Secular Student Alliance

The Secular Student Alliance’s Steadfast Commitment to Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:30:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance stands in solidarity with national civil rights organizations and secular advocacy groups to oppose the growing attacks against LGBTQ+ Americans. With the rise of harmful legislation and rhetoric, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a society rooted in equality, respect, and dignity for all—where public policy is based on facts, not faith.

Religious hostility remains one of the most significant challenges for LGBTQ+ individuals and is the most cited reason young Americans give for leaving religion behind. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ Americans—especially transgender and nonbinary individuals—bear the brunt of religiously motivated stigma and misinformation. This falsehood-driven discrimination fuels anti-trans legislation, which has been shown to correlate with a rise in suicide attempts among trans youth. For these reasons and more, the LGBTQ+ community holds a vital place within our secular movement.

As a movement, there is no debating the human rights of vulnerable groups or their right to exist. At the Secular Student Alliance, we represent trans students. They are us. Standing up for some of our most vulnerable members is not just appropriate; it is essential.

As Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, emphasizes: “The LGBTQ+ community is a vital part of our secular family, and their rights, safety, and dignity are non-negotiable. Silence in the face of such injustice would not only fail our trans members but would also undermine the values that define our organization and community. We are committed to challenging harmful ideologies—whether they stem from religious dogma or pseudoscience—that threaten these fundamental principles.”

The current wave of legislation is alarming, with proposals that include stripping legal recognition from transgender individuals, banning books featuring LGBTQ+ representation, and targeting trans youth in schools. These attacks extend to efforts to limit access to evidence-based healthcare for trans youth, defying the recommendations of major U.S. medical associations.

Whether anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry is motivated by religious dogma or antiquated pseudoscience, it does not align with our organization’s values or our vision of a society in which all people are guaranteed equality under the law and are free from discrimination in their daily lives.

The Secular Student Alliance will continue to champion the rights of our trans and nonbinary members, supporters, staff, board members, and allies. Together, we will push back against the forces of bigotry, working tirelessly to uphold a vision of a society where equality under the law and freedom from discrimination are guaranteed for all.

Today, the Secular Student Alliance joins a coalition of 16 national atheist, humanist, freethought, and other secular groups in a joint statement pledging to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.

Our Students Face the Next Wave of Christian Nationalism’s Agenda

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:53:00 GMT

For nearly 25 years, the Secular Student Alliance has stood steadfast in our commitment to nonreligious youth and the unyielding principle of state-church separation. Our students have made and continue to make significant strides in normalizing nonreligion, promoting secular values, and actively advocating for the separation of state and church at local, state, and national levels.

Yet, as the election results remind us, our work is far from over, and our mission of empowering secular youth is more critical now than ever.

Today, as White Christian Nationalists and the Trump administration openly pursue an agenda to transform our democracy into a Christian theocracy, our commitment only grows stronger. They have laid bare their roadmap—a plan to turn our country from a land of freedom for all into one where a single religious ideology dictates the lives of every American.

All of us at the Secular Student Alliance are deeply committed to working within the larger secular movement, alongside progressive organizations and allied interfaith communities, to build a strong, inclusive, and just future for all.

During Trump’s first term, our students faced escalating hostility—bullying, harassment, and intimidation, often fueled by conservative religious groups. The challenges of the next four years will be formidable, with continued attacks not only on nonreligious students but also on the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, women, and the very health of our planet.

Now, more than ever, our students need shared spaces where they can connect, learn, and organize—exactly what we provide. Our students remain on the front line of the fight to preserve public education, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of, and from, religion. Our services will be more essential than ever, and we are deeply grateful for your support.

Together, we can protect and empower our students, helping them become the advocates for secular values and the future leaders our nation so urgently needs. Our resilience in the face of Christian nationalism drives us forward.

Your support is essential to our mission. A donation to the Secular Student Alliance ensures we have the resources to provide direct guidance, support, and—if necessary—legal aid to students who will bear the brunt of the upcoming administration’s agenda. Your contributions empower us to organize against the most extreme religious-based policies and to uphold our shared values.

Investing in today’s students is investing in tomorrow’s leaders. The fight against Christian Nationalism will span decades. By supporting the Secular Student Alliance, you are helping us fight the battles of today while building the foundation for the struggles of tomorrow.

We are in this together, and together, we will continue the fight for a free and secular nation for future generations.

Fighting Project 2025 and Youth Voter Suppression

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:35:00 GMT

This fall, Secular Student Alliance chapters nationwide are mobilizing to educate their peers about the critical impact of Project 2025 and exposing efforts to restrict voting rights for youth and marginalized communities ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

To spread awareness about the dangers of Project 2025, SSA chapters are hosting free screenings of the documentary BAD FAITH , which highlights the growing threat of Christian Nationalism as a powerful anti-democratic force. Shockingly, 42% of young people don’t know enough about Project 2025 to form an opinion, but once they learn about it, the response is clear—they strongly oppose it.

In 2023 alone, 150 bills were introduced to restrict voting rights. To highlight this alarming reality, our students are hosting free screenings of SUPPRESSED AND SABOTAGED: The Fight to Vote , which shares personal stories of people in battleground states who face the brunt of voter suppression—older adults, students, people of color, and those with disabilities.

But our students aren’t stopping at education—they’re mobilizing. SSA members are volunteering with voter rights organizations and hosting voter registration drives to ensure their peers are ready to vote. Over 80% of SSA student members are already registered, but they’re working tirelessly to make sure everyone is informed and prepared to vote.

Because of your support, we continue to empower our students to educate about Christian Nationalism, safeguard voting rights, and protect our democracy. Your contributions ensure that these young leaders have the tools they need to inspire change on their campuses and beyond.

Standing for Reproductive Rights on Campus

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:02:00 GMT

Last year, the Secular Student Alliance chapter at the University of Texas, San Antonio, took a courageous stand for reproductive rights during the National Day of Action for Reproductive Rights. Amid a harsh political climate in Texas, where some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws had taken effect, these students organized a protest and march to advocate for bodily autonomy and demand that the university protect reproductive healthcare on campus.

“Texas is at the center of this,” one student leader shared. “These laws are unpopular, authoritarian, and will impact our most vulnerable communities. A better society will only be achieved if we fight for economic and social justice together.”

The students turned their passion into action. Despite the university’s lack of response to their demands for accessible reproductive healthcare, including free menstrual products, contraceptives, and pregnancy tests, the SSA chapter began tabling regularly on campus. They distributed over 500 boxes of Plan B emergency contraceptives, along with condoms, dental dams, lube, tampons, and pads, all free to students.

Their efforts reached far beyond UTSA. Recognizing that this struggle wasn’t just a Texas issue, SSA staff shared the program with chapters nationwide, empowering other students to protect their peers’ reproductive rights and distribute Plan B.

Through your support, we are able to provide students with the resources they need to envision and lead bold initiatives. Together, we can continue to support nonreligious youth and promote reproductive healthcare access for students across the country. Your contributions help ensure these young activists have the tools to make real change on their campuses and beyond.

Secular Student Alliance partners with The Satanic Temple for After School Satan Club

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:57:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance is announcing a partnership with The Satanic Temple on their After School Satan Club (ASSC) in public schools where religious clubs are present. This initiative is designed to offer students a safe and inclusive environment that emphasizes critical thinking, science, and the arts.

The ASSC is founded on the principle that religion should not be introduced into public schools. It seeks to provide an alternative to religious clubs that might use fear or coercion as tools for conversion. The After School Satan Club will be established only in schools where other religious groups are operating, ensuring a balanced representation of beliefs and philosophies.

Mission of the After School Satan Club

Promoting Rational Inquiry: ASSC aims to foster a culture of free inquiry and rationalism. The club will help students explore the scientific underpinnings of our understanding of the world.
Encouraging Appreciation for Nature: The program is designed to instill in children an appreciation for the natural world, rather than a fear of purported eternal consequences.
Focus on Positive Activities: The club’s activities will include a focus on science, critical thinking, the creative arts, and community service, ensuring that children not only learn but also have fun.

The After School Satan Club does not seek to convert children to any belief system, including Satanism. The primary goal is to provide a platform for children to develop their critical thinking skills and appreciate the world through a rational and scientific lens.

The ASSC is committed to creating a space that is safe, inclusive, and free from any form of religious coercion. The program is designed to empower children to make informed decisions and develop a balanced perspective on life.

“With the growing number of students leaving conservative organized religion, providing a community for young people in which diversity, compassion, curiosity, and civic engagement are encouraged and celebrated is important to bettering our communities and strengthening the wall of state/church separation,” says Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. “Religious indoctrination has no place in public schools.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Secular Student Alliance in an effort to promote religious freedom and religious pluralism in public primary, secondary, and collegiate schools across the United States. This partnership will ensure the absolute highest quality in educational alternative options for all parents/guardians, volunteers, and students seeking an inclusive and secular learning environment,” says June Everett, Campaign Director, After School Satan Club & Hellion Academy of Independent Learning, Ordained Minister of The Satanic Temple.

The partnership between the Secular Student Alliance and The Satanic Temple represents a significant step forward in providing diverse and inclusive after-school programs that respect the beliefs of all students and encourage a fact-based understanding of the world. We invite the community to learn more about the After School Satan Club and join us in supporting a rational, inclusive, and fun learning environment for our children.

Appointment of New Board Members - Secular Student Alliance

Wed, 15 May 2024 18:32:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors: Victoria Anderson (student member), Stephanie Hlywak, Joey Hunziker, James Modisette, and Dr. Eric Solomon.

Elected at the April Board meeting, these members will begin serving this month and will join the full Board along with SSA staff and SSA students from around the country for the annual SSA Conference this summer, which is being held at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock on June 14-16. They join current board members Ryan Bodanyi (Chair), Kristina Lee (Vice Chair), Shanti Priya (Treasurer), Clinton Herndon (Secretary), Chinelle Ekanem, Wilds Ross, Ron Zakay, Harry Shaughnessy, and Nadine You.

“These new members of the Board bring skills in marketing and communications; non-profit management; strategic planning; and youth organizing,” said Ryan Bodanyi, Board Chair. “They also bring a selfless dedication to serving others, and a desire to support the students we serve. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working alongside them.”

“ We continue to see a growing number of nonreligious students and young people in the United States, ” said Kevin Bolling, Secular Student Alliance Executive Director. “The new board members bring a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on the work we do at SSA to support students in schools and on campuses across the country.”

The Secular Student Alliance is welcoming the following board members:

Victoria Anderson is a third-year law student with a passionate interest in human and civil rights activism. She believes that effective and sustainable change should start with building strong communities. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Victoria helped start an SSA chapter at her university, in the heart of the Bible Belt. She has since started a second chapter at her law school to bring together future attorneys with a passion for church-state separation and promoting equal rights for everyone, regardless of their background.

Stephanie Hlywak is a communications strategist and law-abiding rule breaker for purpose-driven organizations. She honed her policy chops in one of the nation’s top public affairs shops, led PR and public awareness functions for the most influential library association in the world, and served in leadership roles in many non-profits, associations, and agencies. The throughline in her career has been to work on behalf of organizations and businesses that transform our world for the better. Stephanie earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University.

Joey Hunziker is a program director for a national education and disability advocacy organization where he leads the organization’s programs in addition to its efforts to develop and train young disabled advocates. He has a deep passion for cultivating the next generation of leaders to transform our school systems into dynamic, equitable, just, and inclusive places for learning. Joey’s background as an educator and facilitator has significantly shaped his career. He has been in DC since 2014 working on national education issues, always pushing to center racial justice and the needs of our most overlooked students and communities.

James Modisette is a dedicated professional with a strong background in nonprofit management, development, and operations. Currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University, James leverages his academic knowledge and practical experience to drive impactful change within organizations. James currently works as the Senior Associate of Development and Board Relations at the Data Quality Campaign in Washington, D.C., James plays a key role in managing DQC’s grant portfolio, ensuring timely submission of grants and reports, and fostering strong relationships with foundations.

Dr. Eric Solomon ’s journey began in academia, where he earned a Master’s and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, focusing on AI and ML. Transitioning to the business world, Eric led research and strategy for creative agencies before taking up leadership positions at global giants like YouTube, Spotify, Google, and Instagram. His stint as the CMO for Bonobos, a Walmart-owned DTC e-retailer, further showcases his leadership expertise. Currently, he is at the helm of The Human Operating System, a strategic advisory platform he founded, dedicated to integrating human-centric strategies in business.

Welcome new Board Chair, Dr. Ryan Bodanyi

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:37:00 GMT

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Bodanyi , who has been elected as the new Board Chair of the Secular Student Alliance!

The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students. Our mission is to empower secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism. We support the growing population of secular students with:

Community, via more than 200 chapters at high schools, colleges, and universities across the country;
Programs, like our Secular Spring Break ;
Events, like our 2024 National Conference ;
Recognition and financial assistance, via our scholarship program ;
Advocacy and litigation on behalf of secular students;
A diverse array of educational and organizational resources .

This work almost entirely depends on the kindness and generosity of individual donors, like you. Please take a moment to make a donation .

Dr. Bodanyi has served on the SSA Board since 2022, and previously served as Vice Chair. His career spans research and advocacy, primarily in the environmental movement. He holds a Ph.D. and MS degrees from the University of Washington, where his research explored what cities and counties in the US are doing to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions, and how those efforts influence local finance. He’s built campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation, Clean Water Action, and the Clean Air Task Force. And he founded a non-profit to advocate for the half-million survivors of the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, which he led for five years.

“I’m honored to support the Secular Student Alliance, an organization that connects secular students with each other – and with resources, leading secular thinkers, and a vibrant nationwide community. I wish I’d been a part of this community when I was younger – and I’m so glad that others have access to it now.”

You can support this important work – and a pluralistic, welcoming future for us all – by making a charitable contribution .

Upholding Constitutional Integrity: The Imperative of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 23:51:00 GMT

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment stands as a constitutional bulwark against those who, having previously sworn allegiance to the Constitution, engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. The language is straightforward and accessible even to a high school senior. Its application to the events of January 6, 2021, is crystal clear – those who resort to violence when electoral outcomes do not align with their wishes forfeit their right to hold office.

Recent legal decisions in New Mexico, Colorado, and Maine have underscored the relevance and urgency of enforcing Section 3. In September 2022, a New Mexico court ruled that the founder of “Cowboys for Trump” must be removed from his position as county commissioner due to his involvement in the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Similarly, the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine Secretary of State have interpreted the same unambiguous language to preclude former President Donald Trump from appearing on the Colorado ballot in 2024.

However, a disconcerting trend has emerged within conservative circles, where some advocate for a selective disregard of Section 3 in the name of “voters’ rights.” This position contends that the electorate should determine whether a figure like Trump can ascend to the presidency again, despite his attempts to subvert the democratic process in 2020. Section 3, however, firmly rebuffs this stance by disqualifying individuals who have attacked the very foundations of democracy from seeking office in the aftermath of their failed insurrection.

Ironically, this rejection of Section 3 by some conservatives stands in stark contrast to their unwavering support for the absolute interpretation of the Second Amendment to prevent voters from enacting common-sense gun control measures. As someone who grew up in close proximity to the tragic events at Columbine High School, where twelve students and a teacher lost their lives, the dichotomy is glaring. Over 300 fatal school shootings have occurred since Columbine, yet the same individuals advocating for a strict reading of the Constitution to keep assault weapons largely unregulated choose to ignore the explicit command of Section 3.

The Colorado Supreme Court and its counterparts in other states face the challenge of preserving constitutional integrity in the face of threats and criticisms. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is not a mere suggestion but a constitutional imperative designed to safeguard the essence of our democratic principles. The selective adherence to constitutional provisions, based on political expediency, undermines the foundation of our nation. Upholding Section 3 is not a matter of partisanship but a commitment to the fundamental principles that define our democracy.

Written by Luke Fisher

Since its decision on Trump’s ballot access, the Colorado Supreme Court has been confronted with an unfortunate reality – the ominous specter of violence looms over its justices, individuals tasked with upholding the bedrock principles enshrined in the United States Constitution. The source of this threat? The principled enforcement of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment consistent with a clear and unequivocal mandate that was born out of the post-Civil War era.

Home for the Holidays

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:41:00 GMT

After end-of-the-semester papers are turned in, and you take your final exams before the winter break, students can be excited and anxious about going home for the holidays.

College is an important time and amazing experience that shapes who you are and your values for the rest of your life. For most students, college is the first time you are out of your parents’ house and making your own decisions. You meet new people from different backgrounds and cultures, develop new and diverse relations, and are challenged to explore new ways of thinking through your academics, all while examining who you are and what is important to you.

You may have a roommate who is a different race than you and learn more about their culture, become friends with a lesbian couple, work on a class project with a trans man and better understand their journey, volunteer on a campus service project helping an immigrant unhoused community, and have had open discussions about politics and religion. You may have learned more about yourself and how you experience the world around you – coming out as gay to yourself and others or realizing that you no longer believe in the religion you grew up with.

As you grow and develop as a human being, you change from the person you were in high school and living with your family. You, like many other students, may worry about going home, getting along with family members, and being accepted. Effective communication and mutual respect can help create a harmonious atmosphere. Here are some tips for navigating this situation:

Open and Honest Communication: Communicate openly with your parents about your beliefs. Be honest but respectful, emphasizing your desire for understanding rather than trying to convince them to share your perspective.
Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries regarding discussions about politics and religion. Let your parents know what topics you’re comfortable discussing and what areas you’d prefer to avoid to prevent potential conflicts. Focus on shared values and interests.
Participate in Family Traditions: Engage in family traditions and religious activities to show respect for your parents’ beliefs. Most “religious” activities during the holidays have pagan or nontheist origins. Participation doesn’t necessarily mean agreement, but it can demonstrate your willingness to be part of family experiences. If you are not willing to participate in specific activities, share that with your family ahead of time and come up with a plan. “I found this movie really heartwarming, and it’s become a bit of a tradition for me during the holidays. Would you like to watch it together?” “I want to spend a little bit of time with my friends. While you are at church, I am going to Facetime with them. Then we can spend time [usual family activity you would like to do] together. “
Create Shared Experiences: Plan activities that don’t revolve around politics or religious activities. Enjoy shared hobbies, movies, games, or outings that focus on your shared interests and strengthen your bond. “I’ve been exploring [shared interest]. Do you have any experiences or thoughts on that?”
Be Patient: Recognize that your parents may have different beliefs, and it’s okay to agree to disagree. If difficult discussions arise, stay calm and composed. Focus on maintaining a respectful and open dialogue. “Well, my beliefs might be a bit different, but hey, at least we can all agree that [light-hearted topic] is pretty great, right?”
Share Your Values Positively: If your parents express concern about your beliefs, share positive aspects of your value system. Emphasize the principles and values that guide your life rather than focusing on what you don’t believe in. Take the opportunity to educate each other about your beliefs. Share information about your worldview, and be open to understanding their perspective as well.
Plan an Exit Strategy: If tensions rise, have a plan for a temporary break or change of topic. Sometimes, taking a step back and revisiting the conversation later can be more productive. Social media is also a great way to connect with like-minded friends, vent, and feel supported. “I’m going to take a little break and enjoy some fresh air. Can I help with anything before I step out?”

Remember that navigating political or religious differences is a process, and it may take time for both you and your parents to find common ground.

It is also important to recognize that you don’t have to go home, especially if it is not a safe environment for you. Your mental health and physical safety come first. You may be able to arrange to remain on campus during winter break, stay at a friend’s apartment near campus, or go to a friend’s home for the holidays. No one should make you feel guilty or ashamed about not going home if it is not the best option for you.

A Lawyer In Drag In Texas

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:23:00 GMT

In March , West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show organized by several campus student clubs including members of the Secular Student Alliance.

In an email to all students, faculty, and staff, President Wendler cited his personal religious beliefs and evoked God and Creator multiple times in his justification for canceling the student event. He also falsely likened drag to blackface, claiming that the art form is misogynistic, divisive, and void of human dignity.

President Wendler’s personal religious beliefs and biblical references have no place in justifying the cancellation of the event. West Texas A&M University is a public institution and the wall of the separation of state and church remains standing.

Last week, Andrew Seidel, a constitutional lawyer and vice president of strategic communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, visited West Texas A&M University to give an address to support the students suing President Wendler, demonstrate that drag is not threatening, and detail the dangers of Christian Nationalism.

