Women in Secularism Conference

I few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be able to attend the 3rd annual Women in Secularism Conference in DC. The list of speakers was awesome (as they were last year).

The conference seemed to have a bit more of a theme this year than they last one I attended. They focused a bit more on online feminism. Many of the speakers spoke of their own experiences with negativity while being a blogger/vlogger/writer. I knew trolls were out there but I never thought that women online were attacked in such hurtful ways so frequently. 

Women being called bitches, being threatened with rape and violence, and, of course, the general all-American name calling based on physical features. It's amazing that when someone is upset with  another person we attack each other with verbal assaults based on weight/face shape/clothes/etc. I can only imagine that when someone stoops that low they must not be very intelligent. Thus, not worth the effort.

'Not worth the effort' is the philosophy many of the speakers carried with them through their travels via the interwebs. Luckily, I have not personally encountered any vicious comments. I hope that I can react with the same grace and poise these women seemed to have. Or just weep silently in the shower.

Besides the troll conversations there was plenty to learn from these women. Many seemed to have wisdom and fearlessness beyond any Canadian lumberjack. Their confidence on stage and in person was like a breath of fresh air to me.  It gave me hope about my role as a leader in my Denver community.

Even tough I didn't feel as if I meshed well with the 'cool feminist atheists', I did feel an overall sense of comradery with the conference as a whole. The main purpose of the conference is to give women a chance to learn about all the wonderful things women are capable of- not just in the world but within the secular world. "Boy's club" is the term mostly given to atheism. Women are there but we are few and far between. Leader women are even harder to find. But at a conference such as this, it was oozing confidence, leadership, and focus. 

One of the speakers, Amy Davis Roth, mentioned that she wanted to start a women's secular group in her community in Los Angeles.  I can only wish her good things. The endeavor of having a women only secular group here in Denver proved difficult. It was appalling to find out how many people opposed such a thing. While the women's conference is open to anyone who wishes to go I feel that, within smaller communities, women may feel more comfortable with only other women. I know. I know. 'It hinders women from becoming leaders and omits men who want to help with the issues we face." Our own women's group here in Denver is women only due to a vote among the women. We partner with Denver Atheists (men and women) on some occasions to do just that. I'm all for equality within the secular community but we're not quite there yet. Many women are coming out of an oppressive religion and our voices tend to be drowned out. I feel that a women's group is a stepping stone in the path toward stronger secular women.

Growing up in a southern church I was more used to seeing women silently standing behind their husbands or tucked away in the church kitchen. They were never center stage in the pulpit. Even in women's church groups it was seen as more of a secret meeting were we were all quietly listening to the one women in charge- usually appointed by a man. In these meetings we were taught how to be good wives and nurturers. We were taught to remain pure and how to listen to our husbands. We learned how to be good women of Christ- ones who never caused a fuss and were the keepers of the household.

I hated those meetings.

With the CFI adding the Women's Conference to their mix I believe it has given women a place to be able to be more outspoken, to be able to find other powerful women, and to learn that it is A-OK to have a strong, full voice in the secular world, their own secular community, and the world. I'm glad I went and I can't wait for next year!