- Lori Lipman Brown poses with her cake
On Monday, March 2nd, the nation’s first secular lobbyist spoke to a crowd of 45 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. In her speech, Lori Lipman Brown talked about the discrimination non-theists receive in the military, in some public schools, and in the Boy Scouts.
Club President Leslie Zukor and Lori Lipman Brown before the Introduction
Unfortunately, Brown’s efforts to defund the Boy Scouts, because they discriminate against gays and atheists, haven’t been fruitful. However, after meeting with President Obama, she was successful in having him include non-theists in his Inaugural Address.
Lori Lipman Brown poses with RSA members and friends
Although it was shocking how poorly atheists were treated in some parts of this country, it was equally surprising how many non-believers are in Congress. Lori Lipman Brown proclaimed that there are a full 21 atheists, agnostics, and humanists in the U.S. Congress.
RSA members and friends pose for a silly picture
While it would be impressive to find 21 non-theists in the whole Congress, the survey that led to the divulging of this statistic wasn’t comprehensive. Lori Lipman Brown’s organization, the Secular Coalition for America, only surveyed 60 “friendly” Congresspeople.
Club member Matt Steele and Michele Ulriksen talk to Lori Lipman Brown
Although some audience members were eager to “out” the non-believers in the nation’s Capitol, Brown said she was not privy to the list, and that they did not wish to be publicly identified. Only Pete Stark, D-California, was willing to pronounce his non-belief to a public audience.
Lori Lipman Brown Speaks at Reed
If it was encouraging that Stark was honest about his non-belief, it was even more exciting that he won his re-election bid with a greater percentage of the vote than before his intrepid announcement. According to the speaker, this was indicative of a trend in her lobbying that people are becoming more receptive to atheists.
Lori Lipman Brown answers questions during the Q & A
It was encouraging for atheists everywhere, Brown said, that people would vote for a politician, not for his or her private religious beliefs, but because that person shared common values. And it was this message of hope that Lori Lipman Brown’s speech left the audience with, namely, that a brighter future lies ahead for non-believers in the U.S.
Lori Lipman Brown enjoys herself during the Q & A
It was a pleasure to meet Lori Lipman Brown. What activism! As an atheist, I so appreciate the things she has accomplished through her work with the Secular Coalition of America. She gave a polished and effective speech that touched on many of the issues that the coalition has taken on such as faith based initiatives, GLBT issues, and discrimination that nontheists face every day. Thanks Lori for your fabulous work!