Andrew explained that drag shouldn’t be a concern for anyone: “Drag is art. Drag is human. Drag is beautiful.” However for religious conservatives, anything that calls into question the gender binary or the conservative Christian idea of what men ought to look like is perceived as a threat – solely because of their religious beliefs.

Please feel free to watch the video of Andrew’s address . (The drag portion begins around the 28:20 mark.) For more, please read the articles by Chrissy Stroop and Hemant Metha .

Andrew Seidel Speaks At WTAMU
In Drag To Protest And Educate

Defending the Wall of Separation: The Power of Student Advocacy

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 22:38:00 GMT

While the First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees us the freedom of, and from, religion, there have been an increasing number of incidents of high school students being forced into prayer in Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. Unfortunately, Colorado students are not immune from this growing attack on the separation of church and state. Let me share my story.

In August, my senior-year high school golf season took an unexpected turn at RainDance National Golf Course in Windsor when my team and I were there for a tournament hosted by a Christian high school. Minutes before teeing off, the host golf coach perched high on a silo, gathered all 112 players from 28 public and private schools and announced final instructions over a loudspeaker. As I turned to get my golf clubs, a school official took the loudspeaker and told all players to remove their hats and bow their heads for a prayer. I left my hat on and kept my head up during the minute-long invocation.

Fast forward to mid-September, and my team and I had qualified for the Colorado 3A State Championship, to be held at the same golf course, hosted by the same Christian school. Recognizing the potential implications of the August incident, I reached out to CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association) to voice my concerns and those of other players who were concerned with the prayer. I asked that CHSAA prohibit public prayer at the State Championship.

Initially, CHSAA denied my request, stating that the Christian school would conduct another prayer but with an option for students to exit if they chose not to participate. I argued that this public, coercive prayer was in violation of students’ Constitutional rights. In a welcome turn of events, just before the tournament, CHSAA reversed its position and informed me that there would be no prayer at the State Championship.

This victory was not just a personal one but a triumph for students across Colorado. It prevented another violation of students’ First Amendment rights and established CHSAA’s stance against coercive prayers, protecting the rights of all students in the state. The separation of church and state is an issue of immense importance for those who believe in freedom of religion. It ensures that our government remains neutral, allowing individuals to practice their beliefs or non-beliefs without interference.

I am the founder of the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) Denver high school chapter , which supports and mobilizes secular, marginalized, and students of any religion who believe that there is no freedom of religion without a government that is free from religion. I encourage other students who have faced or are facing coercive prayers to reach out to me through my SSA chapter.

CHSAA’s change of stance is a testament to the power of student advocacy and the importance of standing up for our rights. Students should be aware of their rights, especially when school administrators fail to meet their moral and legal obligations to protect their students from coercive religious practices, particularly in public schools.

The separation of church and state is not just a matter of principle; it is a safeguard that ensures freedom of religion for all. I encourage other students to join my SSA chapter and take up the mantle of defending the separation of church and state enshrined in the Constitution. Together, we can be voices for those marginalized, secular, and non-Christian students who are most affected by the rise of Christian nationalism. This fight is a collective effort, and it is one that can shape a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

“The separation of church and state means public schoolchildren and their families, not school officials, get to decide if, when, and how they pray. No child attending public school should feel they have to pray to play school sports.” Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

“Young Americans should not be pressured or coerced into praying or practicing a religion while participating in any state-sponsored event. The Colorado High School Activities Association, the State of Colorado, and the public school coaches and administrators have a responsibility to protect their students’ constitutional rights and not allow students to be forced to pray,” said Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. “Almost 50% of young people today identify as nonreligious. I applaud Luke for his courage to stand up for himself, other nonreligious students, and non-Christian students and ensure CHSAA is responsible for protecting students from religious coercion now and in the future. Of course, students have the right to pray on their own, but forced prayer is un-American and un-Constitutional.”

by Luke Fisher, a Colorado high school student

GOP Candidates Shutting Out GEN Z and Millennials in Presidential Debate

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:53:00 GMT

For two hours in the first debate, 8 Republican Presidential candidates spouted canned responses with cheers from conservative baby boomers. The evening put a glaring spotlight on just how out-of-touch the Republican party is with the future leaders of our nation. Those candidates on the debate stage pandered to a small conservative splinter of the electorate that won’t live long enough to reap the impacts of their policies. Clearly, Republican leadership seeks to completely alienate Gen Z and Millennials, who will make up half of all voters by 2028.

While 82% of Generation Z is concerned about climate change, no candidate provided a solution that would lead to immediate and necessary action.

With more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills being filed across the country this year, the GOP Presidential candidates didn’t take this opportunity to support the rights of all Americans. Instead, they supported censoring drag shows, banning gender-affirming care, and preventing trans students from participating in school activities. Gen Z is by far one of the queerest generations, with one in five Gen Z adults identifying as a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

The candidates broadly supported efforts to curtail bodily autonomy and increase restrictions on reproductive health care and abortion, with some, like Mike Pence, supporting national abortion bans after six weeks. According to Pew, 74% of 18- to 29-year-olds say abortion should be legal, galvanizing Gen Z voters to go to the voting booth and vote against GOP candidates.

Even more troubling, while the GOP continues to block any sensible firearm restrictions, nearly half of U.S. adults from 18 – 29 fear falling victim to a mass shooting. 73% support psychological exams for all gun purchases.

The candidates all mentioned God during the debate and justified marginalizing and curtailing the rights of American citizens. Generation Z is the least religious generation yet, with almost 48.5% having no religious affiliation.

Statistically, if current trends continue, over 50% of Gen Z will not identify as religious by the 2024 Presidential election.

In tonight’s California GOP debate, I encourage those vying for our country’s highest office to consider an honest attempt at connecting with younger voters. Any action short of that would be a horribly calculated and extremely short-sighted political mistake.

SSA Executive Director Kevin Bolling took to task the faltering list of GOP hopefuls trailing in the wake of a second Trump nomination.

Announcing the Appointment of New SSA Board Members

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 17:26:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance Announces the Appointment of New Board Members

The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) announced today the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Directors: Clinton Herndon (student member), Lishore Kumar (student member), Michael Bills, Olivia Fines, Ron Zakay, Stephanie McGreevy, and Wilds Ross. Andrew Seidel also joins SSA as a member of the Advocacy Committee.

Elected at the April Board meeting, these members will begin serving this month and will join the full Board along with SSA staff and SSA students from around the country for the annual SSA Conference this summer, which is being held in St. Louis on June 16-18. They join current board members Harry Shaughnessy (Chair), Ryan Bodanyi (Vice Chair), Shanti Priya (Treasurer), Jennie Frishtick (Secretary), Kristina Lee, Chinelle Ekanem, and Paul Reed; and Advocacy Committee members Sasha Sagan, Anjan Chakravartty, Rev. Barry Lynn, and Elizabeth Reiner Platt.

“We’re so excited to welcome these seven new board members who we know will be great additions to the SSA Board,” said Harry Shaughnessy, Board Chair. “Our Nominations Committee has done a fantastic job to bring a diverse group of individuals to our board with expertise in higher education, organizational strategy, compliance and law, entrepreneurship, and technology. We’re so glad to have them joining us in our work.”

“ We continue to see a growing number of nonreligious students and young people in the United States, ” said Kevin Bolling, Secular Student Alliance Executive Director. “The new board members bring a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on the work we do at SSA to support nontheistic students in schools and on campuses across the country.”

The Secular Student Alliance is welcoming the following board members:

Lishore Kumar is a high schooler from Tomball, Texas. Lishore is also a 2023 United States Youth Ambassador. Selected as one of 12 students by the U.S. Department of State, he represented his country on a tour of Latin America, where he met with national diplomats, politicians, and families to discuss how community initiatives are brought about. Lishore works as a student researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine and has had a paper published in the Harvard Medical Journal. Lishore was a recipient of the SSA’s Secular Activist scholarship in 2022.

Clinton Herndon is a military veteran and a current student at Georgia Southern University, where he is pursuing a degree in Computer Science and serves as the president of the SSA chapter. Prior to joining the military, Clinton worked at Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida, where he developed a deep commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in and outside of the workplace.

Ron Zakay is a passionate DEI advocate and a serial entrepreneur with two decades of leading, and co-founding, several early-stage startups, as well as mentoring dozens of others. His areas of focus include automation, BI, startups, and venture ecosystems. Ron often speaks as a specialist, judge, and panelist in angel groups, accelerators, and incubators. He is based in San Francisco.

Olivia Fines is an Ethics and Compliance Attorney with a passion for social justice reform and education on privilege and prejudice. Olivia received her BA in Political Science from Virginia Tech, her masters program in Government Procurement from the University of Virginia, and her law degree with a specialization in International Business Law from George Mason University School of Law.

Dr. Mike Bills has been a successful entrepreneur and has served as CEO/President in a broad set of industries, where he has founded and built growing businesses and led successful turnaround opportunities and sales. Mike currently serves as President of AtlasRTX. Mike is a graduate of Westminster College in Salt Lake City where he continues to serve on the board of trustees and currently chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. He completed his Ph.D. at Antioch University Graduate School of Leadership and Change where his research focused on higher education governance and leadership.

Wilds Ross is a renowned expert in the field of data science, analytics, and machine learning, with a track record of success in helping organizations harness the power of data to drive strategic decision-making. Over his twenty-five years of experience, he has worked with some of the leading companies in the technology and consulting sectors. He currently serves in an advisory capacity for several strategy, consulting, and technology businesses around the world.

Stephanie McGreevy studied Biology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has worked for over 20 years opening new markets in the renewable energy sector. She is an energy market specialist with over 10 years owning and managing a retail commodities brokerage managing company-wide, heavily regulated internal controls and compliance programs with accountability for auditing processes and regulatory proceedings.

Andrew Seidel , a new member of SSA’s Advocacy Committee, is Vice President of Strategic Communications for AU, an author, and an attorney who has defended the First Amendment for more than a decade. Andrew is the author of two books: The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American (2019) and American Crusade: How the Supreme Court is Weaponizing Religious Freedom (2022). A Senior Correspondent at Religion Dispatches, Andrew is a prolific author of opeds, has written several scholarly articles, has debated the utility of the Johnson Amendment, and organized and contributed to the groundbreaking report, “Christian Nationalism at the January 6, 2021, Insurrection,” which was published by the Baptist Joint Committee and the Freedom From Religion Foundation and aroused congressional interest. He’s appeared on Fox News to debate Bill O’Reilly, MSNBC, and hundreds of other media outlets. Andrew graduated cum laude from Tulane University (’04) with a B.S. in neuroscience and environmental science and magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School (’09), where he was awarded the Haber J. McCarthy Award for excellence in environmental law. After a short stint in private practice, Andrew joined the Freedom From Religion Foundation as a constitutional attorney and later Director of Strategic Response, running a nimble unit known as the Strategic Response Team and helping elevate that organization’s profile. He joined AU in March of 2022.

About the Secular Student Alliance

The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students. SSA empowers secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism.

Faith-Based Outreach: Open Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 20:07:00 GMT

Open Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Regarding Faith-Based Outreach

Hilda Solis, Holly Mitchell, Lindsay Horvath, Janice Hahn, and Kathryn Barger

Last year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved funding for a consultant to explore effective ways and solicit feedback on how faith-based organizations can complement, and perhaps replace, county services to support children and families.

While the future potential implementation of providing public funding to religious-based organizations to perform county responsibilities violates the separation of state and church, makes the county complicit with publicly-funded discrimination, opens the county to legal liability, diverts funds from vital county programs, and tramples over the freedom of religion.

Los Angeles County is one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world, including over 30 percent of citizens who are non-religious. Just through the implementation of the consultancy process, special privilege and preference was given to Christian organizations, over those from non-Christian religions and the non-religious.

To engage and solicit feedback from the diverse citizens of LA County, the consultants set up nine community listening sessions for “Faith Leaders” only at Christian churches, except for one virtual session. An additional listening session hosted at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles was added very late in the process with no further noticeable promotion to county residents. Each county-sponsored listening session started with a prayer.

There are numerous Jewish community centers, mosques, and temples that could have been used for the listening sessions to include non-Christian people. Using religiously-neutral facilities, listening sessions could have been held at public schools, public libraries, or community meeting rooms at county parks to ensure all of the county’s residents felt welcomed, invited, and included.

While the Eventbrite stated “Leaders from all faiths are welcome,” all of the originally-publicized sessions were held in Christian churches, leaving out multiple faith communities and non-religious county citizens. The text of the invitation’s non-inclusive language for non-Christian religions and nontheists, including a required field to list one’s “Faith Based Organization/House of Worship.”

During the listening sessions, representatives from conservative religious churches excitedly stated all services provided by any faith-based organization should be based on “biblical more values” and overtly challenged other Christians who stated services should be open to everyone. While there were very few representatives from non-Christian religions and nonreligious organizations, they were rebuffed and their presence at the listening sessions and participation were questioned.

Religious organizations, especially Christian organizations, have a long history of discriminating against people in non-Christian religions, non-religious people, the LGBTQ+ community, and women in providing social services.

Foster Care

Gabe and Liz Rutan-Ram, a Jewish couple, were denied foster care placement and were unable to adopt a child when a state-funded Christian agency and were subjected to outrageous and unacceptable religious discrimination because of their Jewish faith. Aimee Maddonna, a Catholic mother of three was turned away by a taxpayer-funded agency because Aimee and her family are the “wrong” kind of Christians, because they didn’t share the agency’s evangelical Protestant beliefs. Churches have also discriminated against interracial couples in adoption. The examples of religious-based organizations denying foster care services and discriminating against LGBTQ+ people are, unfortunately, numerous.

Health Care and Substance Abuse Treatment

Religious-affiliated health care centers that received HIV prevention government grants, but refused to provide or educate about condoms, or even to work with other agencies that do so; or received grants to help prevent unplanned pregnancies among adolescents, but refused to provide complete and accurate information about contraception or to acknowledge and respect same-sex relationships. Religious institutions have insisted that they be allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals in regard to employment; to ignore same-sex marriages in providing employee benefits; to fire employees who have used abortion care, contraceptives or assisted reproductive technology, or who have had sex or become pregnant outside of marriage; or even to ignore federal law preventing discrimination on the basis of disability.

Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program is based on origins from a Christian group and requires submission to a higher power. Barry A. Hazle Jr sued the state of California after being jailed for complaining about being forced to participate in a faith-based drug rehab program and settled his case for nearly $2 million. In a case involving a Buddhist, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has determined organizations must provide non-Christian-focused programs, as alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous because of its religious undertones.

Studies indicate that LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of substance abuse, when compared with the general population, and most traditional treatments do not address the specific needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite growing acceptance in the United States, almost all LGBTQ+ individuals face some level of homophobia and discrimination, often associated with religion. Requiring LGBTQ+ people, who have been discriminated against because of religion or experienced religious-based trauma, is unacceptable. In addition, some Christian-based substance abuse treatment programs do not use any research or evidence-based methodology.

Volunteer Programs

Similar to foster care, health care, and substance abuse programs, religious-based volunteer programs have a history of discriminating against people of other religions, nonreligious, and LGBTQ+ people. Some Christian-based volunteer programs require participants to take a statement of faith or include forced Christian prayer as part of the volunteer program. In addition, volunteers are not protected against discrimination and can not sue service organizations for sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation, as volunteers are excluded from Title VII.

Many religious organizations impose a religious litmus test on children and families for programs and services. Unlike public programs, religious organizations can and do discriminate in providing social services based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, race, and income. Some private religious organizations do not provide the same rights and protections based on the Civil Rights Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Threat to Religious Freedom

Religious freedom is best protected by keeping it separate from government dollars and government control. Providing public funds to religious organizations violates the fundamental principle of religious freedom because they pay for religious-based services with taxpayer funds. Tax dollars should not be used to favor one religion over another. Tax dollars should not be used to promote and fund discrimination against taxpayers.

Providing public funds to religious organizations also threatens the autonomy of religious organizations by opening them up to government audits, control, and interference. Taxpayer funds should not be used to prevent the free exercise of religion. Private religious organizations more freely exercise their religious beliefs when it is not entangled with the state. When religious organizations become dependent on government funds, there is a danger they will compromise their views to sustain the receipt of public funds.

Clearly, religious organizations in Los Angeles County are excited to have access to the billions of dollars of social services funding, but that does not mean they should. Is Los Angeles Country committed to not provide funding to religious organizations that discriminate against others? What is the administrative process and expense to vet religious organizations? As conservative religious groups become more litigious and are filing lawsuits to codify their “religious right” to discriminate against others, the County must be prepared for the increase in legal fees and willing to defend the rights of all Los Angeles County citizens.

Is Los Angeles County prepared to audit religious organizations that receive public funds? Are religious organizations, that do not file annual tax or income reporting to the government, prepared for the transparency and accountability of financial reports available to the general public?

A Viable and Prudent Way to Proceed

Rather than violating the separation of state and church and the implications that come with that, establishing partnerships with “Community-Based Organizations,” rather than “Faith-Based Organizations,” and opening the process to all legally established nonprofits working at the community level is a viable and prudent way to proceed.

Protect funding for only nonprofits that file Form 990 with secular programs to avoid religious privileging, preferencing, or discrimination. The county can provide resource guides to help faith-based organizations establish secular nonprofit organizations and outline the expectations of financial and programmatic reporting and audits. Require all county grant recipients to sign non-discrimination clauses before accepting county funding. Create explicit language about how funding can not be used for religious marketing and proselyting and how information and materials should not be intertwined with the provision of services.

Los Angeles County can be a leader in productive ways to engage with community-based organizations to expand services and better our communities. Los Angeles County can set a nationwide standard on how to collaborate with nonprofits with the support of public funds while upholding the separation of government and religion, ensuring the county enriches its diversity and the inclusion of all its residents, and supporting the freedom of, and from, religion.

West Texas University President Cancels Student Drag Show Citing Religious Beliefs

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:18:00 GMT

In an address to all students, faculty, and staff at West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show organized by several campus student clubs including members of the Secular Student Alliance. The show and its proceeds were organized to raise funds for the Trevor Project.

While President Wendler stated raising funds for the LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline was a noble effort, he falsely likened drag to blackface, claiming that the art form is misogynistic, divisive, and void of human dignity. Wendler also cited his personal religious beliefs and evoked God and Creator multiple times in his justification for canceling the fundraiser.

First and foremost, President Wendler’s personal religious beliefs and biblical references have no place in justifying the cancellation of the event. West Texas A&M University is a public institution and the wall of the separation of state and church remains standing.

Drag is not harmful. Drag is not misogynistic. Blackface is inherently racist.

Drag is all about the celebration of human dignity. Drag, probably more than any other cultural performance, exposes how much of femininity and gender overall is socially constructed. Drag is about strong, powerful, admirable female characters, and Drag disassembles an imbalance of power. President Wendlers’ religious dogma and patriarchal hegemony have no place in higher learning.

The students of West Texas A&M do not support the President’s actions and are signing a petition demanding the drag show be reinstated. “Drag is not dangerous or discriminatory, it is a celebration and expression of individuals,” said student Signe Elder on the petition. “Amidst the current climate of growing anti-trans and anti-drag rhetoric, we believe that it is important now more than ever to stand together and be heard.”

“Drag is not a mockery – it is a celebration. Drag is a celebration of many things; queerness, gender, acceptance, love, and especially femininity. To call it mockery or misogynistic is to miss the entire point of what drag is, and what drag means,” said Lauren Stovall, student president of the WT Secular Student Alliance and vice president of WT Spectrum.

In 2019, Texas lawmakers passed a law that required universities to allow any person to engage in free-speech activities on campuses. The bill states “Freedom of expression is of critical importance and requires each public institution of higher education to ensure free, robust, and uninhibited debate and deliberations by students enrolled at the institution.”

The Expressive Activity on Campus policy at West Texas A&M states “The university may not take action against a student organization or deny the organization any benefit generally available to other student organizations at the university on the basis of a political, religious, philosophical, ideological, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or of any expressive activities of the organization.”

“Not only has President Wendler violated state law and university policies, he has clearly violated the First Amendment by using his personal religious beliefs to cancel a student event at a public university. He used his religion to cause harm to LGBTQ+ students and the larger community,” said Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. “Wendler has also inserted an institution of high education into the conservative political quagmire and aligned the university with the rhetoric of far-right extremist groups.”

The Secular Student Alliance supports WT Spectrum and the LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff at West Texas A&M University. Please make a donation to the Trevor Project.

Experiences with Favoritism for Religious Student Groups?

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 16:19:00 GMT

As a result of our lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, the DOE announced that it is rescinding part of a regulation enacted by the Trump administration that forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate.

