Video! My talk on “Diversity in the Atheist Movement” at the University of British Columbia was videotaped, and the video is online!

Quick summary of the talk (from the intro):

I don’t think it’s news to anybody that the current atheist movement is largely dominated by white men… especially in positions of visibility and leadership. And I also don’t think it’s news to anybody that many atheists resist seeing this as a problem that we need to take action on. These people aren’t overtly racist or sexist (usually), they’re not saying, “We don’t want women or people of color in our movement.” They just don’t see this as their responsibility, and they don’t see it as particularly important.

So today, I want to talk about why this is important. I want to talk about how, with the best of intentions, both individuals and a movement as a whole can become exclusionary without ever meaning to. I want to talk about why it isn’t enough to just not be overtly racist or sexist, why we have to take positive action to counter this trend. I want to talk about why the atheist movement should make this a priority — for pragmatic reasons as well as ethical ones. And I want to talk about what, specifically, practically, we can do about it.

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To find out how movements can become exclusionary even without meaning to, why atheists have to take positive action on diversity, why we need to make it a priority, and what exactly we can do about it, listen to my talk. (Video is embedded after the jump, since posting video before the jump mucks up my archives. You can also see it at the link.) Many, many thanks to the University of British Columbia Freethinkers Club, the Simon Fraser University Skeptics, and the Secular Student Alliance, for making this tour happen. I should have video and/or audio of my other talks from this tour soon. Happy to be back and blogging again!

Continue reading “Diversity in the Atheist Movement: Video of my UBC Talk” →

My Seattle event for Sunday Sept. 12 is finally set! The Seattle Atheists are hosting an informal meet- and- greet/ Q&A session/ burger and beer fest.

Important FYI: This event is in a room with limited space, so it’s first- come- first- served on getting in. If you want to go, get there early.

Here are the details:

Seattle Atheists
Burgers and Beer
The Ram
401 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA
Sunday, Sept. 12
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Limited space! The Seattle Atheists have a reservation for 20 people in the banquet room/ back room/ whatever room it is they have reserved at the Ram. But that’s all the room there is. So get there early if you want to get in!

Also, there is apparently more than one Ram in Seattle. Be sure to go to the right one, at 401 NE Northgate Way.

If you’re in Seattle on Sunday, I hope to see you there!

ANOTHER IMPORTANT UPDATE! There will be a reception after the University of British Columbia talk, on Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Railway Club at 579 Dunsmuir Street, from 9pm until midnight. It’s open to the public.

IMPORTANT UPDATES! The location for the Reed College talk has been changed! See below for details. And we’re working on a last-minute event in Seattle: the details aren’t set yet, but it looks like it’s going to be on Sunday, Sept. 12, in the early evening. It’ll probably be a more informal hanging-out/ Q&A session rather than a formal talk. I’ll post the exact where and when and other details as soon as I have them.

Just a reminder: If you’re in the Pacific Northwest — specifically in the Portland, Seattle, or Vancouver, BC areas — come hear me speak! I’m going to be doing a speaking tour, September 9-13, at various college and university campuses in the Pacific Northwest, including Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia… and my alma mater, Reed College! I’ll be speaking on a number of different topics, including “Diversity in the Atheist Movement,” “Atheism and Sexuality,” and “Why Are You Atheists So Angry?” I’ll be doing Q&A at every talk, so come prepared to grill me… or just come by and say howdy. The tour is being sponsored by the amazing Secular Student Alliance. Here are the details:

LOCATION: Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
AQ 3005 (Academic Quadrangle)
TIME: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
SPONSORS: SFU Skeptics
TOPIC: Atheism and Sexuality. The sexual morality of traditional religion tends to be based, not on solid ethical principles, but on a set of taboos about what kinds of sex God does and doesn’t want people to have. And while the sex-positive community offers a more thoughtful view of sexual morality, it still often frames sexuality as positive by seeing it as a spiritual experience. What are some atheist alternatives to these views? How can atheists view sexual ethics without a belief in God? And how can atheists view sexual transcendence without a belief in the supernatural?

LOCATION: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
WOOD 3 (lecture hall 3 in the Woodward building; here’s a map)
TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
SPONSORS: UBC Freethinkers Club
TOPIC: Diversity in the Atheist Movement. The most visible representatives of the atheist movement tend to be white men. Is this a problem? If so, should the atheist movement be doing something about it — and if so, what?

EVENT: Reception after UBC talk
LOCATION: Railway Club
579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
TIME: 9:00 pm – midnight
SPONSORS: UBC Freethinkers Club and SFU Skeptics
TOPIC: Beer

LOCATION: Seattle. Somewhere.
TIME: Don’t know yet.
SPONSORS: Seattle Atheists.

LOCATION: Reed College, Portland, OR
Psych 105 Bio 19 lecture hall (new location!)
TIME: 7:00 – 8:00 (possibly ending later if Q&A is going well)
SPONSORS: Reed Secular Alliance
TOPIC: Why Are You Atheists So Angry? The atheist movement is often accused of being driven by anger. Is this assessment accurate? What are so many atheists so angry about? Is this anger legitimate? And can anger be an effective force behind a movement for social change?

