Nicole Shea Niebler, major gifts officer of Americans United, spoke in Denver on September 22 on the subject of “Preserving Church-State Separation Amidst Christian Nationalism and Project 2025.” A coalition of groups consisting of Jefferson Humanists, American Humanist Association, Jefferson Unitarian Church and First Universalist Church hosted the event.
On October 1, Alicia Johnson, AU’s national organizer and student network manager, participated in a virtual panel on the topic of “We Vote for Women’s Bodily Autonomy.” The event was sponsored by Why Do You Vote?
The same day Jenny Samuels, legal fellow, spoke on “Religious Tolerance” at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Dena Sher, associate vice president of public policy for AU, on October 2 participated virtually in a panel on “Religion, Law and Healthcare” sponsored by Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
On October 3, Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser was a Rosh Hashanah speaker at Congregation Kol Ami-KC in Kansas City, Missouri.
In Sacramento, California on October 6, AU Senior Adviser Rob Boston spoke on the topic of “Christian Nationalism and Project 2025” at an event on California Freethought Day 2024.
On October 16, Americans United hosted a virtual screening of a documentary titled “For Our Daughters: Stories of Abuse, Betrayal, and Resistance in the Evangelical Church.” The film is described as a “timely exploration of the intersection between faith, politics, and women’s rights in America” that “honors the brave sexual and spiritual abuse survivors within the church who have shared their stories, and those who have not yet spoken.” Following the screening, AU President and CEO Laser and Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez – whose book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation inspired the film – discussed the documentary.
Americans United’s Vice President and Legal Director Rebecca Markert spoke on October 19 in Salt Lake City on the subject of Christian Nationalism. The event was sponsored by Mama Dragons, a non-profit organization “dedicated to creating LGBTQ+ affirming homes through parent education.”
On October 20, in Los Angeles, Cal., Laser presented a speech titled “The Rise of Christian Nationalism.” The event was hosted by the Center for Inquiry West.
Bruce Gourley, AU’s Church & State editor, spoke in Denver on October 20 on the subject of “Christian Nationalism: What is it and Why is it a Threat?” He focused on the historical perspective of, and suggested responses to, the ideology and movement. A coalition of groups consisting of Jefferson Humanists, American Humanist Association, Jefferson Unitarian Church and First Universalist Church sponsored the event.
On October 26, Vice President of Strategic Communication Andrew L. Seidel spoke at a meeting of American Atheists held in Spokane, Washington. His presentation was titled “Unite Against Hate: Resisting White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism in the Pacific Northwest.”