The Department of Education is inviting public comment on the proposed rule and is requesting specific examples of religious student groups discriminating against other students and religious student groups receiving special favoritism or privilege because of or based on their religion.

You can help!

If you are aware of or have experiences of religious student groups discriminating against other students or religious student groups receiving special favoritism or privilege because of or based on their religion, please share your experiences today .

Religious-based discrimination against minority religious students, nonreligious students, or LGBTQ+, women, BIPOC, etc.

Secular leaders urge Biden not to sponsor National Prayer Breakfast

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:34:00 GMT

We are strongly encouraging you not to sponsor or attend the National Prayer Breakfast . The annual event takes place in the first week of February and is framed as a large bipartisan forum for political, social, and business leaders to gather and pray together, but the reality is different.

The National Prayer Breakfast is controversial and shrouded in secrecy. It has become a nexus for religious extremism, infiltration by Russian agents, and organized bigotry (anti-LGBTQ and anti-labor). The National Prayer Breakfast is an active marketplace of Christian nationalism, and it is not the bipartisan event that it purports to be.

Every year more members of Congress walk away from the event, including Representatives Pelosi , Khanna , Kirkpatrick , and Lieu . And each year more and more negative stories and well-sourced documentaries about the event continue to surface. The event is framed as a way for all Americans to come together through prayer during times of difficulty and division – but instead, it invites division.

The Breakfast is a pay-to-play political event with a troubling history. Some of the serious issues associated with the event include:

Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is baked into the event, and it is a key driver in organizing the event. Recent stories have documented how foreign officials who join the event are inspired and further instructed to participate in virulently anti-LGBTQ campaigns. European LGBTQ groups like Forbidden Colours are objecting to this international influence.
Mike Lindell credits his rise and relationship with former President Trump to being “picked out of 12 people to pray with Ben Carson in a room [at] the National Prayer Breakfast.”
The FBI caught Maria Butina, an unregistered foreign agent with ties to Putin, using the event to illegally “back channel” with American officials who attended. Butina pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2018.
New records reveal that Franklin Graham is the primary financial backer of the event, which he admitted is meant to buy access: “They’re wanting to be able to rub elbows with somebody that they normally couldn’t rub elbows with.” Graham justified this by pointing to “the gays, they do everything they can to get their politicians into office.”
Former President Trump used the event in 2019 to promote discriminatory adoption practices: “My administration is working to insure that faith-based adoption agencies are able to help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” And his comments were met with tremendous enthusiasm .
The National Prayer Breakfast is run by the opaque Fellowship Foundation. The organization has had troubling relationships with dictators around the world such as Gen. Suharto of Indonesia, Siad Barre of Somalia, Jonas Savimbi of Angola, Artur da Costa e Silva of Brazil, Papa Doc Duvalier of Haiti and other authoritarian leaders, such as Vladamir Putin of Russia.
The Fellowship Foundation was originally founded to oppose the New Deal and crush organized labor.
The bipartisan framing of the event is, at best, insincere. One former member of the organizer admitted to a writer, “we had more influence as long as we can keep a couple Democrats in the fold.”

Members of Congress who sponsor or attend the event are inadvertently sending a message that their office endorses the event’s Christian nationalist message, which is incompatible with pluralistic religious freedom and our constitutional system of governance. Moreover, besides the issue of religious freedom, supporting the breakfast would be a blatant disregard for some of the most vulnerable communities in our country today given the event’s support for anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns.

We understand that Congressional representatives want to engage their constituents in a variety of venues. However, history has proven that this event is an attempt to bait members of Congress into inadvertently supporting Christian nationalist ideals, extremism, and bigotry. We respectfully ask you to decline any invitation to attend or sponsor the National Prayer Breakfast.

Sincerely,

American Atheists

American Humanist Association

All Souls Movement

Association of Secular Elected Officials

Auburn Theological Seminary

Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative

Black Nonbelievers

Camp Quest

Campus Pride

Center for Disability Rights

Center for Inquiry

The Clergy Project

Columbia Atheists (Columbia, MO)

Council for Global Equality

Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization

Delaware Association for Humanism

DignityUSA

Fòs Feminista

Freethought Society

The Global Justice Institute

MPact Global Action for Gay Health & Rights

God Can Ministries UCC

Humanists of Long Island

Secular Coalition for America

Secular Student Alliance

Society for Humanistic Judaism

Transgender Law Center

Community Leaders:

Rep. Sherry Dutzy, New Hampshire

Hon. Stephen Patrick Driscoll, Pembroke, Massachusetts – Member of the Executive

Committee, Massachusetts Democratic State Committee

Rev. Lori Hlaban, Beaufort, South Carolina

Rep. Lois Galgay Reckitt, Maine

Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, Chicago, Illinois

Sen. Kelda Roys, Wisconsin

Rev. Christopher H. Schaeffer, Pomfret, New York – Councilperson

Roy Speckhardt, Washington, DC – President, The Humanist Foundation

Rep. Brianna Titone, Colorado

Rep. Lynne Williams, Maine

303 Creative v. Elenis

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 19:27:00 GMT

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis , a case that stands to upend over fifty years of nondiscrimination law.

The case involves a Colorado web design company that claims it has a free speech right to deny services to customers based on its owner’s religious beliefs. In particular, the owner seeks to turn away same-sex couples requesting a wedding website. As the Law, Rights, and Religion Project wrote in the amicus brief for the case, a ruling for the business would have a devastating impact on religious minorities, and would inhibit far more religious speech and exercise than it ostensibly protects.

The amicus brief , co-authored with Muslim Advocates and Hogan Lovells, was filed on behalf of 30 faith and civil rights groups, including the Secular Student Alliance.

The Secular Student Alliance Reaches 80,000 Students At Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 20:09:00 GMT

Most Black Americans identify as Christian and are highly religious by traditional measures of belief. According to Pew Research, Black Americans remain more religious than other groups and more likely than the average American to stay in the religious tradition they were raised in.

As a result, some predicted that young Black adults would resist the moves away from faith seen among white millennials. But Black “nones” are growing. Over the last decade, the share of Black Americans who say that they have no religious affiliation has risen more dramatically than whites, Hispanics, or Asians.

To reach the growing number of Black nonreligious youth, the SSA staff initiated an extensive outreach campaign directly contacting nearly 80,000 students at public Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the county. Reaching religious and nonreligious students, the campaign intentionally focused on increasing the awareness of the growing number of nonreligious Black students and normalizing nonreligion in the Black community.

The SSA staff is diligently working with students at Alabama A&M, Albany State University, Coppin State University, Fayetteville State University, Howard University, Morgan State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Texas Southern University to start student chapters.

Starting SSA chapters will not be easy, but trying to build a nonreligious community on campus is crucial. Due to the prominence of religion, Black nonreligious people can feel especially isolated or misunderstood within Black communities. According to the US Secular Survey, Black participants were 42% more likely to always conceal their nonreligious beliefs. Being a member of a secular group has significant protective effects against adverse mental health, including loneliness and risk of depression.

Supporting students in highly religious communities is imperative, but arduous, work. You can help nonreligious Black students by making a donation to the Secular Student Alliance today at secularstudents.org/donate .

Thank you to the S tiefel Freethought Foundation for supporting the outreach initiative to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Private: Welcome Matthew Korn

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:18:00 GMT

Matthew Korn is the new national organizing manager for the Secular Student Alliance. Born in Colorado and raised in St. Louis, Matt was a resident of Austin, Texas for over 20 years before recently moving to Los Angeles. During his time in Austin, Matt was an activist in a variety of movements, including anti-death penalty,… The post Private: Welcome Matthew Korn appeared first on Secular Student Alliance.

2022 Student Activist Scholarship Recipients

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 22:09:00 GMT

We are pleased to introduce our 2022 student activist scholarship recipients.

This year’s scholarship recipients exemplify the mission of the Secular Student Alliance by proudly expressing their secular identities, building welcoming and inclusive communities, and promoting strong secular values. We know they will continue to enrich our society through their activism.

Please learn more about our scholarship recipients .

How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 22:05:00 GMT

American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom

Critically acclaimed author and constitutional attorney Andrew L. Seidel looks at some of the key Supreme Court cases over the last decade to show how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose conservative Christianity on others. His book of the same title hits shelves in September. This was of his first book talks. Seidel, who works at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been in this fight for more than a decade. The video is available at youtu.be/inKXD9ZpMuY

Secular Student Alliance Denounces SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 17:45:00 GMT

This morning, the Supreme Court’s religiously-conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federally-protected right to a safe and legal abortion. This devastating and dangerous decision takes away fundamental rights and bodily autonomy from pregnant people, and will disproportionately impact people of color, people in rural communities, people with lower income, and women. In fact, research and history have shown time and time again that limiting access to legal abortion care will only endanger more lives.

An overwhelming majority – almost 80 percent – of college students responded to a poll conducted by College Pulse, a student polling platform, that they support abortion being legal in all or most cases, representing stronger support than Americans as a whole.

The religious right has been chipping away at reproductive health rights for decades, nominating increasingly extreme GOP candidates at all levels of government, and stacking the courts to do their political bidding. This decision isn’t about upholding the constitution, it is about enshrining their religious dogma into our civil society. This decision continues to break down the wall of separation between state and church and emboldens Christian nationalism in the United States.

In the majority opinion, Justice Alito wrote that Constitution does not include the right to abortion care. This decision, which undermines Constitutional Due Process, the 14th Amendment, and the right to privacy, will create a new cause for advocates to be fearful of further attempts to undermine the legal basis for ‘unenumerated’ rights regarding sexuality, sexual behavior, and reproductive rights.

In striking down Roe v. Wade today, Clarence Thomas writes, in a concurring opinion, that the Supreme Court should reconsider Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell — the rulings that now protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.

Many young people are especially concerned about issues of equal rights, gender equity, racial justice, and abortion rights. Beyond impact at the federal level on the 2022 midterm elections, overturning Roe v. Wade may focus young voters’ attention on statewide races, since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision will mean that abortion rights are largely decided by state governments. The Secular Student Alliance encourages all students to use the power of the ballot box and voting booth in 2022, 2024, 2026, 2028, and beyond.

Truth Wanted at the University of Texas, San Antonio

Mon, 23 May 2022 18:56:00 GMT

On Friday, May 13, students from the Secular Student Alliance at the University of Texas, San Antonio hosted a live event and fundraiser at the UTSA campus with the popular Youtube show ‘Truth Wanted’ with host ObjectivelyDan . The show is about getting to the bottom of beliefs, whether it’s karma or Christ, Bigfoot or crystals and with the Atheist Community of Austin, a non-profit positive atheist culture and the separation of religion and government.

This was the first live episode for ‘Truth Wanted’ in two years! In addition to hosting the episode live, a fundraiser was held as well for UTSA SSA with a goal of $5,000, with the ACA pledging the first $500.

“The most important thing about being a member of SSA is the community. That feeling of loneliness is very very real. Especially when your community is atheist, because it is not something that is very well accepted in our society… it is something I needed, especially coming out of Christianity for so long,” said Cody Valdez, member of the UTSA SSA chapter.

There are few institutions and groups on college campuses that provide this sense of community for nonreligious students. SSA at UTSA provides students with a sense of belonging and a safe space to discuss their experiences and beliefs. Support for such groups and organizations provides much-needed resources for these students.

“ One of the goals for Truth Wanted is to give examples of how to have difficult conversations with people who hold different beliefs. Not only do I think it’s in the best interest for members of the UTSA SSA to have a chance at practicing those skills, I’m delighted that we can also raise money to further fund the activities for the group. SSA members are often religious minorities in the campuses they occupy, and I believe that in teaching these skills members can further their abilities to navigate the challenging conversations that occur in campus life”, said Dan Earles (ObjectivelyDan).

With the funds raised the UTSA SSA will be able to host events, provide resources to secular students, and grow the SSA presence at the university and in the community.

“The SSA at UTSA would like to thank the ACA, Truth Wanted, and ObjectivelyDan for choosing our organization to host the Truth Wanted LIVE event…before the pandemic, our chapter was once one of the largest most active in the U.S but, after two years of inactivity we started the semester with literally 3 people including myself so it’s been an uphill battle trying to rebuild our chapter…there were so many things we wanted to do but couldn’t because our budget didn’t allow for it. Now with $4,089 raised for the year, we are able to focus on achieving our goal s…to build membership in order to provide community and representation for nontheistic students at UTSA, but also to normalize atheism, promote secular values, give back to the community through volunteering work, and encourage activism to stand up for human rights and the separation of church & state,” said Clara Clasen, President of the UTSA SSA chapter.

Thank you to all the supporters that helped make this event possible and for supporting the UTSA SSA. They are almost at their $5,000 goal, so please consider showing your support by making a donation today .

Students and community members gathered to discuss a wide range of topics such as the importance of secular spaces, building secular communities, deconversion, and relationships.

Welcome New SSA Board Members

Thu, 12 May 2022 22:19:00 GMT

Please join us in welcoming four new members to the SSA Board of Directors.

Michelle Campbell has 17 years of experience working in education and the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Middlesex College in New Jersey. As Vice President, Michelle leads a comprehensive institutional advancement division that includes oversight of the College’s two urban satellite centers located in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, workforce development and lifelong learning, the Middlesex College Foundation, alumni relations, marketing, communications, government relations, grants, media services, the College’s print shop, the Middlesex College Early Learning Center, and events management and conference services. Prior to joining Middlesex College, Michelle served as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement at Renton Technical College in Washington State. While at RTC, she led the development of the College’s first five-year strategic plan in 10 years. Michelle holds a doctorate in education in higher education administration from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in organizational communication and management from the University of Waikato, and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University. Michelle is passionate about education and serving the community, and currently serves on several local and national boards.

Sarah Henry for Florida Representative

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 22:57:00 GMT

Sarah talked about running for office when she was in elementary school and she has always been passionate about making a difference in her community!

When student members of the Secular Student Alliance leave college, they go off to do great things. We are proud to have Sarah as an alumna of the Secular Student Alliance. Sarah also served on the SSA Board of Directors and worked for the American Humanist Association.

Sarah is now running to represent District 38 in the Florida House. Sarah says she will be a voice in Tallahassee that fights for affordable housing, investing in our students and schools, lowering costs for working families, and for the rights of women and minorities who are so often spoken over. “I’ve watched as bright young college students graduate from great local schools like UCF, Valencia, and Seminole State, but find themselves having to leave as the burdens of student loans, rising rent, low wages, and skyrocketing cost of living make it impossible to build a life here. And, as a young woman myself, I’ve watched as women have had the ability to make decisions about their own reproductive health revoked by men in Tallahassee who have been in office since before I was born.”

You can find out more about Sarah Henry at sarahforfl.com

Daniel Duncan is a non-student member and supporter of the Secular Student Alliance. Running for South Carolina House 14, Daniel said “we have to give these folks a reason to show up in November.” You can find out more about Daniel at duncanforsc .

The Secular Student Alliance is not endorsing either candidate. However, we are proud our alumni and supporters are trying to make a difference in their communities through civic engagement – one of our core values!

Direct Outreach to 1.4 Million Students

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 20:07:00 GMT

Over the past 20 months with campus closures due to the COVID 19 pandemic, many nonreligious students were forced to be at home with unsupportive religious families and communities and cut off from their other nonreligious friends. Coming out of the pandemic, the Secular Student Alliance launched a nationwide organizing campaign, reaching 1.4 million students , at many of the largest public colleges and universities in the United States.

“The SSA staff sent emails or texts to every student – religious and nonreligious – at some of the largest campuses in every state in the country,” said Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. “We intentionally wanted to help normalize nonreligion, let nonreligious students know they are many students on campus just like them, and jump-start new SSA student chapters at colleges and universities across the nation.”

The stark reality is that few public institutions are providing meaningful resources, if any, to meet the needs of the growing number of nonreligious students. The Secular Student Alliance is the only organization that provides a unique community and leadership development for nonreligious students, who face higher rates of harassment and animus than the general student population.

“Growing up all I knew of were religious student associations, I could not have even imagined that something like the SSA even existed. If I had known about the SSA in high school, when I left the church and felt all alone, it would have greatly helped me have a sense of community and the feeling that something was wrong with me. ” ~Ashley, a student member of an SSA chapter at the University of Indiana

As you know, we cannot do this without you. Thank you for your support of our mission and for helping nonreligious students in middle schools, high schools, and universities. Please continue your support at secularstudents.org/donate

The Anatomy of Prejudice

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 21:05:00 GMT

There is only one race of people on the face of the earth: the HUMAN race, of which we are all members. The solution to the problem of the ignorance about ‘race’ lies in stopping the lies.

Jane Elliott, internationally known anti-racism activist, educator, feminist, and LGBTQ activist, exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely arbitrary factors. And if you think this does not apply to you… you are in for a rude awakening.

Jane will discuss current political efforts to eliminate discussions of race and sexism in our society and erase systematic discrimination from our history books.

Many people know of Jane Elliott from her controversial and startling “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Exercise” in her classroom in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. This, now famous, exercise labeled participants as inferior or superior based solely upon the color of their eyes and exposed them to the experience of being a minority.

Everyone who is exposed to Jane Elliott’s work, be it through a lecture, workshop, or video, is dramatically affected by it.

Tuesday, April 5. RSVP today at secularstudents.org/webinars. Everyone is invited.

Court brief takes on anti-trans Indiana public school teacher

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 18:45:00 GMT

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is filing an appeals court brief on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance, in support of an Indiana school district’s actions to rein in discrimination against transgender students by a religious music teacher.

After Brownsburg High School music teacher John Kluge sought to avoid using the name of a transgender student, the school agreed he could call students by their last names only. The parent of a transgender student noted that the teacher continued to call her child “Miss,” causing her child “a lot of distress.” Other students complained regularly that the practice made them uncomfortable. The Brownsburg Community School Corporation subsequently revoked the last-name policy and the teacher brought a religious discrimination claim against the district, saying that the school system failed to accommodate him. The district court ruled in favor of the school district. Kluge has appealed to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

FFRF filed a brief before the appeals court yesterday, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance, reflecting concerns about how students are impacted by religiously-motivated conduct from teachers.

First, the brief argues that the court should consider unique aspects of the educational environment when analyzing undue hardship. The teacher’s request not to use students’ first names occurs within the context of a public education system, which has important responsibilities to students. Public school teachers have a position of power and responsibility that they need to exercise in the most proper manner. Plus, students are subject to compulsory education laws, such as mandatory school attendance.

Second, the brief maintains, schools may limit a teacher’s religiously motivated behavior in the classroom due to both pedagogical concerns and potential to harm students. It is especially problematic that the “last names” accommodation requested by the teacher would put a burden on students, rather than the employer. School districts must be careful to ensure that students feel welcome in the school environment. Employer concerns relating to relationships are especially acute when the employee has a position of authority.

Relatedly, the teacher argues that student “grumblings” are not sufficient to justify Brownsburg’s denial of his accommodation request. This type of negative reaction to an accommodation is precisely what demonstrates the burden placed on students, since students have complained numerous times about how he was treating them. Brownsburg has legitimate pedagogical concerns, as well as concerns for the potential harm to students with his requested accommodation, FFRF underscores. These aren’t theoretical concern: The teacher’s use of last names has harmed students and caused distress, to the point where a student felt singled out, dropped out of orchestra and transferred out of the high school altogether.

“Public schools, and their teachers, hold a unique role in our society,” FFRF’s brief concludes. “Students themselves are mandated by law to attend and are placed under the authority of a teacher, whom school officials have an interest in regulating to achieve the school’s educational mission.”

That’s why, FFRF contends, the judgment of the district court should be affirmed.

SSA Freethought Backbone Awardee and Atheist Icon, Bobby Kirkhart Died

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:47:00 GMT

Bobbie Kirkhart died on October 31, 2021, in her home in Los Angeles, CA. She was 78 years old.

For nearly four decades, Bobbie was a fixture in atheist movement building. She served as President of both Atheist Alliance International and Atheists United, served on the board of Camp Quest and the advisory board for Humanist Association of Nepal, helped form the Secular Coalition for America, and was an informal advisor and mentor to dozens of freethought leaders.

In 2013, the Secular Student Alliance gave Bobbie the Freethought Backbone Award , to recognize a lifetime of service and secular activism.

In 2009, she purchased and opened up her century-old Victorian home, known as Heretic House, to speakers and local groups, giving atheists and progressive organizers a dependable and rent-free meeting space. Hundreds of fundraisers, parties, choir rehearsals, jam-sessions, board retreats, recovery meetings, and volunteer events have called Heretic House home over the last decade while dozens of well-known speakers and activists have crashed for a few nights at a time.