Hope to see you there!

And I’m going to be taking a break from the blog while I’m gone — including from the Atheist Memes of the Day. I may post something now and then if I have time and get inspired, but while inspiration will almost certainly not be lacking, time almost certainly will. I’ll be blogging again after I get back on the 14th. See you then!

UPDATE: The location for the Reed College talk has been changed. See below.

If you’re in the Pacific Northwest — specifically in the Portland or Vancouver, BC areas — come hear me speak! I’m going to be doing a speaking tour, September 9-13, at various college and university campuses in the Pacific Northwest, including Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia… and my alma mater, Reed College! I’ll be speaking on a number of different topics, including “Diversity in the Atheist Movement,” “Atheism and Sexuality,” and “Why Are You Atheists So Angry?” I’ll be doing Q&A at every talk, so come prepared to grill me… or just come by and say howdy. The tour is being sponsored by the amazing Secular Student Alliance. Here are the details:

LOCATION: Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
AQ 3005 (Academic Quadrangle)
TIME: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
SPONSORS: SFU Skeptics
TOPIC: Atheism and Sexuality

LOCATION: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
WOOD 3 (lecture hall 3 in the Woodward building; here’s a map)
TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
SPONSORS: UBC Freethinkers Club
TOPIC: Diversity in the Atheist Movement

LOCATION: Reed College, Portland, OR
Psych 105 Bio 19 lecture hall
TIME: 7:00 – 8:00 (possibly ending later if Q&A is going well)
SPONSORS: Reed Secular Alliance
TOPIC: Why Are You Atheists So Angry?

Hope to see you there!

If you live in Northeastern Ohio or Western Pennsylvania — or if you’re going to be there in October — come hear me speak! I’m going to be doing a whirlwind speaking tour of the area, October 13-15, with stops in Cleveland, Kent, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh.

I’ll be speaking on three different topics, no less: Atheism and Sexuality, Atheist Philosophies of Death, and What The Atheist Movement Can Learn From the LGBT Movement. So come hear me more than once, if you like! I’ll be doing Q&A at every talk, so come with questions if you have any. And if you do come, please introduce yourself and say howdy. Here are the details:

LOCATION: Kent State University, Kent, OH
KSU Student Center, Rm 317
TIME: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
SPONSOR: KSU Freethinkers
ADMISSION: Free
TOPIC: Atheist Philosophies of Death

LOCATION: Brecksville Public Library, Brecksville, OH (near Cleveland)
TIME: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
SPONSOR: Center for Inquiry, Cleveland chapter
ADMISSION: Free
TOPIC: Atheist Philosophies of Death

LOCATION: Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH
Ohio Room
TIME: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
SPONSORS: YSU, Dr. James Dale Ethics Center
ADMISSION: Free
TOPIC: Atheism and Sexuality

LOCATION: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Spartan Room in Thwing Center (Case’s Student Union) (map here)
TIME: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
SPONSORS: Case Center for Inquiry and Spectrum
ADMISSION: Free
TOPIC: Atheism and Sexuality

LOCATION: Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA
One North Shore Drive, on Pittsburgh’s North Shore next to Heinz Field, on the Science Stage
TIME: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
EVENT: Associated with Drinking Skeptically – Pittsburgh
SPONSORS: Center for Inquiry Pittsburgh; co-sponsored by Steel City Skeptics and Drinking Skeptically – Pittsburgh
ADMISSION: $6 to non-CFI members, free to FOC. Parking $5 , $3 for Carniege members.
TOPIC: What The Atheist Movement Can Learn From the LGBT Movement

Hope to see you there!

Good news, everybody! Skepticon — the totally awesome, free- of- charge atheism/ skepticism conference — got the bigger venue they were working on. Which means they have room for more speakers. Which means I’m going to be speaking!

Hosted by the MSU Chapter of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Skepticon 3 will be happening Friday November 19 through Sunday November 21, at the Springfield Expo Center in Springfield, Missouri. Other speakers include PZ Myers, Amanda Marcotte, James Randi, Debbie Goddard, Dan Barker, D.J. Grothe, Rebecca Watson, Victor Stenger, Joe Nickell, and more. (Here’s the complete speakers’ list. I am so proud to be on that list and in that company, I can barely stop wriggling.) Registration is free — did I mention that this conference is free? — but you’re advised to register in advance, since it may be a full house. There’s pretty cheap lodging available as well, in the Universal Plaza Hotel right next to the conference center, at the special Skeptical Rate of just $79 a night.

I don’t yet know what date and time I’ll be speaking, or what exact topic I’ll be speaking about. I’ll let you know as soon as I do. In the meantime — wa-hoo! Come join me in beautiful Springfield, Missouri, buckle of the Bible Belt, and raise some non-existent hell with your fellow non-believers!