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2015 Year in Review

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2015 Year in Review A report to members from the co-presidents Freedom From Religion Foundation Year in Review — 2015 Scientific American featuring testimo- By Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker Freethought Hall FFRF makes the nials by scientists or scientific thinkers, Grand Opening news every day many of them honorary officers of FFRF, We’re not “believers,” but as executive FFRF’s state/church work, litigation including FFRF’s Honorary President directors of a 501(c)(3) nonprophet non- and educational campaigns generated Steven Pinker. FFRF placed several profit, we “religiously” believe in reporting over 2,394 bonafide news stories about prominent full-page ads protesting the what FFRF does with membership dues. FFRF in daily and online newspapers in pope’s address to Congress in September, Below is a summary of 2015 FFRF actions. 2015, plus more than 304 local and some and a two-page ad in the New York Times Last year was marked by the death of national TV news segments. Among staff on Bill of Rights Day (Dec. 15). FFRF’s principal founder, Anne Nicol Gay- appearances, FFRF Co-President Annie lor, age 88. Anne founded FFRF regionally Laurie Gaylor appeared on national “CBS $35,850 in student in 1976 (with the assistance of Annie Lau- This Morning” on Sept. 3, talking about the essay scholarships rie, then a college student, and Jon Sont- mass baptism of Georgia high school foot- arck, an elderly gentleman from Milwaukee ball players — which our complaint halted In 2015, the Wil- who died in 1977). She was asked to take for the future. She also appeared on Sean liam J. Schultz FFRF national in 1978. When Wisconsin Hannity on July 9, where it was famously Memorial Schol- State Journal’s Doug Erickson asked Anne four against one! You can Google these arship, for col- about FFRF’s “in your face” name, Anne shows, or read and watch media coverage lege-bound high replied: “I’ve never liked euphemisms. If daily at ffrf.org/news/media. school seniors, you have something to say, say it.” The FFRF generates own media. At the helped a record New York Times’ obituary heralded Anne year’s end, we said goodbye to Bill Dunn number of students. as “An atheist who saw religion as an op- as editor of Freethought Today, published Seniors picked from pressor of women and the cause of wars.” two topics, “Why I’m 10 times a year, and welcomed his col- Brian Bolton Anne was one of many valued mem- league, also a former staff member at The good without God” bers FFRF lost last year — including Ingrid Laas photo Capital Times newspaper, PJ Slinger. Bill or “Atheist/Nonbe- FFRF’s honorary director, Oliver Sacks, WWII veteran Joseph Cunningham stands will stay on part-time to continue to com- liever of color.” FFRF awarded top winners M.D. The brilliant author touchingly noted next to the Atheist in Foxholes monument pile Black Collar Crimes. in both categories for a total of 23 students in The New York Times op-ed announcing outside FFRF’s offices. Freethought Radio, a weekly radio and $17,950 in prizes. The college com- his terminal cancer: show and podcast, hosted by Dan Bark- petition, a memorial to Michael Hakeem, “My generation is on the way out, and FFRF hosted more than 400 freethink- er and Annie Laurie Gaylor, celebrated a sociology professor, awarded a total of each death I have felt as an abruption, a ers from around the country during its its 500th show in early December. In De- $9,250 in scholarships to 11 college stu- tearing away of part of myself. There will Grand Opening of the Freethought Hall cember, FFRF hit another landmark, be- dents. Lifetime Member Professor Brian be no one like us when we are gone. expansion on Oct. 9, kicking off the an- ginning to broadcast from its own Stephen Bolton sponsors the graduate student es- When people die, they cannot be replaced. nual national convention in Madison, Wis. Uhl “Friendly Atheist” Studio. The radio say competition, which had eight winners They leave holes that cannot be filled. .” Brunch goodies and Champagne flowed show broadcasts originally in Madison, receiving a total of $8,650 in prizes. The past year saw completion and the in the beautiful 4th floor Charlie Brooks Wis., 92.1 FM., streaming on Saturdays Dorea and Dean Schramm provided grand opening of FFRF’s three-year build- Auditorium and music flowed too, with at 11 a.m. CST. All-time stats: Freethought each winning student who is a member ing expansion, attaching a five-story addi- Dan Barker entertaining on the Diane Uhl Radio has had 6.3 million podcast lis- of a secular student club (or FFRF) with a tion to our original pre-Civil War two-story Concert Grand Steinway piano. Mem- teners since 2006, and averages 13,000 $50-$100 