If you’d like to make a donation in Bobbie’s honor, the family recommended three charities that were deeply close to Bobbie’s heart: the Secular Student Alliance , Camp Quest , and Atheist United .

Let us all take time to celebrate the life of Bobbie Kirkhart, remember her numerous accomplishments, and recognize the amazing legacy she leaves on the secular movement. Bobbie was a trailblazing woman who “got stuff done,” an intergenerational activist at the local, national and international level, and a mentor for so many in the secular movement. I am honored to have spent time with Bobbie and the special environment she created at the Heretic House to promote and advance the positive values of humanity. Through the Secular Student Alliance, we hope to amplify the small acts of our students – as Bobbie would say “for these are the acts that change the world.”

– Kevin Bolling, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance

Secular Student Alliance v. U.S. Department of Education

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 23:06:00 GMT

On August 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it is reviewing and anticipates rescinding parts of a regulation enacted by the Trump administration that, among other things, forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate.

American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State , who are challenging this provision in federal court on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance and a California university student, welcomed the department’s intent to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and begin the process of rescinding the rule. In light of this development, the organizations and the department agreed to ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stay the lawsuit to give the department time to rescind its regulation.

Richard B. Katskee, vice president and legal director of Americans United: “We applaud the Department of Education for its willingness to reconsider this harmful regulation, and for sending the message to colleges, universities and their students that this wrong may soon be righted. We anticipate that the Biden administration will agree with us that discrimination has no place in our public colleges and universities – even if religion is used to justify it.”

Alison Gill, vice president for legal and policy at American Atheists: “No college should ever face the threat of losing federal dollars for refusing to fund discrimination. Nor should religious student groups receive special privileges to discriminate. We welcome the Biden Administration’s movement toward rescinding these unconscionable regulations. Now more than ever, colleges should fully implement their nondiscrimination policies in order to create a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students.”

Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Student Secular Alliance: “Nondiscrimination policies help ensure all students in the campus community are protected and provide a positive educational environment. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Education’s willingness to hear real-life examples of how LGBTQ+, nonreligious, and minority-religious students are already being negatively impacted on campus by this discriminatory rule. We also appreciate the U.S. Department of Education’s statement that it is reviewing DeVos’ regulation for rescission. No student should be forced to pay to be discriminated against.”

Case Background:

Americans United and American Atheists filed Secular Student Alliance v. U.S. Department of Education on Jan. 19, 2021, the final day of the Trump administration.

The lawsuit challenges a rule enacted by the Trump administration in November 2020 that requires public colleges and universities to exempt religious student clubs from nondiscrimination requirements that apply to all other student clubs that are officially recognized by the colleges and funded by activity fees paid by all students. The rule gives religious student clubs the absolute right to use religion to discriminate while still receiving official university recognition and funding. The rule thus undermines the nondiscrimination policies that many colleges and universities have enacted to ensure that clubs don’t reject students from membership or leadership positions on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristics. Students who are LGBTQ, religious minorities, or nonreligious will especially be harmed by this rule.

The lawsuit argues that former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had no authority to issue this rule, ignored the harms that the rule will cause to students and their colleges and universities, and imposed requirements that directly conflict with the U.S. Constitution as well as statutory nondiscrimination laws.

A copy of the complaint in Secular Student Alliance v. U.S. Department of Education is available here.

The Discrimination of Kappa Sigma

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:14:00 GMT

By Christopher Hood

Christopher Hood is the President of the Secular Student Alliance at the University of North Georgia. Last October, Chris took a pledge to join the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Shortly after, he was removed from the fraternity because he is an atheist and would not profess that he believed in God. Christopher sought remedy for the situation by seeking out support from the University of North Georgia and from the Kappa Sigma National Fraternity, neither of which was able to provide recourse for the discrimination he faced. Christopher was kicked out of his fraternity because he is nonreligious, he is sharing his story with the Secular Student Alliance in the hopes to create a future for secular students that is free from all forms of discrimination.

On October 1, 2020, I pledged the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of North Georgia. I was excited to be pledging alongside my best friend, and earliest friend from college. My father was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, so upon initiation, I would have become a legacy member. Instead, forty days after pledging to the Kappa Sigma fraternity, I was relieved of my pledge duties. The reason being, I am an atheist.

Four days prior to being relieved from the Fraternity, two pledge-brothers of mine told me I was being blackballed due explicitly to my atheism.

The fraternity insisted I was blackballed for passive-aggressiveness and flippancy for tradition, but the Brother’s actions demonstrate how atheism was the true reason. What were my demonstrations of flippancy and pattern of passive-aggressiveness? This happened five months ago and I haven’t been told.

Two weeks prior to being blackballed, the Fraternity held a pledge chapter meeting at which the Brothers asked pledgees, “Who would you blackball?” The object wasn’t to stir animosity, nor to cut anyone. Their point was brothers must be able to call out each other’s discrepancies. I was never confronted and told I needed to stop acting in a certain manner or that I needed to take things more seriously. Instead, I received an ultimatum.

Following this meeting, two of my pledge brothers approached me to tell me, “Man, you’re getting put up for blackball due to the atheism shit.” My pledge Brothers demanded that I leave the Secular Student Alliance. I refused to step down from my presidency over this discriminatory matter. They then asked me to quit pledgeship, which I also refused. Four days later, I was officially removed from the organization without recourse.

Kappa Sigma is unofficially a Christian fraternity.

Per the Bononia Docet (Bologna Teaches, the fraternity’s textbook) one must believe in a higher power, not necessarily Yahweh, yet still, profess belief in God.

At the first pledge chapter, pledgees learn the Star and Crescent,

“The Star and Crescent shall not be worn by every man, but only by him who is worthy to wear it. He must be a gentleman, a man of honor and courage, a man of zeal, yet humble, an intelligent man, a man of truth, one who tempers action with wisdom and, above all else, one who walks in the light of God.”

I am being discriminated against because of the last line. In 1982, reported by the New York Times , Kappa Sigma revoked the charter of the Stanford chapter after they omitted God from their ritual. The Brothers of Stanford argued that making people profess a belief in a God they don’t believe in doesn’t make them better men.

The message was… obfuscated. Kappa Sigma doesn’t require Brothers to believe in God but will countermand their membership if they don’t profess belief in God. The Ritual Book (Page 49) of Kappa Sigma is clearer. During initiation, one must state, “That I will not assist at | the Initiation or Pledging | of a boy under fourteen, | an atheist, or a fool, | I knowing him to be such.”

If this is the tradition I have no respect for, I’m guilty. If this isn’t the tradition I was blackballed for, then I ask two questions: Which tradition was it? How do they pick and choose which traditions to follow?

My father was a Kap Sig in college. After getting the bid, I didn’t want to let him down. The night I got the bid, I texted him about it, and he excitedly replied, “AEKDB Brother.” Six weeks later, I texted him that I was blackballed because I’m not a Christian. I was embarrassed when he said he agreed with their decision.

An hour after the ultimatum, I met a Brother and asked if the blackball was happening. He pulled me aside and said I had to understand the fraternity was founded on certain values. When I said I had no issue with the Star and Crescent or the Ritual, he told me something to the effect of, “Yeah, but that’s not good enough.”

After that, my pledge Brothers ceased talking to me. My messages were ignored. I texted our chapter’s president and the master of ceremonies that weekend, “Am I still a part of this pledgeship?” The president never replied, and the latter was unsurprised by me asking and rhetorically replied, “Have I told you otherwise?” Showing no curiosity why I asked.

The following night, I was pulled aside and the president and another Brother informed me that I was relieved of my pledge duties. What shocked me the most was when they told me that it was a unanimous vote. I could hardly believe it, I thought of the Brothers who I was friends with. I thought of the Brothers that I drove home from parties. As a pledge, you are not allowed to drink alcohol, making pledges the perfect DDs. Did they really decide to kick me out?

I was warned weeks before this could happen. A Brother cautioned me. He asked about my involvement with the SSA and my father’s membership. When I confirmed I’m atheist, he asked if my father told me a thing or two about the fraternity.

The day after the ultimatum, I emailed an administrator of fraternity life, asking if fraternities are entitled to choose members based on their religion. She replied they are not allowed to discriminate in membership based on religion. She told the president of the chapter to reach out to me and explain the rationale behind the decision. He never did.

We spent weeks talking about this before I officially filed a grievance with the Dean’s office. I had no physical evidence and no one to take my side. My ex-pledge Brothers never stood up for me.

Despite me sharing evidence that Kappa Sigma is prejudiced against non-religious people, they dismissed the sources since they didn’t directly state I was blackballed for being an atheist. The fact that two people familiar with the issue came to me and told me I was going to be blackballed for my atheism was dismissed because they were pledgees. The chapter president even admitted they had done this but said it was a miscommunication. It became my word vs theirs.

After the semester ended, the Dean’s office determined there wasn’t enough evidence to move forward.

To prove it, I had to have a conversation with the president or another brother, all of whom refused to talk to me. Remembering that the Greek life administrator had told the chapter’s president to reach out to me, I emailed her about his shortcomings. Frustrated, the administrator decided to facilitate the meeting.

Days went past without a word. I then received an email from an assistant of the Dean’s office saying this meeting won’t happen. The previous administrator sent me an email apologizing, seemingly reprimanded for wanting to make sure the meeting happened. The chapter’s president dodged what the school asked of him.

I emailed the alumni advisor of the chapter, hoping he would help correct this discriminatory practice. After two weeks, the advisor replied, simultaneously denying accountability and culpability. He reasoned there’s no policy stating Brothers must share decisions with him. Then said, if they decided I wasn’t a good fit for the organization, then it was for “reasons other than the one <I> was speculating about.” His chapter was just off a suspension for hazing charges, but he’s confident that they wouldn’t break the rules.

I lost many friendships. One of my ex-pledge-brothers had been my friend for years. In December, I attempted to bury the hatchet and reached out to my former pledge brothers. They ignored me.

I was asked to convert to their religion and leave the Secular Student Alliance or be blackballed from Kappa Sigma. Upon refusal, I was blackballed by Kappa Sigma.

I am the president of the Secular Student Alliance chapter at my university. I will continue to fight for the freedom of and from religion for all students. You cannot choose what you believe in. It is impossible for me to believe in God any more than it is impossible for me to believe I can fly. No chapter of Kappa Sigma should be allowed to discriminate based on religion.

Lawsuit to Overturn Department of Education Regulation that Forces Universities to Fund Discrimination by Student Groups

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 21:40:00 GMT

Today, the national civil rights organizations American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance and a California university student, filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s Department of Education to challenge a recently published regulation that forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate.

“The Trump Administration is forcing colleges to choose between protecting students and losing federal funding, or allowing discrimination against students in order to keep federal financial assistance. That is unfair, unlawful, and just plain wrong. Discrimination has no place in our public colleges and universities,” said Richard B. Katskee, Vice President and Legal Director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Discriminating against any students in the name of religion jeopardizes religious freedom for all students.”

The new rule requires public colleges and universities to exempt religious student clubs from nondiscrimination provisions that apply to all other student clubs that are officially recognized by the colleges and funded by activity fees paid by all students. The rule undermines the nondiscrimination policies that many colleges and universities have enacted to ensure that clubs don’t reject students from membership or leadership positions on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristics.

The lawsuit argues that former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had no authority to issue this rule, ignored the harms the rule will cause to students and their colleges and universities, and imposed requirements that directly conflict with the U.S. Constitution as well as statutory nondiscrimination laws. The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to invalidate the new rule, which went into effect on November 23, 2020.

“This unlawful rule was part of the Trump Administration’s campaign to pander to Christian nationalists and weaponize religious freedom to justify discrimination,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “Freedom of religion is a fundamental American value that protects everyone’s right to their beliefs, as long as they don’t harm others. It does not give people or organizations the right to ignore civil rights protections and discriminate.”

American Atheists and Americans United are suing on behalf of Declan Galli, an LGBTQ sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, as well as the national nonreligious student organization the Secular Student Alliance.

“I fear for my safety and the safety and mental health of my fellow students,” said Galli, an Episcopalian, who is a member of the Cal Poly Transgender and Queer Student Union and works as a student assistant at the university’s Student Diversity and Belonging office. “If colleges now have to promote student organizations that discriminate, it’s hard to believe the campus can keep us safe.”

“This isn’t a hypothetical situation. Last year, a professor and a dozen students rallied on campus, shouting that being gay is a sin. This Department of Education regulation allows these same students to start a group that would discriminate against me while still receiving funding from the fees I’m required to pay,” added Galli.

“No students should ever be forced to subsidize clubs that discriminate against them. Students who are LGBTQ, religious minorities, nonreligious, or otherwise marginalized will especially be harmed by this rule,” said Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Student Secular Alliance, the largest nonreligious student organization, with over 300 chapters in colleges and high schools across the country.

“Students who experience discrimination are more likely to have negative attitudes about school, lower academic motivation and performance, increased risk of dropping out of school, and increased negative physical and mental health. Allowing prejudice on campus too often leads to increased bullying, discrimination, and harassment,” he warned.

SSA president at Vanderbilt joins first Cohort of Interfaith Fellows

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:59:00 GMT

Helena Robertson, president of the Secular Student Alliance at Vanderbilt University, is one of six student leaders invited to join the first Cohort of Interfaith Fellows, sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the Office of Religious Life.

The fellows will meet (virtually) weekly to discuss issues of peace, justice, religion and how to engage with people of diverse identities and backgrounds.

Kayley Rettberg: Shaping her life and career with secular values

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 13:54:00 GMT

Growing up, Kayley’s family identified as “Chreasters,” going to Catholic Church on Christmas and Easter. When she started weekly religion classes in second grade, she said, “I always felt the most judged in the Church, the very same space where I was told to let God do the judging.” That disconnect in values led her to opt-out of Confirmation in eighth grade. She had reservations about institutionalized religion, but it was not until college that she really investigated her secularism.

In undergrad, Kayley was a member of both the Secular Student Alliance (and later, the president of her SSA chapter) and Interfaith. Through her involvement with both groups, Kayley began developing her worldview. Around her junior year, Kayley started to identify as a secular humanist, realizing what she believed in was humanity.

Being involved in her SSA was very important to Kayley. “I knew I believed in secular values since I was in eighth grade, but never really had a community of secular people to talk to. Finding SSA helped me gain that community, share my story, and hear the stories of other secular people. It was really empowering for me to see how SSA can build that community, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m so proud to be our campus chapter’s president.”

Like many SSA leaders, Kayley was drawn to her campus chapter for the opportunity to be in community with like-minded individuals. SSA chapters also provide a space for students to develop and express their values in the world. SSA’s commitment to social justice was extremely important to Kayley. “I think that the secular movement is the perfect place for this commitment [to social justice],” she said, “and I try to live it out both with my school’s chapter, and in other areas of my life as well.” Kayley was also the Senior Class President, President of the Hiking Club, a captain of the Ethics Bowl Team, and a student leader for Alternative Spring Break.

Kayley was named 2019 Student Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Awards are presented to one senior from each of Illinois’ four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities and community colleges, who demonstrate excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. Kayley said, “I feel extremely proud and grateful to have been chosen and to be an IWU Student Laureate. Additionally, think that it comes with the responsibility to continually live out my life and career with integrity, compassion, and dignity.”

In early August, Illinois Wesleyan University held its graduation ceremony. As Class of 2020 President, Kayley was a featured speaker and told her classmates, “We must work together to come up with and to actualize creative solutions to all of the world’s problems. Fortunately, our time at Wesleyan has placed us in the position to be the thinkers that our world so desperately needs.”

Kayley continued, “Many of us are embarking on journeys that, six months ago, we never would’ve even thought of. With that, there comes fear, sadness, and some instability. But regardless, I firmly believe that each of us has the ability to prevail. We will find what we are passionate about, we will fight hard for it, and we will all land on our feet. And, we won’t do it alone, because our time at Wesleyan has brought us incredible friendships and incredible bonds that will never let us sink. They’re irreplaceable.”

For the upcoming fall, Kayley is attending the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, where she is a Sturm Scholar. Her studies will focus on the intersection of criminal and constitutional law, participating in both criminal defense and civil rights law clinical experiences. Over graduation in 2023, she hopes to do criminal defense work, particularly post-conviction litigation.

“As a secular person, I believe that we have a duty to one another. A duty to treat each other with dignity, respect, and with the propensity to change, because we are connected by our shared humanity, not a God. Our humanity is worthy of respect regardless of who we are or what we have done.”

As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we have been presented with a gracious opportunity for your donations to be even more impactful for our students. Phil Ferguson and Polaris Financial Planning will match new or increased monthly donations to the Secular Student Alliance to total $20,000. When you make a new monthly donation or increase a current monthly donation, Phil will match it dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.

Please visit secularstudents.org/phil to make a monthly donation or increase your current monthly donation now. On behalf of our students, thank you for making an investment in secular students today for a more secular future!

How to Make an Impact in Politics

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 22:14:00 GMT

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

4pm (pacific) Register Here

Join us for this exciting and informative training on how to successfully advocate for secularism in politics. Sarah Levin is a political strategist and veteran lobbyist. Formerly with Secular Coalition for America, Sarah is the founder of Secular Strategies.

SSA Debuts Presidential Debate Scorecord

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 23:54:00 GMT

How closely do your values align with the two candidates for President of the United States?

Use our Presidential Debate Scorecard as you watch the first debate on September 29. Begin by indicating to what degree you agree or disagree with a list of values statements. Then, as you listen to the debate, mark where the candidates stand on these issues. By the end you should know which candidate mostly closely aligns with your values.

Download a PDF of the scorecard here .

Host Your Own Virtual Ask An Atheist Day This Thursday

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 17:12:00 GMT

Ask An Atheist Day is an opportunity for secular groups across the country to work together to defeat stereotypes about atheism and encourage courteous dialogue between believers and nonbelievers alike. The day is intended to be an opportunity for the general public—particularly people of faith—to approach non-theists and ask questions about secular life.

Use social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Invite your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followers to ask you questions about your atheism and solicit respectful dialogue. Feel free to use the hashtag #askanatheist and tag @secularstudents. More information and resources are available at secularstudents.org/askanatheistday

The world needs more secular students

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:49:00 GMT

Graduation is an important milestone and benchmark of achievement for all students. The class of 2020 enters an increasingly connected and complicated world, in which the values of compassion, equality, and justice are needed more than ever. Our atheist, humanist, and nonreligious graduating students have a unique opportunity to create the future they want to see.

With high schools, colleges, and universities closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic this spring, many students were not able to experience the graduation ceremonies they had been looking forward to for years. The Secular Student Alliance was honored to host a virtual graduation for secular students across the country.

Please enjoy our graduation ceremony and help celebrate our graduates.

Because this is a public video, we have removed some of the students from the live broadcast (per their request). Many of our students come from religious households and may not be able to be completely open about their non-religion at this point in their lives.

Actor John de Lancie shared a stirring commencement address for our students recalling how previous generations found the courage to confront world-changing challenges and a culture of inequality, unsustainable consumption, and rampant magical thinking.

John urges our students to seize this opportunity to transform their communities based on facts, truth, and caring. As the future generation, they must harness their collective power and creativity to organize, solve problems, and vote.

John challenged our students to defy “the forces of bigotry, ignorance, and fear” and “Surprise them. Be smart. Be strategic. Be secular. The world needs you.”

Our atheist, humanist, and nonreligious students are the future community leaders and politicians in our country. Please make an investment in a more secular future by making a donation today.

Secular Student Alliance to Hold Virtual Graduation Celebration

Mon, 11 May 2020 17:39:00 GMT

This article originally appeared in The Humanist (May 8, 2020).

Nationwide, students who have worked incredibly hard are not getting the graduation ceremony they deserve and expect. A major rite of passage for many young people has simply been erased by the public health crisis.

In response, the Secular Student Alliance is organizing a virtual graduation celebration for our students and their families and friends. The graduation ceremony will feature a commencement speech by atheist/humanist activist and actor John de Lancie (best known for his role as Q on Start Trek: The Next Generation), as well as reflections from some of our student leaders, congratulations from secular leaders, and the naming of our student graduates and their accomplishments.

Right now we’re in the process of sending caps, tassels, and honor cords to all graduates who request them. Some students already have regalia from their college or university, but a surprising number do not. During the event, as we call their names, photos of the graduates wearing their regalia will be displayed on the screen along with their accomplishments. The regalia, along with a certificate each graduate will receive at the conclusion of the event, will help them remember this time and look back on their graduation with fondness, even if it’s tinged with some sadness.

