When Reason Fails Us: Bigotry, Transphobia, and the Crisis of Humanist Integrity
Presented by Sarah Coudert
Please join the Zoom Meeting here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/971381033
In this session, we will be take a critical look at the darker side of modern atheism and humanism, and the troubling ideologies that have been allowed to thrive unchallenged under the guise of reason and scientific inquiry.
In her presentation today, Sarah Coudert—a lifelong atheist, science enthusiast, and passionate advocate of critical thinking—will explore how celebrated figures in the secular world, such as Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne, and Lawrence Krauss, have contributed to a culture that increasingly embraces transphobia, misogyny, and anti-Indigenous rhetoric. These individuals and institutions, including the Center for Inquiry (CFI US) and the Richard Dawkins Foundation, have shifted their focus from promoting scientific literacy to attacking “wokeness,” DEI initiatives, and marginalized communities under the banner of “free speech.”
Sarah will also examine the recently published book The War on Science, edited by Lawrence Krauss—a man with a public record of sexual misconduct allegations and disturbing defenses of known predator Jeffrey Epstein. The book, despite its name, is not about political defunding of science or anti-intellectualism, but rather a coordinated cultural backlash against trans rights, gender diversity, and social justice in academia.
This talk will challenge secular audiences to question who we elevate as leaders and why—and to imagine a more ethical and inclusive form of humanism. Trigger warnings will be provided before the presentation of any transphobic or disturbing content, out of respect for community safety and care, particularly for trans and queer attendees.
Sarah Coudert is a computer engineer, neurodivergent individual, active part of the LGBTQIA+ community and intersectional humanist. She brings her lived experience as a skeptic, a partner to a trans woman, and a survivor of toxic secular spaces to ask: What does true critical thinking look like when we point it back at ourselves?
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