jerry Brown. Oklahoma’s Governor Mary Fallin. Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin. In: Kansas’ Governor Sam Brownback. … Got links for other governors? Let’s fill this list out… Read more
Michael Tracey, a former Secular Student Alliance group leader, has a controversial piece in The Nation about journalism schools in general, whether they’re necessary, and whether they’re even teaching the right things. Allow me to rant for a bit: Obviously, there are exceptions, but too many journalists are just good for gathering basic information and spitting it back out. I can recall several instances where groups I work with have sent out press releases to newspapers, only to receive coverage… Read more
Barry Lynn at Americans United has a quick and amusing explanation of why it’s wrong for the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority to offer more than $40,000,000 in tax rebates for the Creation Museum’s “Ark Encounter” park: The state has no business funding this nonsense. It’s bad science. And it’s bad religion the same religious crap we’ve grown accustomed to. Read more
The cover of Penn Jillette’s new book is out! It’s called God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales and chapters are broken up into the Penn Commandments (*groan*): Penn doesn’t do a lot of appearances outside of Las Vegas, but a few of them are already scheduled: August 16 — Washington, DC — Lisner Auditorium — sponsored by CFI DC August 17 25 — Corte Madera, CA — Book Passage — sponsored by Book… Read more