We know this celebration doesn’t replace their official in-person graduation ceremony, but we want them to know that we’re proud of them and give the secular community a moment to pause and celebrate.

The event will take place via Zoom on Saturday, May 30, starting at 5pm ET and will be broadcast live via Facebook and YouTube. Everyone is invited to attend. We also welcome all students who planned to walk in their graduation in 2020 to join us. You don’t need to have been involved with SSA prior to this. We want to celebrate you!

Closed captioning and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided. All the information about how to participate, either as a graduate or a guest, is at the Secular Student Alliance website at secularstudents.org/graduation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down. Nowhere is this more true than on college campuses. Seven weeks ago, colleges and universities began to close down in compliance with state and federal advice to stay at home and avoid spreading the novel coronavirus that has become the central feature of our lives.

At the Secular Student Alliance, we immediately began retooling to meet our students’ needs. It didn’t take long for us to realize that not being able to go to class in person and the fear of getting sick was only the beginning of the challenges facing our students. There was real grief about the sudden truncation of their college career. The president of the Secular Student Alliance at University of Texas Arlington, Charlee Vance, captured the feeling perfectly when she wrote on Facebook:

And just like that I went to my last class, last meeting of the student group I started two years ago, last time on campus as an undergrad and I had no idea.

Secular students testify against “right to discriminate” law in Missouri

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 23:42:00 GMT

On January 8, Hannah Kelly introduced House Bill 1926 in the State of Missouri. If passed Missouri would join thirteen states who have passed what American Atheists describe as campus “license to discriminate laws.” States with existing laws include; Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Religious student organizations would be allowed to bar leadership roles based on student’s compliance with the association’s sincere religious practice requirements.

The bill is concerned with religious student organizations and their leaders. The bill establishes legal recourse if a religious student organization decides to remove a member of leadership for their failure to “comply with the association’s sincere religious standards of conduct, or be committed to furthering the association’s religious missions as such beliefs, requirements, standards, or missions are defined by the association or religion upon which the association is based.”

With the support of American Atheists, PROMO, and the ACLU two brave Secular Student Alliance students, Dalton McCart and Abilene Mosher, testified* in front of the Special Committee for Career Readiness in opposition to HB 1926.

Dalton testified that:

Here at the Secular Student Alliance, we will continue to work to support our students as they challenge unfair attacks on the separation of religion and government.

* View Dalton and Abilene’s testimony here (Dalton starts at 1:56:45 and Abilene at 2:16:30)

“Though this bill may read as if it is proposing equal rights for groups to express their sincerely held beliefs, it does not bring religious student organizations into equal standing with other groups—both already receive equal benefits. Rather, HB 1926 will give religious campus organizations the special privilege to discriminate. Indeed, this has already been demonstrated by the Supreme Court’s ruling (Christian Legal Society v Martinez, 2010) that “all-comer” policies are viewpoint neutral. That is, these groups will only gain special rights to break university policy and support a harmful university culture.”

L to R: Samati Niyomchai with PROMO, Dalton McCart and Abilene Mosher with SSA, and Chad McLaurin with Secularus

Utah State kicks off ‘Much Better Sex’ tour

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 23:54:00 GMT

‘Much Better Sex’ is traveling to five universities this spring, beginning with Utah State University, on February 28 (RSVP). Sponsored by the Secular Student Alliance, the program will address questions such as:

~ What does science say about sexual satisfaction? Sexual “normality”?

~ Which common beliefs about sex aren’t true?

~ Can you really reduce performance anxiety?

~ Is there such a thing as too much porn?

~ What if you’re concerned about your sexual fantasies?

The program’s presenter is sex therapist and award-winning author of Sexual Intelligence and several other books, Dr. Marty Klein. Dr. Klein has lectured at over 100 colleges, and has trained professionals in some 40 countries. A vocal advocate for sexual satisfaction and self-acceptance, he’s known as a thought-provoking entertaining, down-to-earth speaker.

The full schedule is as follows:

February 28 Utah State University

March 2 University of Texas at Dallas

March 3 University of Texas Arlington

April 2 Missouri State University

April 7 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

So why “Much Better Sex”? Why not “Great Sex” or “Best Sex Ever?”

“This is part of the problem everyone faces today,” says Klein. “Promising people the greatest sex in the world when they can’t even say what they want is unrealistic. Promising people sexual paradise when they think that means endless orgasms is pointless. I’m here at [name of college] to help people have better sex—more pleasure, more connection, more safety, zero physical pain.”

And how does Klein do that? “A combination of science, simple communication techniques, and the truth about what people really want from sex. One of the reasons many students drink so much before sex is because they feel pressure to make it perfect, or because they’re doing things they don’t really want to do.”

“I want to dramatically reduce the performance pressure people feel around sex,” says Klein. And help people say ‘no’ to stuff they don’t want—without feeling guilty or boring.”

Based in Silicon Valley, California, Klein has spent many years discussing sex frankly with women, men, and couples. He’s given two Congressional briefings about sex education, and periodically testifies in court. “I’m looking forward to coming to [name of college] with some up-to-date information and some new ideas about making sex better,” he says.

Concerned about your turn-ons? Your fantasies? Want to make better sexual decisions? Want to talk with your boyfriend or girlfriend about sex, but don’t know how? Want a hookup that’s actually enjoyable?

Get all your sex questions answered—even the ones you’re embarrassed to ask. Join sex therapist and award-winning author Dr. Marty Klein for new ideas and solid information about the most important sexual questions—including yours.

Student leader receives prestigious academic award

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 19:33:00 GMT

When I asked Kayley what this honor meant to her she said, “I feel extremely proud and grateful to have been chosen and to be an IWU Student Laureate. Additionally, think that it comes with the responsibility to continually live out my life and career with integrity, compassion, and dignity.”

In addition to all of her academic achievements, Kayley has been the president of her Secular Student Alliance chapter this year. She discovered the chapter in her Junior year and said it quickly became very important to her.

“I’ve identified as secular since I was in eighth grade, but never really had a community of secular people to talk to. Finding SSA helped me gain that community, share my story, and hear the stories of other secular people. It was really empowering for me to see how SSA can build that community, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m so proud to be our campus chapter’s president.”

Kayley is also involved with the Interfaith group on her campus, which brings together people of all faiths and worldviews to engage in discussion and learn about one another. “It has been really exciting to engage SSA and other secular students in these conversations,” she told me.

Like many SSA leaders, they are drawn to their campus chapter for the opportunity to be in community with likeminded individuals. SSA chapters also provide a space for students to develop and express their values in the world, in the context of a supportive secular community. Kayley’s experience reflects this as well. She told me that SSA’s commitment to social justice is extremely important to her. “I think that the secular movement is the perfect place for this commitment [to social justice],” she said, “and I try to live it out both with my school’s chapter, and in other areas of my life as well.”

Kayley is also the Senior Class President, President of the Hiking Club, a captain of the Ethics Bowl Team, and a student leader for Alternative Spring Break. After graduation, Kayley plans to attend law school, with a long-term goal of earning her Ph.D. in Philosophy and becoming a professor.

Illinois Wesleyan senior, Kayley Rettberg, was recently named 2019 Student Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. According to Illinois Wesleyan University’s website , the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Awards are presented to one senior from each of Illinois’ four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities and community colleges, who demonstrate excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.

Secular Students Are Leading the Way (The Humanist, Sept/Oct 2019)

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 18:08:00 GMT

The cover story of The Humanist (Sept/Oct 2019) is about the Secular Student Alliance. We excerpt a portion here. Read the story in it’s entirety at TheHumanist.com .

_________

I learned that Sophia was raised in the Northeast of the United States in a Catholic family. Though the family was religious and Sophia grew up going to church, they didn’t attend every week, and, like many American Catholics, they weren’t strictly observant of the church’s teachings. As a result Sophia never felt compelled to attend church as she grew up. When her personal choices conflicted with archaic church teaching, she felt no qualms about going her own way. When she got to USC, she was excited about the remarkable opportunities at her fingertips but struggled, as many do, to find her group and fit in. One day someone suggested she might like to attend one of the SSF meetings. What she found was a group of thoughtful, open-minded, generous students who were having the conversations that she most wanted to have. Sophia joined SSF not because she was especially frustrated with religion, but because she had found a group of people who cared about the things she cared about and who were engaged in exploring the values and the life choices they each wanted to make.

Noah is another student I’ve had the privilege of working with. He’s a junior at Jacksonville State University in Alabama and has been a leader in his SSA chapter for the past three years. Noah grew up in a Southern Baptist household not far from where he attends school. At some point during middle school, when a few of his friends started coming out as gay or lesbian, he wrestled with his church’s teaching that his friends were destined for eternal damnation. After a long struggle, he finally decided he could no longer be a Christian.

Noah has been instrumental in putting on an annual drag show to raise funds for The Magic City Acceptance Center in Birmingham. “There are few places in the US where it is harder to be a LGBTQ youth,” Noah told me recently. “Our club sees the need. We help and support queer students on campus and are listed by the university as an LGBTQ resource.” For this and other examples of courageous leadership, Noah was recently awarded the 2019 SSA Distinguished Leadership Award.

Secular students are as different from each other as you would expect of any subpopulation of students. Some are passionate firebrand atheists, others are curious agnostics, others are powerful activists, and still others are compassionate community builders. Most are some combination of these, and more. But regardless of the variety, one thing is clear: the number of high school and college-aged young people who do not adhere to any religion is growing quickly. According to a 2016 study by the DC-based Public Religion Research Institute, 39 percent of Americans aged eighteen to twenty-nine are “nones.”

Keep reading …

IN MY CAPACITY as the national organizing manager for the Secular Student Alliance, I’ve had the opportunity to meet thousands of students across the country who eschew religious belief or a religious identity but who are seeking like minds and a sense of community.

I first met Sophia (a pseudonym used at her request) at “Sunday Dinner,” the bi-weekly meal that the Secular Student Fellowship (SSF) hosts at the University of Southern California during the academic year. SSF is the USC chapter of the Secular Student Alliance (SSA). They typically have a topic for table discussions and a homecooked vegan meal that is open to everyone. Toward the beginning of the semester the room reaches its capacity with as many as fifty students in attendance. After meeting her briefly at two or three dinners, I invited Sophia to get coffee with me so I could learn more about her story and see what made the Secular Student Fellowship a place she wanted to be.

2019 SSA scholarship application now open!

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance is pleased to offer a growing number of scholarships this year.

SSA Student Activist Scholarships
Several $3,000 scholarships are available this year, up from $2500 because of special donation. We continue to offer several $1,000 scholarships as well. One of the $1,000 scholarships is reserved for a secular student attending an Historically Black College or University.

Florida Humanist Association Scholarships
The Florida Humanist Association (FHA) is awarding two $1,000 scholarships to secular students enrolled full-time in a college or university within the state of Florida. Applications for the FHA scholarships will be evaluated by a small panel from SSA and FHA.

Humanists of Sarasota Bay
The Humanists of Sarasota Bay, Florida, is offering one $2000 scholarship to students from the Sarasota, Tampa, and Fr. Myers areas of Florida.

Secular High School Student in California
Additionally, we are offering one $1,000 scholarship exclusively to secular high school students in California.

To qualify: You must be an SSA Student Member , currently enrolled full-time in a United States high school, college, or university and apply by midnight (PST) August 31st, 2019 .

SSA student stands up for goodness without God

Tue, 28 May 2019 18:06:00 GMT

A lively exchange about moral philosophy took place in the Missouri State University newspaper, The Standard, last month, where SSA student, Dalton McCart stood up for ethical atheism in a letter to the editor.

Now, I want to look at what I believe is the origin of subjectivism.

I think it began when God was cut out of modern society. If space, time, matter and energy came from nothing, if life came from non-life, and if human beings are but chemical results of random chance and processes, then of course morality does not exist. And along with it goes value and purpose.

If God does not exist, human beings are meat robots. Human beings are a collection of matter and chemical processes. There is no value or meaning in atoms. There is no value or meaning in a chemical reaction. If atheism is true, so is subjective morality, followed by nihilism.

The claim, that atheism leads to moral nihilism is not new, and if you’ve been an atheist or a non-theist for any length of time, you’ve probably encountered it.

As the incoming president of the SSA chapter at Missouri State, Dalton McCart was not going to take this lying down. He decided to write a letter to the editor entitled, “It’s OK to be good without God,” sharing his perspective as an atheist who has spent considerable time pondering these questions. McCart begins with the Euthyphro Dilemma, writing

The Euthyphro Dilemma is an old question that asks about the root of good in the universe. The E.D. asks if god(s) commands what is morally good because it is morally good, or is it morally good because god(s) commands it? This boils down to if morality is entirely based on god’s religious authority then it is within god’s ability to turn evil into good and it would be objectively good. For example, if god declares that murder is good, it would then be the only moral option to murder. To refuse to do so would make the offender immoral. This means morality is based on god’s whim and therefore arbitrary, not eternal and unchanging. The other side is morality is fixed and in that case god’s authority must agree with what is good or god is not moral.

He concludes by noting that “it is reasonable for people of any faith, or lack thereof, to be moral and to have a purpose. Atheism is a claim about the belief in the existence of god(s)…. Regardless of where one believes morality comes from, it is insensitive to claim that others do not have the capacity for morality or purpose in life without one specific view. Billions of people around the world have a different view on religion than the author and are equally capable of morality.”

Demotta responded once more , but McCart did his campus community a great service by articulating a viewpoint that many on campus feel but might not have been able to articulate. We congratulate McCart for getting his opinion published and encourage all SSA students to use the press to express your views as often as you are able.

The back and forth began when a columnist for the paper, Isaac Demotta, wrote a column provocatively titled, “Subjectivism and atheism lead to ugly conclusions.” Demota begins by attacking moral subjectivism , but about halfway through his column he gets to his main point.

Students rally in response to anti-trans message on campus

Tue, 07 May 2019 00:09:00 GMT

by Elliott Pickett

Sonoma State’s Queer Student Alliance and HUB (Multicultural Center) teamed up to plan a response. In a statement released by the QSA Board of Directors, they reminded students that the “very goal that this group hopes to achieve is violence and controversy by way of emotional compromisation” and recommended that there be no interaction with the TPUSA table or members.

Instead, students were encouraged to channel their anger and frustration into support and love for their fellow marginalized students. Kristen Reynolds, former Race and Ethnicity Coordinator at the HUB (recently moved to UC Davis) presented the idea of an “All-Gender Dance Party” at the same time, same day, and same place as the Turning Point USA tabling event. QSA helped to plan and promote this, along with the Black Student Union and Greek organization Lambda Sigma Gamma. The day of the “All-Gender Dance Party” (and the day of Turning Point’s tabling event), clubs in support of the dance set up tables, united as one long line decked out with flags, candy, balloons, stickers, and information. Our Secular Student Alliance chapter, Secular Seawolves, were among those tabling. The day turned out a great success. QSA blasted upbeat tunes on speaker s.

Chalk was available, and people drew and wrote supportive messages on the ground in the quad. One club brought jump rope games. Two LGBTQ support organizations from Santa Rosa, the neighboring city, came and handed out their information and resources. The atmosphere was lively, colorful, and supportive. Some people that attended even forgot that Turning Point was there; all the focus was on love and acceptance.

Our club promotes rational discussion; we try to listen to people when there is mutual respe ct and the chance for an open-minded conversation. However, Turning Point USA made it clear that they didn’t want to actually have somebody ‘change their minds’. Ultimately, the Turning Point USA members tabling left early, and they canceled the Hayden Williams appearance on campus (although they did hire a less controversial speaker to replace him at the event). This dance party turned out to be a great success. Most importantly, it allowed marginalized communities to feel supported, loved, and defended, and it happened without any direct conflict, shouting matches, or fighting. We at Secular Seawolves are proud of our fellow Sonoma State students and aim to continue spreading messages of unity, love, and acceptance in the face of adversity.

Full list of clubs involved: QSA, MEChA, BSU, FAASSU, Secular Seawolves, Lambda Sigma Gamma, Positive Images, LGBTQ Connection.

Editors : Our previous post didn’t have all the details of the story. It has been replaced in its entirety with this story, written by Elliott Pickett, a member of Secular Seawolves at Sonoma State University. We are grateful to our students at SSU for their engagement on this issue and for the story and photos here.

Turning Point USA, a national organization represented on over 1000 campuses in the country, is a conservative political action organization. The TPUSA chapter at Sonoma State University has been mostly inactive until recently. In April, they began advertising for a tabling event: “There Are Only Two Genders; Change My Mind.” They advertised this saying “Grab Your Pitchforks!” (SSU Reddit), it’s “going to be entertaining to watch,” (TPUSA of SSU Newsletter), and that the event was “in part to drum up interest in the speaker,”(Newsletter). The speaker, Hayden Williams, is famous for making claims that police brutality isn’t racist, as well as being punched on the UC Berkeley campus. This speaker event was planned for the same time as Sonoma State’s Black Student Union Meeting, in adjacent rooms.

Dan Barker Tours SSA Chapters Across the Country

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 23:33:00 GMT

Dan Barker, co-president from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) shared his secular point of view and displayed his debate skills by embarking on a speaking tour to eleven SSA chapters across the country this spring semester. His talks ranged from how to be good without god, the importance of the separation of church & state, and debating with christian apologists. Our students have put in the time and effort to host Dan and demonstrated their leadership capabilities as secular students. They are not only educating themselves with Dan’s talks but are also allowing the rest of the community to understand their secularism and activism through these discussions.

The University of North Georgia event (pictured) raised the standard for SSA-sponsored debates. Turnout for the event was phenomenal with over 100 guests. Students and local community members alike were brought together to hear Dan debate the existence of God. The event was such a success that the University of North Georgia’s Dean of Students is going to nominate their event for the Best Collaborative Event of the Year at the Blue and Gold Awards!

At the University of Texas, Arlington (UTA), Charlee Vance, our chapter president, was thrilled to have Dan come out and lead their weekly discussion. Charlee explained how hostile the atmosphere of the event was getting when an audience member asked about Dan’s position on abortion. She explained how the question began to stir up a vigorous but productive debate within the audience. “The non-secular guests said they were impressed with our group and [how we tried] to keep the event friendly for everyone,” exclaimed Vance. Secular Mavericks of UTA were praised for their professionalism by non-religious and religious audience members alike. By having Dan Barker as a speaker, the Secular Mavericks were also able to practice resolve conflict situations.

At every campus where Dan spoke, students left his talk or debate feeling inspired, informed, and empowered to take on new discussions about their atheist experience and morality. Hundreds of students felt the impact of Dan’s personal journey. Learning how to be good without god is a question our students wrestle with constantly and that many in the community were interested in hearing about. As evidenced by the high turnout of each event, the Secular Student Alliance student leaders from across the country should be applauded for the work they put in hosting the biggest, baddest, best “damned” event on campus!

Join SSA at the American Atheists National Convention

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 14:19:00 GMT

We hope you will join us in Cincinnati on April 19-21, 2019, for the American Atheists 2019 National Convention ! Three days of speakers, workshops, community events.

The next generation in the United States is more secular and social justice-oriented than previous generations. SSA executive director, Kevin Bolling will speak about the mindset of millennials and Generation Z, what the Secular Student Alliance is doing across the county, about the current tactics of conservative religious campus ministries, and what local secular groups can do to encourage and engage the upcoming generation.

More information on the 2019 American Atheists National Convention is available here .

Better Together – the 2019 SSA National Conference

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 19:20:00 GMT

The SSA Conference is not only our biggest event every year but it is also the only student-focused secular conference in the United States. It’s the time where our students from all across the nation get together to meet each other and be a part of the secular community on a much larger scale.

Every school year, our students have the opportunity to build their own secular community on their campuses. It’s not always the easiest of feats but to many of our student leaders it has been one of the most rewarding challenges as a student. To celebrate the hard work of student leaders across the country, Secular Student Alliance puts together a national gathering for secular students to meet, grow their leadership skills, and create friendships. We break down the distance barrier for an entire weekend and become one big SSA family.

This year’s theme, Better Together , is designed to help student understand the makings of meaningful community and how to create that on their campuses. Life-giving community seems like a unicorn sometimes—a thing we’ve heard about but never actually seen or experienced. We will demystify it and give students the tools they need to make a deep impact on their campuses.

