For Immediate Release
Contact: David Reinbold, dreinbold@americanhumanist.org
(Feb. 27, 2025, Washington, DC) – The Center for Freethought Equality and the Association of Secular Elected Officials are joining forces to provide support to humanist, atheist, agnostic, and other nonreligious elected officials to advance positive public policies, build networks of like-minded public officials, and encourage more elected officials to publicly identify with this community. Earlier this month ASEO’s operations and programs were incorporated into CFE.
Leonard Presberg, ASEO’s founder and president of the advisory board, said, “I am excited about the incorporation of ASEO’s programs into the Center for Freethought Equality. This is going to allow us to grow our existing programming with increased staffing and resources and will help us expand our state policy advocacy initiatives. CFE has always been a leader in identifying and supporting elected officials who support religious freedom and secular government. I can’t wait to see the impact of expanding our reach and the types of new programs and support we can offer our elected officials.”
The Center for Freethought Equality is the advocacy and political arm of the American Humanist Association. CFE has been instrumental in identifying and supporting humanist, atheist, and other secular elected officials and candidates across the country, and CFE supported the formation of the Association of Secular Elected Officials in 2020. Being an atheist elected official or candidate was once considered taboo in American politics. The taboo is gone, but there is still a lingering bias against members of this community. ASEO provides a forum for these elected officials to create camaraderie and connections to help them be open and authentic about their beliefs.
In addition, the Association of Secular Elected Officials invites elected officials to share their legislation with other members at informative policy webinars. These webinars lead to the creation of a Policy Hub where elected officials and allied organizations have provided model legislation that can be used by members in their own states and localities. There are now over 25 policy issues explored on the Policy Hub with video presentations by elected officials, model legislation, regulatory guidance, and more to provide our growing network of members with the resources they need to advance policies that make a positive impact for their constituents and our society at large. The policy issues covered include: ensuring transparency for consumers regarding health care sharing ministries, providing secular alternatives for state mandated substance-abuse recovery programs, promoting responsible home schooling to address both child abuse and educational neglect, and more.
ASEO also has exhibit booths at conferences of elected officials like the National School Boards Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, National League of Cities, and Democratic Municipal Officials to increase the visibility of the humanist and atheist community and to encourage more elected officials to join and be public as a humanist, atheist, agnostic, nonreligious, or secular.
Fish Stark, Executive Director of the Center for Freethought Equality and the American Humanist Association and son of Pete Stark, the first open atheist in Congress, said, “Secular people are the largest religious minority in America, and they deserve representation. We’re proud of the work we’ve done in partnership with the ASEO to help make it easier for secular elected officials to be open about their religious beliefs, build strong networks with like-minded colleagues, and support their work to craft strong policy that enhances constitutional freedoms and humanist values. We look forward to expanding that support as part of our formal merger with ASEO, including by providing more resources to humanist and secular elected officials and candidates.”
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The Center for Freethought Equality (CFE) is the political and advocacy arm of the American Humanist Association. CFE is dedicated to advancing the policy interests of humanists and atheists, and politically empowering our community in the United States. Alongside its advocacy and organizing efforts, CFE has an affiliated political action committee, the Center for Freethought Equality PAC, whose mission is to achieve equality for our community by increasing the number of open humanists and atheists, and allies, in public office at all levels of government.
The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
