For Immediate Release
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
(Washington, DC, January 12, 2016)—The American Humanist Association, a member organization of the Secular Coalition for America, welcomes Larry T. Decker as the Secular Coalition’s new executive director.
“Larry Decker brings a wealth of experience in bipartisan lobbying and coalition building that will increase the voice of secular Americans and the religiously unaffiliated in politics, as well as strengthen the secular movement as a whole,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association and former board member of the Secular Coalition for America.
Decker identifies as an unaffiliated Christian who is committed to upholding the civil liberties of all Americans, including humanists, atheists, agnostics and nontheists. In a press release from the Secular Coalition for America, Decker stated his intentions to oppose discrimination against the nontheistic community and to defend the separation of church and state.
“Our nation takes pride in our commitment to civil rights and civil liberties. In 2016, everyone should feel comfortable being open about who they are and unafraid to reject the imposition of other people’s beliefs in their own lives. Unfortunately, hateful and insulting rhetoric toward nontheists and minority faiths cause many to feel that there is no place for them in our society. The Secular Coalition will staunchly defend those who are stigmatized and remind candidates and elected officials of their duty to serve citizens of all faiths and none,” Decker said in a statement.
Decker has nearly two decades of experience in lobbying, political and nonprofit work in Washington, DC, and he has extensive experience in coalition-building. For eight years, he served at the national headquarters of the American Red Cross, first as its Senior Director of Congressional Affairs and later as its Director of Government Operations. His previous experience also includes working for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as Special Assistant in the Office of Legislative Affairs and Public Liaison at the U.S. Department of the Treasurer under the second term of the Clinton administration.
The American Humanist Association looks forward to working with Larry Decker and the Secular Coalition for America to advocate for humanists on Capitol Hill and to promote civil liberties and human rights around the globe.
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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, DC, 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 philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.