Students across the US celebrate Darwin’s 210th birthday

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 20:21:00 GMT

On February 12th people all across the globe celebrate Darwin Day to honor the founder of modern biology. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was so revolutionary that it’s often referred to as the unifying principle of biology. We celebrate Darwin to reject the undeserved hostility his scientific discoveries face to this day.

Second, we celebrate Darwin Day because his ideas are still controversial in many corners of society. The rejection of science and fact based reasoning can lead to great harm. Just look at the antivax fiasco! So our students celebrate Darwin Day by honoring his memory, promoting proper science education, and challenging pseudoscience.

On behalf of Charles Darwin, our students took it to their campuses to display Darwin-themed activities. They educated their communities about the man behind evolution! Their activities ranged from University of Texas Dallas and Clarion University setting up evolution-themed tables to Montevallo and Eastern Illinois University hosting presentations on creationism. Another special interactive activity was designed by our chapter at Rogers State University who hosted a ‘Survival of the Fittest’ obstacle course illustrating how we compete to survive! Our chapter at Jacksonville State in Alabama even commemorated the late theorist by throwing an actual birthday party in his honor, complete with colorful party hats. The festivities continued at Sonoma State University in California where students held a picnic as they discussed his theories and Oklahoma State University led by Lauren Stevens created a new game specifically for the day. “We had a ‘Wheel of Evolution’ which, when spun, filtered through six different categories related to Darwin and Evolution,” she said. “We gave out candy and facts related to evolution and most people that stopped by not only got a piece of candy but more importantly learned something they weren’t already privy to about evolution!”

On top of all the well-executed activities, our chapter Secular Society from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, took it upon themselves to even get a Darwin Day proclamation from the city! Our student president, Sohan Dsouza, was presented with a signed declaration from Cambridge City Councillor Quinton Zondervan and the Cambridge City Council! “He was very cooperative, getting the resolution passed unanimously, and even sending an aide to personally present it to us at the event”, explained Dsouza.

In all, over a dozen SSA chapters participated this spring semester and even registered some new members in the middle of celebrating. It was a very successful Darwin Day for the Secular Student Alliance and all of its chapters. We look forward to more conversations about evolution as we end the month wishing the late Charles Darwin a very happy birthday.

Secular Student Life podcast launched

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 01:43:00 GMT

The first episode of the new podcast, Secular Student Life , launched today with a informative and inspiring conversation with student leader, Lisa Daugherty, from Ivy Tech College, and a short word from SSA executive director, Kevin Bolling. Hosted by National Organizing Manager, Ryan Bell, the Secular Student Life podcast will air at least monthly with periodic bonus episodes.

Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast app, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.

University of North Texas SSA in the news

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 22:22:00 GMT

Madison Shelley, grad student and founder of the UNT SSA chapter, talks with Grad student Alec Huntley about street epistemology. Street epistemology is a method of exploring a person’s belief system.
Photo by Trevor Seibert

//Crossposted from North Texas Daily

by Xavier Spurlock

The recently founded UNT chapter of the Secular Student Alliance, which intends to fill a void for atheist students who feel underrepresented on campus, covers topics related to atheism including separation of church and state or street epistemology in their meeting and plan on increasing their visibility this semester.

Madison Shelley, a masters student studying public administration, started the Secular Student Alliance last October after unsuccessfully seeking out an atheist group to join on campus.

“I wanted to see if there were any groups dedicated to atheist students, and when I wasn’t able to find one I saw the need to step up and get the group going,” Shelley said. “I think it’s important for the university to have a space for people with secular viewpoints to converse openly with others of similar beliefs.”

Most of the 10 members said they were seeking out a place at UNT for people with beliefs similar to their own.

Behavior analysis student Nicolas Taliaferro, 20, coincidentally attempted to contact the Secular Student Alliance to join the UNT chapter just a few days after Shelley’s application was accepted.

“One day, I started searching for a secular group at UNT and couldn’t find one,” Taliaferro said. “So I started applying to the [Secular Student Alliance] to see if we could make one. I heard back from them the next day, telling me that Madison had began trying to start the group literally three or four days before I looked it up.”

The Secular Student Alliance is a national nonprofit organization with approximately 304 chapters at both an high school and college level. The alliance “empowers secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism,” according to their website .

As part of their efforts to increase involvement this semester, the group plans to incorporate street epistemology—the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity—around campus and set up a table alongside other organizations.

“We want to abolish the negative connotations and stereotypes often associated with atheists and we are also looking into volunteer events to give back to the community,” Shelley said. “In the future, we’re hoping to establish a lecture series and possibly even facilitate a debate here at the university.”

With approximately 36 religious groups on campus, the Secular Student Alliance members said they felt UNT did not have a place for people with similar ideologies.

Marketing junior Will Boss said he recalled not being able to join groups based on his beliefs.

“[I’ve been] at the school for two years now [and seen] a lot of other religious campus organizations have huge events that go on on campus,” Boss said. “They have a bunch of events and a lot of members and I just remember thinking that’s something I can’t, in good conscience, be a part of. I wished there was some kind of group that had ideals that lined up with my own.”

Last semester, the group discussed looking into volunteer events to give back to the community, throwing Secular Student Alliance based events and potentially establishing a lecture series as well as facilitating a structured debate at the university.

“We are officially recognized as an organization by the National SSA,” Shelley said. “We are still working to become an official student organization here at UNT. The only thing we lack is a faculty adviser.”

Despite not being an official university organization yet, Shelley said the group plans to use their resources and connections to the national group to develop a sustaining atheist organization that lasts at the university after they have all graduated.

“Ensuring continuity is a difficult task for any organization, but we want to try our best to grow our presence on campus because the more members we have, the more of a chance we have to keep the program going,” Shelley said. “A lot of the time people are hesitant to come forward as an atheist because they don’t want to be labeled or misrepresented, so if we show that it’s perfectly normal to be secular, hopefully they will feel comfortable enough to be open about their atheism.”

Secular Student Fellowship at USC fights campus loneliness epidemic

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 21:46:00 GMT

Cross-posted from USC News

by Joanna Clay, USC News

Daphne Armstrong remembers when she first came to USC. Fresh from Missouri, she felt a bit out of place.

“There was some culture shock,” said Armstrong, who is now a junior. “All my roommates were from SoCal and grew up going to USC football games and seemed already so involved in the community.”

For comfort, she took to Facetiming her family every day, going from calling her mom to her dad to her sister.

“I was always texting and chatting with my friend groups back home instead of putting time and energy into people around me,” she said.

Feeling alone at college — especially freshmen year — is nothing new.

USC Student Health offers support groups and drop-in workshops that touch on social anxiety, relationships and other topics. See more on the USC Student Health website .

But USC officials — and officials across the country — are noticing that technology and social media are making connectedness even harder. Burklo and others started talking about a “loneliness epidemic” on campus. And it’s something gaining international recognition too — the U.K. has a loneliness minister and the United States has labeled it a public health concern in need of intervention.

“How do we encourage a culture of real friendship — not Facebook friends or Instagram followers — that are sustaining for people’s minds and hearts? That’s what this project is about,” Burklo said.

Loneliness in college: Learning to cope

The project he’s referring to is Campfires , a new secular initiative from the Office of Religious Life aimed at connecting “IRL,” which means encouraging students to tune out from texting and cultivate meaningful relationships. There’s friendship trainings for resident advisers or organizations and Thursday meet-ups to discuss things like cultivating intimacy in groups. Inspired by the mindfulness courses, Burklo has also introduced five-week workshops, such as one that recently wrapped called “ Click! Making Meaningful Relationships ,” taught by USC alumna and friendship expert Cat Moore.

Noor Alwani, a resident assistant at Parkside, took the class. She said she notices on Day 1 how hard it is for students to engage. She remembers doing ice-breakers in the early days of a hall, a time meant to get to know your roommates and neighbors — but some students were disinterested, staring into their phones. Then there are the students who try to put themselves out there but feel like it’s not working. They start to feel like it’s a personality flaw, that they just don’t have it.

Alwani encourages students in her hall to see socializing less as a fixed trait and more as a muscle they can grow. She knows firsthand.

“I was not social at all as a child,” Alwani said. “My adult family members would pull me to the side and say success isn’t all about books. You need to learn to interact with people. That was something that I deeply internalized and worked on for a long time. Initiating conversation is still not my forte, but I would say I’m leaps and bounds from where I was six years ago.”

Acknowledging loneliness in college

It’s important to acknowledge that socializing can be hard, especially if you add on anxiety or depression, which are common on college campuses, said Sarah Van Orman, who leads USC Student Health.

“If someone is experiencing depression or anxiety, getting up and going to a club meeting isn’t the easiest thing,” she said. “How do you initiate a conversation? How do you meet people? I think all of us are like ‘I could do better at that’.”

And it’s not just technology that’s making it harder. Burklo and Van Orman point to the added pressures students now face, such as excelling at an elite institution.

“Maybe they spent so much time trying to get into fancy colleges, they let friendships fall into third or fourth on their priority [list],” Burklo said.

On top of social media, academic pressures and mental health struggles, there’s also the fact that a big chunk of students coming into USC are secular. Roughly 4 out of 10 freshmen don’t affiliate themselves with religion, according to the Office of Religious Life. Ryan Bell, a former evangelical and USC’s humanist chaplain, said it can be hard to feel connected if you’re struggling with your faith. He struggled, losing friendships after he left the Seventh Day Adventist denomination.

Campfires is one way the Office of Religious Life is reaching such students, which is also an online resource offering materials for organizations and clubs aiming to cultivate deeper connections. It also has the Secular Student Fellowship and two secular leaders: Bell and Vanessa Gomez Brake, the associate dean of religious life.

Campfires is in its early days, but Burklo is hopeful. And so is Armstrong, who went to Campfires’ kickoff event.

Overcoming loneliness in college

Although the beginning days at USC were hard, Armstrong found community. She bonded with her roommate, which made checking out new things less daunting and she got involved with campus organizations, such as the Secular Student Fellowship and USC Environmental Student Assembly. She said she became less nervous when she realized other freshmen were in the same situation.

“I remember being at the dining hall EVK, and I could literally sit anywhere and strike up a conversation and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary at all,” she said.

Alwani knows that for some students, it doesn’t end with freshman year. Building lasting connections can take time. She thinks of her close friend, who was there to help when she got her wisdom teeth pulled, driving her home from surgery and picking up her meds.

“That’s not a level of friendship you’re going to develop overnight or over weeks,” she said.

It brings to mind Emery Bergman, whose video about her battle to make friends her first year at Cornell University went viral. Looking at the video comments, there are many freshmen who feel the same way, as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors.

One of her tips ? Give yourself time to adjust.

Getting help

“A certain amount of this is to be expected,” said the Rev. Jim Burklo, associate dean of the Office of Religious Life . “You don’t know anyone and you’re starting from scratch.”

Maggie Capehart and Marshall University in the news!

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 18:02:00 GMT

The Marshall University Secular Student Alliance was recently in the news for their Graveyard of the Gods display on campus. The co-president, Maggie Capehart, has some important thoughts about why they organize this event every year.

The monument was a physical demonstration of how many deities have been worshipped in the past and are now mostly forgotten, Maggie Capehart, senior student and co-president of Secular Student Alliance, said.

“What makes some peoples’ devotion and faith any different from those whose deities are long forgotten today?” Capehart said. “How could you be more sure of your god(s)’s existence than those people were of their gods now on the tombstones?”

Read the rest here >>

The Secular Student Alliance of Marshall University combats negative stigmas surrounding secularists and the non-religious and promotes critical, logical and innovative thinking amongst its members and community.

Earlier this semester, monuments of supposedly dead, no-longer-worshipped deities from the past were displayed by the Secular Student Alliance as a graveyard on Buskirk Field encouraging students and viewers to reflect on their religious beliefs.

SSA Chapters Across Texas Volunteer in Houston

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:07:00 GMT

On November 3, three SSA chapters in Texas converged on Houston for a service day project to help reconstruct houses that were damaged when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017. Texas A&M University, led by Sean Shamgar, University of Texas Austin, led by EJ Sorrell, and St. John’s School, led by Lincoln Dow, came out on a Saturday to work with All Hands and Hearts .

The students donned hard hats and got their hands dirty dry-walling damaged homes. Shamgar, who organized this project, expressed why the experience was so memorable.

“Being able to organize a service project that directly benefited someone affected by Harvey makes this project have a special place in my heart.”

Secular Student Alliance plans to roll out more volunteer opportunities for our student chapters in the upcoming semester. We are already in the process of partnering once again with Foundation Beyond Belief and All Hands and Hearts to host our very first Secular Spring Break in Puerto Rico, and in April we will partner with the secular community for Secular Week of Action. Stay tuned for more details about these excited opportunities!

SSA Announces 2018 Scholarship Recipients

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:51:00 GMT

We know that what happens in high schools and on university campuses today is a glimpse into what will be happening in our country in the future… and we could not be more excited!

We are pleased to introduce our 2018 student scholarship recipients. Please take a moment and read the short biographies of these stellar students!

SSA Students Mobilize Voters

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 20:59:00 GMT

Secular Student Alliance chapters in states across the country registered voters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections as part of a wave of new, younger voters that erupted onto the scene this year. It’s still too early to say exactly how many young adults turned out to vote but according to CIRCLE at the Tufts University Tisch College , “roughly 31% of youth (ages 18-29) turned out to vote in the 2018 midterms, an extraordinary increase over our estimate in 2014, when our day-after exit poll calculation suggested that 21% of eligible young voters went to the polls.”

Students at Cal State Northridge register voters ahead of the 2018 midterm election

SSA was a lead partner in the Secular America Votes initiative to register secular voters. Student leaders worked with state experts to help register the vitally important young adult population on college campuses, many of whom had the opportunity to vote for the first time in their lives. By engaging college students, SSA hopes to give them the tools and confidence to be civically involved throughout their lifetime.

Students leaders like Asia understand the importance of voting and that our democracy isn’t a spectator sport, which is why SSA student leaders in various swing states organized voter registration drives. Student leaders at MIT used their voter registration drive to not only register students, but also as a chance to engage in thought provoking discussions about about important issues.

Engaging busy and nomadic students in the election process can be challenging so we’re proud of all of SSA student leaders for taking the time to register hundreds of students on their campus! Students have always been at the forefront of change and political reform in this country and we are excited to see how our student leaders both led their campuses in registering voters and also helping get out the vote.

SSA students were very active reminding their communities of the reasons to vote and that voting is only the beginning of our civic responsibility. Humanist Student Fellowship president at University of Montana Missoula, Joe Hudelson, expressed some insight about the results of the election saying, “This election belongs to the disenfranchised, people of color, women, and young voters who pushed for change.” While we continue to take in the results from election day, Hudelson emphasized that politicians “need to learn that if we want to have a stable, tolerant society, we cannot tolerate the intolerance and violence from the right wing, and we must retain the right to treat their ideologies differently.”

One result of this midterm election, however, was the power of women taking on Congress. From the youngest Democratic woman to the first Native American woman and all the women elected for the very first time in their states along with our first progressive female atheist, Megan Hunt, women across the country are reshaping our political landscape! The Secular Student Alliance is looking forward to each of these women making a difference and showcasing how to break the glass ceiling that women face everyday.

“We’re in a bit of a chaotic situation right now as far as politics go and we feel students especially need to have their voices heard and vote like their rights depend on it!” —Asia Jackson, President at the Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists at University of Texas at Dallas

“We ended up also raising awareness and talking about local and national secular law issues that students weren’t aware about.” —Sohan Dsouza, President of the Secular Society at MIT.

Trinity University Secular Student Alliance in the Making

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:28:00 GMT

This article originally appeared in the Trinitonian on November 5, 2018.

Photo courtesy of Trinitonian

Bradley aims to discuss epistemology and religious beliefs so that the members of the club can have a well rounded perspective. Bradley also mentioned that the club will potentially invite speakers to further expand members’ perspectives and regularly volunteer for community service. The TU Secular Student Alliance will focus on speaking to religious groups as well as interested students to inform them about what it means to be non-religious.

“I would like to make [the secular students] more visible so that they are more comfortable with their beliefs and have a place to discuss their beliefs freely,” Bradley said.

He has also contacted the national Secular Student Association and has applied as a representative group. According to Bradley, his actions will further legitimize the group’s initiative and allow the group to expand.

Lauren Turek, a professor in the Department of History and club adviser to the TU Secular Student Alliance, emphasized the importance and impact of having a group that helps promote diversity of thought and belief.

“I believe it is important that all students feel welcomed and comfortable here at Trinity regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs,” Turek said. “It is crucial that secular students feel they have a community on campus where they can have open discussion with others who share their values, something religious students currently have but secular students really do not.”

Kirsten Timco, a junior who is involved with the TU Secular Student Alliance, said that the formation of this student group allows for more freedom of dialogue in both political and intellectual conversation.

“Trinity has a gracious free speech policy, which I am personally grateful for, and I think the Secular Student Alliance wants to take advantage of this policy while providing a constant variable for grounds of discussion,” Timco wrote in an email.

Timco also believes that the club will benefit the Trinity community.

“In terms of benefits, I think membership provides a ‘safe space,’ if you will, for anyone and everyone to participate in judgement-free discussions,” Timco wrote.

“We also created the group to assist other organizations on campus and nonprofits in the San Antonio area; these are goals that the national [Secular Student Alliance] set, and we are more than happy to oblige.”

Students interested in joining or learning more about the TU Secular Student Alliance should contact Alex Bradley at abradle1@trinity.edu or request to join the Facebook group for TU Secular Student Alliance.

The TU Secular Student Alliance is being formed in Trinity University as a way to help students understand what it means to be non-religious and allows for secular students to have a presence on campus.

According to junior Alex Bradley, club president, TU Secular Student Alliance aims to provide a place for students to discuss what it means to not believe in a religion and allow students to be more comfortable with their identity in the community.

About 25 percent of Americans identify as secular or non-religious, and 33 percent of college students identify as secular or non-religious,” Bradley said.

Bradley noticed that there was no club that supports secular students and decided over the summer to create the club himself.

“It was a lot easier than I anticipated. I just made sure I had all the papers,” Bradley said.

Secular Spring Break in Puerto Rico

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 19:57:00 GMT

From March 10-16, 2019 , students from the Secular Student Alliance will be traveling to Puerto Rico to assist in the work of rebuilding homes.

Hurricane Maria pounded Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017

If you would like to support students in carrying out this project you can make a tax-deductible donation on our website.

This event is a joint partnership among Secular Student Alliance, All Hands and Hearts, Foundation Beyond Belief, and the American Humanist Association.

In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma landed in Puerto Rico with the strongest winds the island has ever seen. Not long after, Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph ferocious winds struck the island, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Many residents were without power for over 10 months and thousands of homes still need major repairs.

If you are interested in being a part of this life-changing experience, please submit the application . Spaces are limited. Each participant will be responsible for their own travel to and from Puerto Rico. Ground transportation, food, and lodging will be provided by AHAH.

Interview with Raghen Lucy

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:27:00 GMT

Scott Douglas Jacobsen : How did religion or irreligion influence early life?

Raghen Lucy : I was raised in a religious household, and this upbringing seemed unusual to me from an early age. My mother is Methodist, and my father is Catholic. I constantly struggled with confusion regarding this as a child, always asking myself, “Which parent is right? Can they both be right? Can they both be wrong? What does it mean if they are wrong?” I was forced to attend the Methodist Church throughout my early childhood, and the stories and lectures I was fed never stuck with me. I never once found myself truly convinced by anything my religious elders were trying to convince me of. This led to both internal and external turmoil in my early adolescent years that carried into my teens and still to this day. The secular activism I have been doing the past couple years has especially put a strain on my relationship with my parents, but this is something we are working through, and I feel I am growing closer to my them because of it.

Jacobsen : You study at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Why specialize in politics, philosophy, and economics?

Lucy : I actually chose this university specifically because of the Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) program. When I began reading the writings of the late Christopher Hitchens during my junior year of high school, I was immediately inspired to emulate the likes of his work. I did a quick Google search on his academic background, and found that he studied PPE at Oxford. Knowing that Oxford was probably out of my reach at the time, I searched for the closest university that offered the program, found MSU Mankato, and the rest is history. I love this program, as it provides me with a well-rounded insight into the relationship between the political, economic, and legal systems of our society. In addition, it is a perfect undergraduate degree for my future plans — to attend law school and hopefully become a Constitutional lawyer based in Washington, D.C.

Jacobsen : While being the president of the Secular Student Alliance at the same university, what are the difficulties on campus for a secular campus group?

