Openly Secular Day aims to remove stigma

Today is Openly Secular Day and Foundation Beyond Belief is proud to be a partner.

The mission of Openly Secular Day is to help lower prejudice against secular people by increasing the visibility of the secular community in much the same way that increasing visibility has changed things for the LGBT community. For example, according to a June 2013 Pew Research study, 68% of those who personally know gay or lesbian people favor marriage equality, compared with just 32% of those who don’t know anyone.

According to the Openly Secular website, "We envision a world where there are no social costs for being secular, where families and communities remain whole when some members have moved away from religion or supernaturalism." To this end, they have created a website that includes stories, some that serve to show the pain of discrimination and that serve as evidence of why things need to change, as well as stories of joy that demonstrate their values of Acceptance, Reason, and Love and show people who are happy they have become open.

You can find out more information on their Facebook page or at their website where you can join the more than 500 people who have taken the "Tell One Person” pledge, read stories of becoming openly secular, or tell your own.