The LGBT Humanist Council, a project of the American Humanist Association, is a forum for LGBT humanists from across the country to exchange ideas on local organizing, find support in coming out as LGBT (and a humanist), and to speak out with once voice on issues of concern to the LGBT-humanist community!

Start A Group

The American Humanist Association has over 120 local humanist chapters across the country, many interested in starting an LGBT council. To find a chapter near you, click on the map below.



Can’t find a group near you? Start your own!

Building a Local AHA LGBT Humanist Council

LGBT rights have been on the forefront of national debate since 2008. The 2008 election was both a blow and a boon to the LGBT community. While we won a president who promised to work his best for equality, we lost a battle in California. Funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Proposition 8—a ballot measure that sought to amend the state’s constitution—passed, effectively taking rights away from thousands of LGBT families.

While the LGBT community has not always been linked to humanist causes, Prop 8 is as great example, among many, of how increasingly the battles of the LGBT community are the same as those of freethinkers and humanists. What both communities advocate for is the right to live without church influenced laws: mainly, the separation of church and state as a guaranteed right in the Constitution.

With now a House majority of right-wing religious conservatives, both humanist thinkers and LGBT activists must see it is the perfect time for allying with each other for a common cause.

The AHA’s LGBT Humanist Council is a great way to get begin an outreach effort.

Here are some tips to get started:

  • Think about the potential involvement of your local humanist group on a sliding scale of involvement in LGBT issues. On the one end, your group could volunteer locally, or have a booth at the gay pride parade for your humanist group. On the more involved end, your local group could start a LGBT Humanist Council with monthly meetings and engage in local advocacy under the banner of this new LGBT sub group.
  • You don’t need to do all this work alone! Find others in your community, LGBT or Humanist or both to assist you in brainstorming about and planning this first meeting.
  • Consider co-hosting an event with a local gay group. You could have a speaker on gay rights before the planning meeting, to attract the interested public.
  • Apply for program grants. The American Humanist Association provide local AHA groups with grants for advertising, renting space, and other expenses associated with hosting or co-hosting a seed event.

Before the meeting is planned, here are some questions to consider:

  • What allies in my community can help start this project?
  • When is the best time and date to have the meeting? Could it be attached to the end of the regular humanist meeting?
  • Is there enough potential interest to host a one-off event?
  • What would the structure of this meeting look like?

Potential questions to be considered at the meeting:

  • What is the state of membership of our local humanist group? Could bringing in LGBT members help grow our group?
  • Are there any barriers in our humanist community to more LGBT work? If so, how can we fix them?
  • What sort of work does our humanist community feel comfortable engaging in? Could this bring attention to LGBT rights and humanism?
  • Could involvement of Humanists in LGBT issues have an impact on local LGBT rights? How? Where?
  • Would a LGBT Humanist Council be viable in our community?

As you are thinking about what questions to bring up at your meeting, you should begin to get an idea of how you can structure a meeting around this discussion. As a member of a local humanist group, I’m sure you have experience planning meetings.

If you are interested in starting a LGBT Humanist Council in your hometown, you can contact the Manager of the Council, Michael Friedman. You have his assistance at any steps in this planning process. He can be reached at 415-644-5234 or mfriedman@lgbthumanist.org.

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