Lucy : There is still an abundance of work to do in normalizing secularism around our area, and as a result, we have experienced some pushback. We are fortunate to have such a supportive Student Activities department — many SSA chapters, especially in southern and ultraconservative states, are not so lucky. We have experienced instances of our posters being ripped up, torn down, or covered up, laughs at our table in the student union, and verbal intimidation by a few religious authority figures on campus. I always remind myself that these are relatively mild cases of resistance, and to persevere, always treating others with respect and civility. Although normalizing secularism is often difficult, especially on a campus dominated by religious organizations, it is a meaningful and worthy project to undertake.

Jacobsen : What are the tasks and responsibilities of the position, including delegation?

Lucy : As president of my Secular Student Alliance chapter, I do almost everything from small tasks such as designing posters to more substantial tasks like organizing large-scale events. It takes quite a bit of behind-the-scenes groundwork to run any student organization, but my executive team and group members never fail to offer encouragement and assistance whenever possible. When I was awarded the Best New Chapter of the Year award at the national SSA conference this past summer, I was asked, “How did you do it?” to which I replied, “We did it.” Without the support of our members, faculty advisors, and national SSA staff, the group’s success would not be possible.

Jacobsen : What is the ratio of secular organizations to religious organizations on the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus(es)?

Lucy : The main reason I chose to launch the Secular Student Alliance was the complete lack of an organized secular presence on campus. Moving from the religious right-wing state of North Dakota, I assumed that a university in Minnesota would have a well-established secular presence, but I was disheartened to be so mistaken. Upon searching for a secular club I could join during the first few weeks of my freshman year (Fall of 2017), I found 21 religious and faith-based organizations, and nothing for non-religious students. This compelled me to start the chapter in the Spring of 2018. The Secular Student Alliance is currently the only secular organization at MSU Mankato, and I am so thrilled that we are continuing to grow and spread our message. We are also taking advantage of the unique opportunity we have to connect and collaborate with the several religious student organizations.

Jacobsen : Also, you’re on the National Leadership Council for the Secular Student Alliance. What responsibilities in representation comes with this position?

Lucy : The National Leadership Council is a select group of students and recent alumni who provide insight, guidance, and support to the national Secular Student Alliance staff. The SSA cares deeply about the ideas and concerns of its student leaders, and this group is a mechanism by which they can address and employ those suggestions. This is a vital part of the organization’s success, but I think the most important responsibility I have as an NLC member is offering support and advice to other student leaders. It is imperative that our hundreds of leaders across the country have a group of capable and experienced peers to relate to, gain perspective from, and voice concerns to. The students are the heart of the SSA, and we continuously aim to support each other in any way we can.

Jacobsen : How can students become involved in the MSUM SSA?

Lucy : The majority of participation in our organization involves attending meetings and engaging in group discussion. We discuss a wide array of topics, including the separation between state and church, theories regarding climate change and evolution, and the importance of normalizing secular identity. We plan to become more involved in volunteerism, human rights activism, and collaboration with religious student organizations. Anyone who would like to get involved can email me at raghen.lucy@mnsu.edu or stop by a meeting. Here is a link to our Facebook page, where we regularly advertise upcoming events: https://www.facebook.com/ssamavericks .

Jacobsen : How can ambitious students create an SSA chapter or group on their campus?

Lucy : I was astonished by the warm welcome I immediately received from the SSA staff when starting a chapter. I first began the process by contacting Ryan Bell, SSA’s National Organizing Manager. Ryan and other staff members have continuously supplied me with an invaluable plethora of resources and support. They understand how difficult it is to balance leadership obligations and academics, and make the process as accessible and step-by-step as possible. More information on creating a chapter can be found here: https://secularstudents.org/start-a-chapter/. Fun fact: a young lady beginning the 7th grade this year recently started the first middle school SSA chapter at Salt Lake City’s Open Classroom!

Jacobsen : Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Raghen.

Image Credit: Secular Student Alliance/Raghen Lucy.

The following article was originally published at Humanist Voices , by Scott Douglas Jacobsen.

Raghen Lucy is a sophomore at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Growing up in Williston, North Dakota, she did not have an outlet to express her atheism and advocate for secularism until she got involved with the Secular Student Alliance in 2017. She was inspired to major in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and pursue a career in Constitutional Law by her favorite author and religious critic, Christopher Hitchens.

Raghen revived SSA Mavericks after several years of inactivity and finds great joy in serving as an ambassador for the secular cause in Minnesota. After completing her undergraduate program, Raghen is looking forward to attending law school and launching a career in Washington, D.C. She hopes to deal with legal cases regarding freedom of speech and religious liberty.

Students express themselves on Ask An Atheist Day

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 23:33:00 GMT

Penn State students (L to R) Ryan Insley and Ian Lucas tabling on Ask An Atheist Day

by Julienne De Guzman

A few weeks ago dozens of SSA chapters participated in Ask An Atheist Day on their campuses. From the University of Alaska Fairbanks to Penn State University to the University of Puerto Rico and all the states in between students engaging in conversations with believers and non-believers alike. Most set up tables on campus and invited passers by to ask them anything. SSA students were ready and eager to answer some of the most pressing questions and dispel stereotypes around atheism and secularism. We asked our students how they felt about the event and to share with us some of their most memorable interactions.

Gerardo Rivera (right) of University of Puerto Rico on Ask An Atheist Day

Ryan Insley from Penn State University explained why AAAD mattered to his chapter: “We were interested in participating because we wanted to engage with students of all religious or secular affiliations, we wanted to show members of the secular community that they have a voice on campus, and we wanted to give secular students a chance to learn about our chapter. ” This was Insley’s first time leading an openly secular event and discussion which granted him some meaningful moments not only for his chapter but also for himself. After being personally asked if his life has been better since becoming secular, Insley proudly answered, “ I think my life is better… I no longer feel limited to seeing the world through a singular lens of certain scriptures from one religious lineage. I am free to think and engage more widely and develop my understanding of truth based on evidence, reason, and deliberation.”

The president of the Jacksonville State University chapter, Noah Davis, took a minute to describe exactly how his chapter celebrated Ask An Atheist Day and why they did it.

Ask An Atheist Day presents a bi-annual opportunity to students to express their identities and opinions to those courageous enough to ask. What is more, some chapters were so inspired that they continue to encourage open conversation not only when it is nationally celebrated but also during meetings, tabling, and other student-led events. The next Ask An Atheist Day is on April 18 and we’re again looking forward to the creative ways our students will participate.

“To encourage longer dialogue we decided to hold a reception at the building of the Wesley Foundation on campus. We had cake and lemonade and our members sat one at a table and answered questions. We had 20-30 people come to engage with us”.

Jacksonville had missed Ask An Atheist Day in the past but made sure to not miss the opportunity this time around where their members got to openly share their different worldviews. Davis also explained his favorite moment from Ask An Atheist Day: “To me the most important question I got was ‘Why be an atheist and not agnostic?’. This question is important to me because both of those terms are not understood clearly. Most of our members are agnostic atheists and I think the idea that most theists have about agnosticism is that it is somehow closer to theism than atheism”. Davis realized that by clarifying these concepts it led his chapter to understanding the bigger picture. “I think people properly understanding our terminology is the biggest win we can have long term,” Davis said.

Finding Peace in Knowledge: My Journey to Secularism

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:24:00 GMT

Re-posted from the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Gwen Salm is the Vice-President of Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics, the SSA chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The following first person account of her journey to secularism appeared on the UW-Madison website on September 24, 2018.

I grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and attended a private Catholic school through eighth grade. This meant that I attended mass twice per week: once with my class and once with my family. I loved my faith as a kid. I would spend recess praying the rosary, pray every night before bed, and read the Bible often. My extended family attended 7:15AM mass every Sunday together followed by brunch. It was the glue that kept everyone in touch. The whole family would help out to make mass go smoothly by leading the church in song, serving as altar boys and girls, distributing the eucharist during communion, and reading. All the kids were baptized, had their first reconciliation, received communion, and were confirmed. The parties in celebration of the sacraments were seemingly endless. My memories of growing up as a person of faith are principally positive up through middle school.

I did not feel comfortable questioning my faith until I went to public high school. I wish I could say that my “falling out of faith” and coming to terms with my sexuality were unrelated, but that would be wrong. I was gay, and I couldn’t pray that fact away no matter how hard I tried. I felt damned in the church that once felt like home to me. I felt like a walking contradiction, and I couldn’t figure out how to happily live as a gay Catholic. I questioned the faith I was raised in for the first time in my life, and felt more at peace than ever when I let it go.

I attended a college in Fond du Lac for my freshman year and spent a good chunk of it trying to find a belief system that I would click with. I meditated in the chapel on campus every morning, and read world religion books on my school breaks. In educating myself on other faiths and belief systems, I grew out of my hostility and bitterness towards Catholicism. I did not feel cheated anymore. I made peace.

As much as I enjoyed religion class as a kid, I felt like my education was lacking. My school only taught Roman Catholicism. I understand that the school was founded on Catholic values, but why limit the discussion to just Catholicism? I wish that my school had taught the students about different belief systems and values without criticizing or judging. Coming out of 8th grade, I was really sheltered. Looking back, it probably has to do with the location of the school as well. The population of Fond du Lac is primarily Christian so they probably taught based on relevance. Even so, if learning about other belief systems helped me better understand a faith I once had, I wonder what doing the same could do for others and their faith or lack thereof.

– Gwen Salm

From protesting abortion clinics to protesting hate preachers

Sat, 06 Oct 2018 08:00:00 GMT

Left: Ayden at 11, witnessing on the street. Right: Ayden at 19, leading his SSA chapter

Ayden Paulson grew up as a Baptist in a very religious household. From the ages of 9 to 12 his Dad took him and his brothers to “street witness,” or proselytize, with him. Ayden would be taken to protest abortion clinics every Saturday and believed he was spreading God’s message. But the more he went out and listened to people’s questions the more he began to question his faith. He started to look for answers to the questions people asked him but to no avail, he found no answers that could hold up his faith.

Fast forward 8 years and Ayden is now a secular student leader at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky. Eight years ago he was protesting abortion clinics every Saturday and today he’s handing out signs and bingo sheets to protest the hate preacher on campus. His experience as an atheist started off, according to him, very anti-theist. However, the more he grew up, the more humanist he became and his disdain for religion grew into a love for humanity, religious and non-religious alike. Ayden’s journey from street preacher to secular student leader has been a wild ride.

Since coming to college and joining SSA Ayden has been able to find a community where he can talk about his beliefs safely. “Joining SSA has been amazing,” he said. “I can now find ways to better help humanity and continue fighting for secular values. I’m so happy I made the change”.

Join SSA in supporting students like Ayden as they develop into the next generation of secular leadership in America!

Rogers State University students serve the homeless

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 18:52:00 GMT

Jennifer Stemmer (front row, second from right) and her new SSA chapter partnered with the Atheist Community of Tulsa to serve a meal at a homeless day center.

Rogers State University (RSU) has just officially recognized one of the newest Secular Student Alliance chapters, led by Jennifer Stemmer. Jennifer and one of her group members, Bri Petree, recently partnered with the Atheist Community of Tulsa (ACT) to volunteer at The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless .

“ I was not expecting to have as much fun as I did,” says Stemmer. “Many members of ACT cooked spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread, and cupcakes and brought them to the center for other members, including me, to serve. Once everybody started going through the line, it was common for people to say ‘God bless’ or to ask which church we were with. The president of ACT, Amanda Baggett, would always very politely tell them that we were with the Atheist Community of Tulsa. The response was almost always the same: ‘Wait, you don’t believe in a god? Yet you’re here feeding the homeless?’ People were absolutely baffled by the fact that somebody without a god telling them what was right and wrong would be out doing great things for the community.”

Volunteering and community outreach are important values that Stemmer plans to continuously demonstrate with her new group. When asked what it was like to work with the Atheist Community of Tulsa, Stemmer said, “ While I am quite active in the social media aspect of ACT, this was the first event that I was able to attend. Everybody was incredibly welcoming and it seemed so genuine: they were truly happy to have a community of like-minded people who were willing to go out and better the world, or at least the city. I never felt judged, only loved and accepted.” She aims to focus on “slowly changing the negative societal connotation of the word ‘atheist’ and anything else that falls under the non-religious category,’ through her SSA chapter. As Stemmer continues to build a strong foundation of secularism at Rogers State University, she also mentioned that her SSA chapter had d ecided to work with many of the religious organizations on campus to “show that we are not here to try and convert people or to demonize the campus, but merely to welcome skeptical or questioning students and give them a safe place and a great community.”

“We are not here to try and convert people or to demonize the campus, but merely to welcome skeptical or questioning students and give them a safe place and a great community.”

An Empowering Weekend

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 01:27:00 GMT

This summer, secular student leaders from across the United States – from Portland to Puerto Rico, including one from Canada – attended the 18th annual SSA Conference at Ohio State University.

“Getting involved with the SSA, starting a chapter, and attending the conference are all decisions that have positively changed the entire course of my life,” said Raghen of Minnesota State University, Mankato. “The conference gave me an outlet to have enriching conversations, learn about leadership, and plant the seeds of a plan to have an incredible upcoming school year!”

The conference began on Friday morning with workshops about ending sexual assault on campus, by Jill Davis, and personal empowerment, with Stan Pearson. Pearson’s teaching was all about helping students build their confidence and be the best versions of themselves that they can possibly be. Friday concluded with a mind-expanding talk from keynote speaker, Dr. Heather Berlin, who is a neuroscientist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. In addition to being a researcher, she is active as a science communicator and hosts Startalk All-Stars , hosted the PBS series Science Goes to the Movie s, and the Discovery Channel series Superhuman Showdown .

Saturday featured dozens of workshops, ranging from “How to Master Team Leadership” and “A Five-Point Plan for Growing Your SSA Chapter” to “What Is Interfaith Without Faith” and “Social Justice Is Not Up For Debate.”

Many of the workshop sessions were led by students. Peer-to-peer learning is an essential part of the SSA Conference and an important way for students to not only build their leadership skills but also meaningful relationships. The day was bookended by plenary sessions featuring Rajani Gudlavalleti and Bart Campolo.

The conference wrapped up on Sunday with an inspiring talk and challenge from Arizona State Representative Athena Salman and a panel discussion with Salman and key leaders in the secular movement, talking about what students can do to advance a secular future in our country which is inclusive of everyone.

SSA’s goal in holding the annual conference is three-fold: bringing students together from across the country to build meaningful relationships, to deepen their leadership ability in the specific skill set of community building and secular activism, and to inspire and challenge their thinking on a variety of secular issues and values that affect their daily lives.

The Secular Student Alliance would like to thank everyone involved in the 2018 SSA Conference for another fantastic event!

A special thank you to all our sponsors, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Atheists, Secular Coalition for America, Interfaith Youth Core, Black Nonbelievers, and many others.

Join us next year, July 12-14, 2019 , on the USC campus in Los Angeles, for the 19th annual SSA Conference. If you’d like to support students from across the country in creating secular community on America’s campuses, check out the work our students are doing and become a member today .

This year’s conference theme was Curiosity. Compassion. Courage . “These are, you might say, the three primary virtues of secular humanism,” said conference organizer, Ryan Bell. “The life of the mind is sustained by curiosity and there is no end to the wonders of the natural world that are open to our exploration. Curiosity leads to compassion – from our heads to our hearts, so to speak. And after falling in love with our world in all its beauty and diversity, humanism invites us to act courageously on behalf of the people and natural order that is the only world we get.”

“The SSA Conference has been one of if not the most rewarding experience that I have had this summer,” said Texas A&M student Sean. “Seeing the potential that our chapter has through the accomplishments and dedication of other leaders has given me a new sense of motivation to grow our chapter into something that can truly have an impact both within the Aggie community and beyond. I can’t wait to see what this next year has to offer.”

“Being able to network with other student leaders was invaluable,” said Armando from Los Angeles Mission College. “I genuinely feel that people I met this weekend truly care and want to participate in ushering a new era.”

Join Us for Ask An Atheist Day

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:46:00 GMT

National Ask An Atheist Day, on September 20, is an opportunity for secular people and organizations across the country to work together to defeat stereotypes about atheism and encourage courteous dialogue between believers and nonbelievers alike.

Ask An Atheist Day is intended to be an opportunity for the general public—particularly people of faith—to approach non-theists and ask questions about secular life.

We encourage you to participate and host your own Ask An Atheist Day event! More information and resources are available here .

SSA Welcomes Marisa Rubio as Development Associate

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 21:12:00 GMT

Marisa Rubio joins the staff of the Secular Student Alliance as the development associate, responsible for the day-to-day relationships with members, donors, and supporters.

Marisa has always had a true passion for making a difference in people’s lives and empowering others. She graduated from San Francisco State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree and took part in the No on Prop 8, Equality for All Campaign. She has volunteered for many non-profit organizations and started working for Grateful Hearts, a local non-profit in Los Alamitos, CA, that helps local families in need.

After participating in their fundraising event at the Long Beach Marathon, Marisa went on to become a Fundraising Specialist for Avon 39-The Walk to End Breast Cancer, where she gained major fundraising skills and experience in donor relations. Inspired by this work, she started a Grant Writing course at Cal State Dominguez Hills and joined the development team for Human Health Project. She has also taken part in creating and planning many fundraising events.

“Over the past year, we have focused on ensuring a strong foundation for our current chapters and setting the building blocks for the growth of new student chapters,” said Kevin Bolling, SSA executive director. “With Marisa joining the SSA staff, we will focus on building capacity for the future of the organization and sustained expansion.”

SSA Scholarships application now available!

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 17:24:00 GMT

The application is now open for our 2018 Student Activist Scholarships ! Get all the details and apply today !

Are you currently enrolled full-time at a high school, college, or university in the United States?
Are you an active member of your campus SSA and are you a student member of SSA National?
Have you been active in promoting secularism, the separation of church and state?
Have you worked to give a positive face to atheism or humanism in your community?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible for one of the many scholarships of up to $3,000 .

2019 SSA National Conference

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 22:45:00 GMT

SAVE THE DATE

Join us in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California

July 12-14, 2019

For the 19th Annual SSA National Conference!

Plan to travel to Los Angeles on Thursday for a full weekend of fun and learning starting on Friday morning. Then plan some time on the end of your trip to enjoy beautiful Southern California!

Louise Jett joins the SSA Team

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 23:40:00 GMT

We are excited to have Louise Jett join the SSA staff as our social media coordinator.

Communicating is Louise Jett’s specialty. In short, she is a storyteller and an educator. Flexible and strategic, she approaches challenges with optimism and enthusiasm. She is a social media expert and scholar, who spreads awareness of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, as their social media manager. A humanist, she values free thought and questioning. Devoted to behaving in a way that elicits the best in others, Louise believes all people have worth and deserve to be treated with respect.

As a media specialist and faculty member at Lewis and Clark Community College, she serves as a mentor and friend to students and co-workers alike. Nothing makes her happier than sharing knowledge and learning from others.

2018 Backbone Award Recipient Announced

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 18:28:00 GMT

Sonia Pressman Fuentes is the recipient of the 2018 SSA Backbone Award

We are very happy to announce that the recipient of the 2018 SSA Backbone Award is Sonia Pressman Fuentes .

Sonia was born in 1928 in Berlin, Germany, of Polish parents. She and her family immigrated, first to Belgium, and then to the United States in order to escape the Holocaust. After graduating from University of Miami School of Law, she was the first woman attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and one of the founders of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Sonia is the author of the memoir, Eat First—You Don’t Know What They’ll Give You , and dozens of articles which have been published in major newspapers, magazines, and journals around the world.

Sonia will receive the Backbone Award at the 2018 SSA national conference this summer. Patricia Ireland, former president of NOW, will join us in honoring Sonia at the awards presentation.

Each year, the Backbone Award is given to a secular person whose dedication and work over many years has been foundational in the cause of civil rights, freedom, and equality.

Now Hiring: Development Associate

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 21:47:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance is currently seeking a full-time Development Associate.

This position will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director and Board of Directors with fundraising outreach to foundations, corporations, existi ng donors to the organization, in addition to new prospects through outreach, correspondence, face-to-face meetings, grant writing submissions along with managing and developing the organization’s database of current funders and prospects. Their responsibilities will also include support for the coordination and execution of fundraising events, donor stewardship and general administrative support and the coordination of agency correspondence and donor mailings.

For more information, click here .