bonus. building and topping that with a full-floor bers toured the just-completed Rose Zer- downloads per weekly show. (See wrap for library. We’re luxuriating not just in space, wick Memorial Garden and Courtyard other broadcast cities.) $32,000 awarded to 11 adding many much-needed modest-sized with members’ pavers, the Atheists in FFRF maintains a timely and detailed student activists offices and work areas, but in creating a Foxholes monument honoring freethink- website full of news, views, blogs, ar- showplace for freethought. (More details ing vets, the vestibule with memorial and chives, online versions of Freethought To- Ten thousand dol- on our “reborn” Freethought Hall below.) member tiles, the Anne Nicol Gaylor day, ads, films and photos. FFRF posted lars from the Cath- Also notable, FFRF won five lawsuits in Lobby with plaques naming our gener- and sent media 341 press releases and erine Fahringer 2015, ended more than 200 state/church ous major donors, the Brian Bolton Ex- 49 public action alerts (plus many unpub- Memorial Student entanglements through legal letters, and ecutive Wing and Patrick O’Reiley Ed- lished alerts to members in particular re- Activist Award was launched several necessary new lawsuits. itorial Wing (first floor), the Diane Uhl gions or states). awarded to four on- (More details in the legal section below.) Legal Wing, 2nd floor, the Harold Erick- New Freethought Now! blog. FFRF going, freethinking Here’s to an even feistier 2016, with son Public Relations Wing, the Joel B. posted 87 blogs this year, including 54 college students of your help, in our work for reason to prevail! Landon & Wanda Y. Beers Freethought “Freethought Now!” commentaries at our color with financial Library, and the Stephen Uhl “Friendly new blog site hosted by Patheos. FFRF’s Andrew Seidel photo need, in partnership Atheist” Studio – 3rd floor. The Lower blog is part of the Atheist Channel, which Jarvis Idowu with Black Skep- Level mailing area is named the Harry includes Hemant Mehta’s popular “Friend- tics of Los Angeles. Lonsdale“No Hell Below Us” Wing, and ly Atheist” blog. We thank Staff Attorney Awarded $2,500 each were: Mercedes the cupola with views of the Wisconsin Andrew Seidel for his initiative in sug- Hawkins, Zera Montemayor, Adrienne State Capitol is called the Kenneth Proulx gesting and setting this up. Access FFRF’s Parks and Therrin Wilson. “Above Us Only Sky.” FFRF also erect- blog at patheos.com/blogs/freethought- Three young high school students in ed the first-ever “atheist marquee,” an ed- now/. Analytics show that the blog is intro- New England who challenged their high ucational digital signboard. ducing a younger audience, 46% female, school’s Pledge of Allegiance each re- Csam Wheatley’s silicone sculpture of 54% male, logging more than 275,000 ceived $1,000: Gabriella Ferrell, the Allen Charles Darwin, a life-like, life-sized man- page views and generating a modest in- P. Wilkinson Student Activist Award; nequin, amazes visitors to the library, and come for FFRF. Lily San Giovanni, the Strong Backbone serves as a photo op. FFRF has 351,658 “friends” on Face- Student Activist Award (endowed by a book, and 37,154 followers on Twitter. New York member, age 81); and Morrigan Look for FFRF’s new TV show later this Turner, in memory of Tony Ross. Legal year, produced in the Stephen Uhl Friendly Intern Jarvis Idowu, who worked all three Ingrid Laas photo Atheist Studio! years of law school for FFRF, received FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie $1,000 from the Paul J. Gaylor Memori- Laurie Gaylor PR/educational al Scholarship. Ewan McCartney, grade 8, received the Minglin Zhang Student campaigns continue Award of $1,000 for sitting down for his FFRF reaches more TV advertising. rights (protesting the religious Pledge of than 23,000 members FFRF placed the ef- Allegiance) in Seattle. Benjamin Oyakawa fective Ron Reagan received the $1,000 Thomas Jefferson Welcome to the 2,000 new members TV commercial on Youth Activist Award (endowed by Len who have joined the Freedom From Re- CNN periodically in and Karen Eisenberg) for bravely speak- ligion Foundation last year. FFRF reached 2015 and ran Ron’s ing out against religious entanglements. 23,467 members in 2015. Thank you ad on the penulti- Three special teenagers each received to FFRF’s newest 236 Lifetime Mem- mate “Daily Show” the $5,000 Richard and Beverly Herm- bers, and several “After-Life” Members (a (Comedy Central). sen Student Activist Award for significant Ingrid Laas photo tongue-in-cheek category for those who All other major net- achievement. They include the student wish their membership to live after them). works have cen- Ron Reagan plaintiff in FFRF’s victorious challenge of Increased membership gives FFRF sored our ad.
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