Portrait photo of Brian Cox. He smiles at the camera with arms folded wearing a grey shirt and waistcoat. He has grey hair, moustache, and beard.

Humanist Society Scotland welcomes actor and campaigner Brian Cox as ambassador

November 21, 2024

We’re delighted to welcome actor and campaigner Brian Cox as our new ambassador.

Brian Cox has accepted our invitation to become an ambassador for Humanist Society Scotland. Brian’s endorsement comes at a vital time for the humanist movement in Scotland. There is an important bill on the table to legalise assisted dying in Scotland, a long-held humanist cause which will give dying people autonomy over their own bodies. And with the religious right on the march around the world, we’re delighted to see Brian using his position to take a stand in support of secularism, democracy, rationality, and compassion.

Brian Cox writes:

“Most people know of Humanist Society Scotland because of the marriage and funeral ceremonies that their celebrants perform. But Humanist Society Scotland is essentially a human rights charity, which has been campaigning in Scotland since 1989.

“It is because of Humanist Society Scotland that humanist marriage became legal in Scotland nearly twenty years ago. Since then, amongst other issues, the charity has campaigned for the rights of young people to opt out of religious observance (hymns and prayers) in Scottish schools, and for voting rights to be removed from non-elected religious representatives on local authority education committees. The charity has also campaigned for the removal of the crime of blasphemy from Scots law.

Humanist Society Scotland is a small charity, and it aims to ensure that the decisions made for the people of Scotland are rational and ethical.

“It was the Humanist Society team, campaigning alongside equality charities, that helped to get the equal marriage bill passed. Only this year, the Buffer Zones Bill became law after Humanist Society Scotland worked alongside MSP Gillian Mackay and the campaign group Back Off Scotland to prevent religious harassment of abortion service users. At the moment, Humanist Society Scotland is working alongside partner organisations attempting to get MSP Liam McArthur’s assisted dying bill through the Scottish Parliament. Humanist Society Scotland is battling religious propaganda against the bill, paid for by right-wing groups based overseas.

“Humanist Society Scotland is a small charity, and it aims to ensure that the decisions made for the people of Scotland are rational and ethical. Humanist Society Scotland has my support.”

Brian Cox (b. 1946) is a Scottish actor known for his work on stage and screen. He has received two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, amongst numerous accolades. Recently, he appeared as Logan Roy on the HBO series Succession (2018-23). Cox describes himself as a socialist and has campaigned for a number of progressive causes.

Brian’s endorsement was reported in The National on 22 November.