Meet the 2018 National Leadership Council

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 22:40:00 GMT

We are very proud to announce the 2018 National Leadership Council (NLC). The NLC is comprised of a select group of student SSA leaders and recent graduates, selected by the Campus Organizing staff, to serve in an advisory and ambassador role within the national organization. Students are selected for their demonstrated commitment to SSA and their own leadership development as well as their success in growing their chapter. Members of the NLC may be asked to assist the national staff in a variety of ways, including the following:

Act as a example of organizational leadership and behavior for other Secular Student Alliance leaders;
Assist the Campus Organizing team with assorted tasks, including, but not limited to assisting with the annual SSA conference, bi-annual chapter registrations, and providing input and feedback about specific ideas, campaigns, and resources;
Encourage best practices in leading an SSA chapter;
Develop a thorough knowledge of the Secular Student Alliance as an organization and be willing to act as an official SSA representative if requested to do so by the SSA staff.

Visit the NLC page and read the bios of these remarkable student leaders!

6 things you’ll miss if you aren’t at the SSA Conference

Wed, 16 May 2018 00:09:00 GMT

The 2018 SSA Conference is only 6 weeks away, so here are 6 things you’ll miss if you aren’t there!

Register today!

1. Incredible Speakers

SSA is bringing some of the top secular thought leaders to Columbus, Ohio, for 3 days jam-packed with motivation, education and fun. And while the speakers are only a piece of the SSA National Conference puzzle, we’ve assembled our best lineup yet. From storytelling, to leadership development, to fundraising strategy, we have everything to make your organization even more remarkable.

2. Practical breakout sessions

Are you having trouble getting people to show up to your meetings? Don’t have enough money to put on an event? Or maybe you want to hear the most thought-provoking debates and groundbreaking discussions related to secularism/atheism. Our breakout sessions will teach you how to grow a well-funded, intelligent, (peaceful) army of secular student leaders on your campus.

3. Having Your Say

Do you want to actually lead the secular movement? Students will caucus in groups during the conference and provide invaluable feedback to the SSA staff. You will also have the power to respond to questions on our conference app using real-time polling.

4. One-on-one time with thought leaders

At most conferences, the thought leaders are on the stage and only interact with attendees during brief Q&A sessions at the end of their presentations. Not at the SSA National Conference! We want you to be able to interact with secular student leaders who have been in your shoes. In our breakout sessions, you’ll be able to do just that.

5. Seeing the Future

Ok so we are not saying you will be able to time travel if you join us, but our speakers will be showing you the way forward on the current political issues facing the secular community, radical changes to the way you see yourself as a leader, and remarkable strategies for organizing.

6. Being Part of It

It’s the largest conference for secular students and therefore one of the largest gatherings of atheist, humanist, secular students in the world. The auditorium and exhibition will be bristling with potential partners you have and haven’t met yet. You definitely won’t meet them yet if you’re not there!

So… to summarize… be there! We have our strongest agenda to date, designed in a way for you to attend the sessions of greatest interest for you and your members. We’ve squeezed as much in as we can and we hope you can be there.

SSA’s Statement on Accusations Regarding David Silverman

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 14:32:00 GMT

As executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, I am shocked and angry to hear about the accusations of sexual assault by David Silverman against a member of the Secular Student Alliance in 2012 and other women.

The staff and members of the Board of Directors of the Secular Student Alliance fully support the courageous and brave women and men who have come forward to tell their own stories and support and share witness to those who have been deeply affected.

SSA will not tolerate harassment or assault of any form, including conduct of a sexual or improper nature. I and the Secular Student Alliance are committed to creating an environment free from all forms of coercion and harassment that adversely affect the lives of anyone in our community. This commitment includes the prevention and, where it occurs, the punishment of sexual harassment, as well as harassment on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Our policy on sexual harassment is clear and explicit; sexual harassment or misconduct in any form is unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated within the organization and at our meetings, events and conferences. Further, the Secular Student Alliance prohibits retaliation against any individual who makes a good-faith complaint of sexual harassment or who participates in a sexual harassment investigation.

We will be committed to educational efforts to address the issue of sexual harassment on campus and in our community. Eradicating sexual harassment and fostering a respectful environment requires a continuing commitment from all members of the community.

I will be personally reaching out to those who have come forward with accounts of harassment. In that regard, I express my deepest apology to any student or member of the larger SSA community who has ever been a victim of sexual harassment or assault.

The Secular Student Alliance is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, age, creed, worldview, disability, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Despite how much I want to be able to, I cannot change what happened in the past. While I have only been with the organization for nearly a year, one of my top priorities will be to create an environment where our students are protected and free from harassment or assault of any form. If you have questions about SSA’s policy on harassment, please feel free to contact me directly.

Kevin Bolling

Executive Director

Secular Student Alliance

SSA Welcomes Nicholas Benedict to the Board of Directors

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 19:37:00 GMT

Nicholas lives in Los Angeles, CA. In his free time, he plays a leadership role in the Los Angeles Toy Loan Program for underprivileged children and also performs as a stand-up comedian at local comedy clubs, charity events, and festivals.

Nicholas Benedict is a Chief Executive Officer and Board Director who is known for his ability to drive growth by creating new revenue streams and optimizing existing ones. His primary area of expertise is in digital marketing, supported by skills in strategy, service operations, and finance. He recently exited his last company in a trade sale after founding and building it to encompass a powerful digital marketing platform selling hundreds of products and services, annual revenue growth of >20% over twelve years, and a corporate infrastructure to support 70+ staff and operations in 30 countries.

Nicholas holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in History from McGill University in Montreal, and was awarded scholarships for academic and leadership performance at both. He has global experience, having worked in 9 countries on 4 continents and is functional in French and German.

SSA welcomes Chris Johnson to the Board of Directors

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 17:35:00 GMT

Chris Johnson is a New York-based photographer and filmmaker. He received his undergraduate degree in film production (along with a minor in religious studies) from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. His photography has been seen in various outlets, including The New York Times . He is the author of the coffee table photography book, A Better Life: 100 Atheists Speak Out on Joy & Meaning in a World Without God as well as the documentary film version, A Better Life : An Exploration of Joy & Meaning in a World Without God. In addition, he hosts the podcast, A Better Life . He has travelled the world on a screening/lecture tour about A Better Life, speaking and screening the film in over 115 cities on six continents — from Reykjavik to Shanghai; Lima to Cape Town. For the book, film, and podcast of A Better Life, he has interviewed many prominent atheist figures such as Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Dan Dennett, Derren Brown, Pat Churchland, Julia Sweeney, Penn & Teller, and many more. He has given talks on atheism and his work at conferences, universities, non-profit organizations, and community groups. In addition, he has also been a guest on numerous podcasts, radio and TV shows around the globe.

SSA welcomes David Garcia to the Board of Directors

Sun, 08 Apr 2018 17:23:00 GMT

David Garcia serves as the Director of Policy and Community Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and previously served as Executive Director for Michigan’s two largest LGBT Centers, Affirmations and The Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center.

Additional accomplishments include being named, “Civil Libertarian of the Year” by the ACLU of Flint, being featured in Dan Woog’s book, Jocks II – Coming Out to Play , winning two 2009 Michigan Addy awards for his film work and being named Student of the Year in Communications and Media at the University of Michigan – Flint. In addition, Dave has completed a full-length documentary, Fences and is a critically acclaimed playwright. His play, Candy Corn, Christ and the Convoluted Creation of Golf debuted to sold-out audiences at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor and was named a top ten show of Michigan by the Flint Journal.

Dave first began his fight for LGBT equality after being fired from his position as the Community Services Coordinator of Swartz Creek for his attempt to start a Gay Straight Alliance in the public schools back in 2000. After walking 55 miles overnight from the doors of Swartz Creek High School to the State Capitol, Garcia delivered what would be one of many heartfelt and inspiring speeches. Over the past twenty years Dave has continued his dedicated efforts to improve lives and advance justice for all. As the Director of the Policy and Community Building Department, Dave and his team have lead numerous legislative initiatives advancing the civil rights, safety, health and equality for all LGBT people.

A Day to Service on Cesar Chavez Day

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:19:00 GMT

He co-founded the United Farm Workers (formerly the National Farm Workers Association) with Dolores Huerta, who is a union leader and civil rights advocate in her own right. Huerta lobbied for better working conditions and benefits for local farmers and non-US migrant workers. On top of that, Huerta also fought segregation, police brutality, and racial discrimination.

Let Cesar Chavez Day, on March 31, be a day of community service to respect the work of Cesar and Dolores.

For someone whose family described as an ordinary man, Cesar Chavez has set the bar high and left an immense legacy for modern-day activists to follow. Born in Arizona, Chavez saw the plight of agricultural workers and dedicated his entire life to the reformation of working conditions for these farmers. The Mexican-American civil rights activist and leader was famous for organizing non-violent protests in the form of hunger strikes, marches, and boycotts.

Register Today – SSA National Conference

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:20:00 GMT

Join us for the 18th annual Secular Student Alliance national conference—a unique experience blending organizational development, leadership enrichment, and a secular perspective.

Every year at the SSA Annual Conference, hundreds of secular students and community leaders gather to share ideas and learn from each other. SSA Con’s primary goal is to train student leaders and activists from across the United States in grassroots organizing and leadership skills. Our conference is unique in the movement.

USC Welcomes Ryan Bell as Humanist Chaplain

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 23:13:00 GMT

The Office of Religious Life (ORL) at the University of Southern California (USC) is proud to welcome Ryan Bell as Humanist Chaplain.

“ Forty-four percent of incoming USC Freshman this year have no religious affiliation. We are at a unique moment in American religious history as the fastest growing religious demographic are those who are unaffiliated with formal religion. Traditionally, very few resources have been allocated on college and university campuses to meet this need, but USC is changing that,” said Dr. Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life.

In his role, Ryan will serve as Advisor to the Secular Student Fellowship and provide programing and resources to the growing number of atheist, agnostic, humanist, secular, and questioning students at USC.

Ryan joins USC after 20 years of pastoral ministry experience, first in the Philadelphia metro area and then in Los Angeles. He was the Senior Pastor of the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church from 2005 to 2013 after which he parted ways with the Adventist Church due to theological and practical differences. In January 2014 Ryan began a personal and professional project he called “Year Without God.” In a blog by the same name, he wrote that he would spend the year exploring atheism and the problems with Christianity in an effort to answer questions that had long bothered him. A year later, Ryan revealed to Arun Rath on All Things Considered that he was an atheist and a humanist. His story appeared on the cover of the Los Angeles Times in December 2014 and covered by media outlets around the world, including the BBC, CNN, NPR, Washington Post, to name a few.

Today, Ryan is the National Organizing Manager at the Secular Student Alliance and hosts a podcast called Life After God.

“The future of the humanist chaplaincy is bright,” says Associate Dean Vanessa Gomez Brake. “Our office is not oriented around God, but around meaning and purpose. This sets us apart from other universities, so it was only logical Bell join our team, and continue to expand our support to those students and staff who have a secular worldview.”

Dr. Robert Stephens and Darwin Day

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 18:07:00 GMT

There is a long lineup of scientists who have made groundbreaking discoveries and useful contributions to science, but not many have made the cut to be a special, annual holiday. Back in 1993, Dr. Robert Stephens saw it fit to give that honor to Charles Darwin, the naturalist and geologist whose theories in the origins of modern life have impacted the way humans understand their existence and connection with the rest of the world.

An admirer of Charles Darwin, Dr. Robert Stephens is a cell and molecular biologist who is ardent about inspiring compassion through science. And it all traces back to Charles Darwin. In an interview with the International Darwin Day Foundation, Dr. Stephens described Darwin as “a gentile and companionate man with extraordinary skills of observation and reason,” and, along with Darwin’s wife, “exemplified the ethical and moral values as described in “Humanism and its Aspirations.”

And so, in November 1993, Dr. Stephens pitched the idea of Darwin Day in front of the Humanist Community at Stanford University. Needless to say, the members present at the meeting were receptive to the idea—and soon started oiling the wheels to make the event a success. The preparations included everything from obtaining funds from supportive organizations to getting in touch with influential speakers for the first event, which was then held on April 22, 1995.

Eventually, Dr. Stephens worked with key persons abroad—educators, thought leaders, and scientists—to bring Darwin Day to an international audience. All efforts proved to be fruitful, as Darwin Day now gets celebrated worldwide every February 12—the birthday of Darwin himself.

More than an appreciation of Darwin’s contributions to modern biology, Darwin Day ought to emphasize Darwin’s impact on philosophy. According to Dr. Stephens, Darwin’s life and work lend much to the “fundamental values of Humanism.” Indeed, Darwin’s theories removed the idea of a higher purpose and, in effect, offered a much more sensible approach to human ethics and morals.

As for what humanists, freethinkers, and atheists can do? Dr. Stephen urges everyone to utilize the natural selection and modern scientific methods to reframe mindsets—the same way Dr. Stephen employed science to be the pragmatic humanist he is today. “I was a farm boy, but wouldn’t have been interested in Darwin if it wasn’t for my education.”

Charles Darwin has, indeed, catalyzed developments in science, health, and philosophy, and continuously inspires us to be more aware of our place in the world. On Darwin Day, it is our turn to carry on his legacy and inspire others to think critically, seek answers methodically, and act ethically in relation to our communities.

2018 National Conference returns to Ohio State

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 23:09:00 GMT

Join us this summer at Ohio State University for the annual SSA National Conference, June 29-July 1, 2018 .
More information about speakers and schedule will be published on the website as they become available.

Sponsor the conference!
Students travel from all over the country to attend this unique leadership development and relationship building event. The SSA National Conference presents a unique opportunity for your organization to meet and interaction with hundreds of secular student leader.

Be an exhibitor, sponsor a meal, buy an advertisement. Download the PDF here for more information.

Secular Service on MLK Day

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 13:49:00 GMT

Martin Luther King Jr. was many things—influential leader of civil rights, advocate for social justice, and also famously a reverend. Born to a father who was a Baptist minister and a mother who was a choir leader at church, King grew up singing songs of praise, and later drew many of his ethical principles from Christian teachings as a minister and an activist.

Humanists celebrate King for his sense of balance and reason, which enabled him to transcend borders and preach to people what the fight for equality takes. His efforts to advance civil rights and social justice—proudly remembered as non-violent protests—remain a turning point in American history and shaped the lives of many black Americans. Above all, King was a leader who believed that freedom and justice are truly for all and carried out his vision.

King was hardly a passive Christian and openly criticized religion’s support of discriminatory practices, once agreeing with the Supreme Court’s decision to rule the school prayer as unconstitutional, saying that, “In a pluralistic society such as ours, who is to determine what prayer shall be spoken, and by whom?” King was also not hesitant to call out organized religions the minute they use faith as a tool for political gains. He was open to the more cosmopolitan idea of what could band societies together, saying that, “If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.”

Decades after King’s death, his legacy lives on. And it’s more relevant now than ever. To this day, threats against race, religion, class, and sexuality still surface—and we are pressed with the need to resolve these issues and advocate civil rights for all.

On MLK Day, we strongly urge you to be of service to others. Reach out to people and communities who need your help or charity, and participate in movements that advocate for the basic human rights of those who may need the support the most.

In line with this, student chapters of the Secular Student Alliance are organizing and participating in community service projects in their local communities. Secular or spiritual, together, let us put MLK’s legacy into action and give back to the community.

Call for Nominations for the Board of Directors

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 19:42:00 GMT

The Secular Student Alliance is seeking nominations for enthusiastic, energetic, and empathetic individuals to serve on the Board of Directors, beginning in April 2018.

Board members serve a four-year term and are responsible for helping shape and guide the organization as it evolves to meet the needs of our student chapters, focuses on core values, and rises to meet the challenges presented by the current political and social environment.

If you have been looking for an opportunity to put your skills and passion to work to support the broader goals and values of secularism and humanism, to make an impact on the future, and to give back to your community, please submit an application .

Applications should be submitted by January 30, 2018, and will be reviewed by the Nominations Committee.

If you would like to recommend someone to the Nominations Committee, please send an email with that person’s name, contact information, and your reason for suggesting them to nominating@secularstudents.org or encourage them fill out the nomination application.

Students from University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez bring relief to residents in the wake of Hurricane Maria

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 20:11:00 GMT

Gerardo Rivera, the president of the SSA chapter at UPRM has been leading the effort among the atheist and humanist community in Puerto Rico to bring much needed relief to those who are suffering, two months later, from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. Today, over half of the island is still without power.

Gerardo and his team haven’t been shy about their atheism while doing this work and the local residents have been very receptive, even though the vast majority are Christian.
“We were vocal in telling people that we were atheists, and the people told us that they don’t care what we believe, but they think that God sent us to help them. One old lady said, ‘I have no problem with atheists, but deep down in my heart I know that God sent you, so I hope that God blesses you.'”
—Gerardo Rivera

Secular Student Alliance

The Secular Student Alliance’s Steadfast Commitment to Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights

Our Students Face the Next Wave of Christian Nationalism’s Agenda

Fighting Project 2025 and Youth Voter Suppression

Standing for Reproductive Rights on Campus

Secular Student Alliance partners with The Satanic Temple for After School Satan Club

Appointment of New Board Members - Secular Student Alliance

Welcome new Board Chair, Dr. Ryan Bodanyi

Upholding Constitutional Integrity: The Imperative of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

Home for the Holidays

A Lawyer In Drag In Texas

Defending the Wall of Separation: The Power of Student Advocacy

GOP Candidates Shutting Out GEN Z and Millennials in Presidential Debate

Announcing the Appointment of New SSA Board Members

Faith-Based Outreach: Open Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

West Texas University President Cancels Student Drag Show Citing Religious Beliefs

Experiences with Favoritism for Religious Student Groups?

Secular leaders urge Biden not to sponsor National Prayer Breakfast

303 Creative v. Elenis

The Secular Student Alliance Reaches 80,000 Students At Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Private: Welcome Matthew Korn

2022 Student Activist Scholarship Recipients

How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom

Secular Student Alliance Denounces SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

Truth Wanted at the University of Texas, San Antonio

Welcome New SSA Board Members

Please join us in welcoming four new members to the SSA Board of Directors.

Sarah Henry for Florida Representative

Direct Outreach to 1.4 Million Students

The Anatomy of Prejudice

Court brief takes on anti-trans Indiana public school teacher

SSA Freethought Backbone Awardee and Atheist Icon, Bobby Kirkhart Died

Secular Student Alliance v. U.S. Department of Education

The Discrimination of Kappa Sigma

Lawsuit to Overturn Department of Education Regulation that Forces Universities to Fund Discrimination by Student Groups

SSA president at Vanderbilt joins first Cohort of Interfaith Fellows

Kayley Rettberg: Shaping her life and career with secular values

How to Make an Impact in Politics

SSA Debuts Presidential Debate Scorecord

Host Your Own Virtual Ask An Atheist Day This Thursday

The world needs more secular students

Secular Student Alliance to Hold Virtual Graduation Celebration

Secular students testify against “right to discriminate” law in Missouri

Utah State kicks off ‘Much Better Sex’ tour

Student leader receives prestigious academic award

Secular Students Are Leading the Way (The Humanist, Sept/Oct 2019)

2019 SSA scholarship application now open!

SSA student stands up for goodness without God

Students rally in response to anti-trans message on campus

Dan Barker Tours SSA Chapters Across the Country

Join SSA at the American Atheists National Convention

Better Together – the 2019 SSA National Conference

Students across the US celebrate Darwin’s 210th birthday

Secular Student Life podcast launched

University of North Texas SSA in the news

Secular Student Fellowship at USC fights campus loneliness epidemic

Loneliness in college: Learning to cope

Acknowledging loneliness in college

Overcoming loneliness in college

Getting help

Maggie Capehart and Marshall University in the news!

SSA Chapters Across Texas Volunteer in Houston

SSA Announces 2018 Scholarship Recipients

SSA Students Mobilize Voters

Trinity University Secular Student Alliance in the Making

Secular Spring Break in Puerto Rico

Interview with Raghen Lucy

Students express themselves on Ask An Atheist Day

Finding Peace in Knowledge: My Journey to Secularism

Recent Posts

From protesting abortion clinics to protesting hate preachers

Rogers State University students serve the homeless

An Empowering Weekend

“Being able to network with other student leaders was invaluable,” said Armando from Los Angeles Mission College. “I genuinely feel that people I met this weekend truly care and want to participate in ushering a new era.”

Join Us for Ask An Atheist Day

SSA Welcomes Marisa Rubio as Development Associate

SSA Scholarships application now available!

2019 SSA National Conference

SAVE THE DATE

Louise Jett joins the SSA Team