The first episode in our 8 part series on the 2016 Reason Rally. We travel to Washington learning about the pre-rally coverage, how the event was marketed, the purpose and attendence of the advocacy days, and what to we have in store in future shows.
This year's rally aimed to show support for the secular viewpoint, advocate that reason and scientific evidence should be the basis for government decisions, and show the political clout of the secular and atheist community. The lowdown crew traveled to D.C. in the first of an eight part series on the rally. Check it out."
The Reason Rally was sponsored by a coalition of secular groups including American Atheists, American Humanist Association, and Center for Inquiry. Kelly Damerow and David Silverman spearheaded a leadership group from all walks of life and many different interests all coming together for common causes.
We arrived in America's capitol on Friday afternoon, third of June, a day ahead of the rally, before most, but behind the ardent activist who made their voices known lobbying to congress.
June 2nd and 3rd were advocacy days in which 275 participants met with legislators on Capitol Hill to lobby in support of evidence-based sex education programs and the REYHA Act introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). They advocated for federally funded sex education that should be comprehensive, not based on abstinence-only, an approach that, the organizers feel, has been proven to be ineffective.
Friday night saw Baba Brinkman’s Rap Guide to Evolution, a performance exactly as the name suggests. The pre-rally days also included a secular bus tour, a Robert Ingersoll walking tour, and a VIP Dinner were the attendees could mingle with their favorite secular celebrities.”
In the next episode we jump straight into the Rally. I’ll interview the Thinking Atheist Seth Andrews, we take a look at some crazy religious anti-rally protestors, Victor Harris waxes poetical about Christian oppression, and Comedian Ricky Gervais thinks ignorance is a pain in the ass.
Sources:
Fox News, “Americans Without Religion Lobby for Political Influence.” Accessed June 17, 2016.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4927893511...
Reason Rally Coalition. Reason Rally Pitch Videos.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnm...
Ruby Mellen, “Thousands of atheists gather in DC for 'Reason Rally.’” Accessed June 2, 2016.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politic...