March 21st, 2019
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has announced it has adopted a neutral position on assisted dying after a clear majority of respondents to its poll either supported or were neutral towards such a move. Humanists UK warmly welcomes this move, and the wider shift in medical opinion regarding assisted dying. The RCP poll revealed […]
March 21st, 2019
Take action! Sign our petition against religious homophobia in schools, and tell the UK Government to support education about tolerance and stand firm against religious hate. Yesterday a number of MPs defended the rights of English schools to teach the new compulsory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) subject, which includes LGBT issues, in line with […]
March 21st, 2019
Take action! If you live in Wales then please urgently respond to the Welsh Government’s consultation on reforming relationships and sexuality education, which closes on Monday. Wales Humanists is calling on the public to stand up for inclusive relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in Wales after a shocking case of a Welsh Catholic school that […]
March 19th, 2019
A Birmingham trust which runs five schools has said it will stop teaching lessons about LGBT acceptance to students following mounting pressure by parents, according to a new BBC report released today. The BBC exclusive report states that Leigh Trust, which runs five schools, said it was halting the lessons until an agreement with parents […]
March 19th, 2019
We spoke to Lindsay van Dijk – a member of the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network and the first humanist to lead a pastoral care or chaplaincy department in the NHS. She spoke to us about listening to patients in need of support, and providing somebody like-minded to speak to during some of life’s most difficult […]
March 18th, 2019
Comedian Ed Byrne will help kick off the Humanists UK Convention 2019 as the headline act of the Friday night comedy gig. Ed is an Irish standup comedian, actor, writer, and self-described nerd, as well as a longtime patron of Humanists UK. Two hours of comedy will kick off Humanists UK Convention, taking place in […]
March 15th, 2019
Humanists UK has issued a statement in response to the terrorist attack which occurred in Christchurch, New Zealand today. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said: ‘This is an atrocity of heartbreaking proportions for a free and peaceful country like New Zealand. Innocent people going about their everyday lives have been targeted. As the Humanist […]
March 14th, 2019
A new report into the state of children’s rights in England strongly criticises the UK Government’s decision to increase the number of 100% religiously selective faith schools in England, and raises concerns about faith-based carve-outs in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). The annual report, which includes evidence submitted by Humanists UK, was produced by the […]
March 14th, 2019
The Saudi Government must overturn the death sentences of Ahmad Al Shamri and the poet Ashraf Fayadh, both convicted of apostasy, and release the blogger Raif Badawi, who has been imprisoned for blasphemy since 2013, Humanists UK told the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in an intervention Geneva. Humanists UK’s representative Rachel […]
March 13th, 2019
Some two years on from a court case on the matter, the Department for Education has admitted that it is still unaware of the number of schools that are illegally segregating pupils by gender. The admission was made in response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Times Educational Supplement (TES) and raises […]
March 13th, 2019
Humanists UK has responded to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s (NIHRC) consultation on its strategic plan for the next three years, calling for a renewed focus on tackling religious segregation in the education sector and workplace, to work for the repeal of blasphemy laws, and to continue to campaign for safe and legal access […]
March 13th, 2019
Humanists UK has called upon member states at the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council to hold the UK Government to account over its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to allow safe, legal, and effective access to abortion in Northern Ireland. Humanists UK representative Rachel Taggart-Ryan stated, ‘Abortion […]
