One final reminder: I'll be speaking in San Francisco tomorrow -- that's Saturday, May 29, at 6pm -- for San Francisco Atheists group.
My topic: What can the Atheist movement learn from the gay movement? The atheist movement is already modeling itself on the LGBT movement in many ways -- most obviously with its focus on coming out of the closet. What else can the atheist movement learn from the LGBT movement -- both from its successes and its failures? I'll be talking about coming out; making atheism a safe place to come out into; defusing the ongoing battles between the firebrands and the diplomats in our movement; avoiding squabbles about language and self-definition; making our movement more diverse; and other lessons that can be learned from the history of the LGBT movement.
The talk will be at Schroeder's Restaurant, 240 Front St (meeting room in back), in downtown San Francisco (between California and Sacramento Streets, near Embarcadero BART). The talk will start at 6pm; I'll be talking for about an hour, and there'll be plenty of time for Q&A afterwards. If you're in the Bay Area, I hope to see you there!
Plenty. Fox commentators never fail to link atheism with sexual difference. For the longest time, people like Mr. Bigot-Reilly linked the two, making guffaws and asides to the effect that "atheism...oh, yeah that gay thing." This is supposed to make he-men (not Ahnohld's girly-boys) go on believing in dogmatic nonsense rather than science and reason. I wouldn't be caught gay, as that would make me an atheist, or vice-versa. Believe me, it is not easy to be a freethinking queer. Besides there are all those seething zealot pronouncements by the misogynistic and homophobic Saul Paul of Tarsus. He lied about Jebus. The table was big. An unmarried male going about the Holy Land with twelve guys. Hell, that pale Galilean had a harem.
Posted by: James M. Martin | May 28, 2010 at 05:00 PM
Hi, Greta.
I was at Schroeder's last night. After forty years in the LGBT movement and over thirty years among the atheists, I say you were right on. Someone as articulate and intelligent as you is very refreshing fort both movements.
Posted by: Dick Hewetson | May 30, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Is there any recording of this talk available? I would love to hear it.
Posted by: Valhar2000 | June 02, 2010 at 01:41 AM
Alas, Valhar2000, it wasn't recorded. You'll just have to get your local godless group to fly me out and give the talk in person.
http://www.secularstudents.org/node/2953
Posted by: Greta Christina | June 02, 2010 at 12:50 PM