The year in humanism: news and campaigns round-up
December 17, 2024
What a year it’s been. With religious authoritarianism on the march around the world, let’s take some time to celebrate the many victories for humanism in 2024. Here a round up of campaigns and news moments from across the year.
Assisted dying
We are delighted to support Liam McArthur MSP’s assisted dying bill for Scotland. The bill was lodged in March. Across the spring we shared the pro-assisted dying message and called out a torrent of disinformation in the media.
Over the summer, we responded to the government’s consultation on Liam’s bill. We also had a big campaigns win, as our calls to hear from terminally ill people during evidence sessions on the bill were met. We spoke to The National about links between anti-assisted dying campaigners and evangelical groups, and about the underhand tactics opponents are using.
With oral evidence sessions on Scotland’s assisted dying bill ongoing, we’ve been sharing supportive articles and messages from Rona Mackay MSP, humanist celebrant and palliative care nurse Susan McLeod, and campaigner Joanne Easton.
Ending abortion clinic harassment
This year finally saw the passage of buffer zone legislation through Holyrood. It’s now illegal for religiously motivated protestors to harass abortion clinic users. This is a huge win for humanists and reproductive rights activists across the country. In February we caught up with Alice Murray from Back Off Scotland, one of the groups that spearheaded the campaign, to find out why it means to much to her and others.
Decriminalising abortion
After helping to pass buffer zone laws, we shifted our focus to decriminalising abortion. Arcane laws in Scotland and the UK mean that abortion remains formally illegal, except in special cases. This can make seeking an abortion impractical and intrusive. This needs to change. In May, we caught up with abortion law expert Dr. Lynsey Mitchell, who explained why we need full decriminalisation. We were proud to become part of an advisory team to the Abortion Law Expert Working Group set up by the Scottish government to discuss routes to decriminalisation.
Fighting evangelical lobbying
We will continue to call out religious privilege, disinformation, and underhand political influence wherever we find it. In February we worked with The Guardian on a story exposing Humza Yousaf’s links with evangelical businessman Brian Soutar (see picture). Soutar donates regularly to anti-LGBT, anti-assisted dying, and anti-abortion groups around the country. In October, our CEO Fraser Sutherland sat down for a long-read interview with The Herald. He spoke about the influence of religion in Scottish politics and the international rise of the religious right.
Compulsory religious observance
One of our longest running campaigns, My Beliefs My Choice, calls on Scottish government to end compulsory religious observance in non-denominational schools. In February we told the UN Human Rights Committee that compulsory RO denies children their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In September, we teamed up with children’s rights charity Together for a special back-to-school campaign. And in December, we called out a new bill from Scottish government that formalises a commitment to taking pupils’ views into account but keeps compulsory religious observance.
Stopping conversion practices
Humanists are natural allies of Scotland’s LGBT+ community. We are currently fighting to end anti-LGBT conversion practices, and we continue to call for end to Westminster’s block on gender recognition reform. Holyrood is currently consulting on a bill to criminalise conversion practices. We submitted our views in April. In October we caught up with Emma Roddick MSP, who told us why delays to the progress of the bill must be overcome.
Negotiating political chaos
From the election of Donald Trump to changes in government at Holyrood and Westminster, it’s been a year of political turmoil. We called for progressive humanist policy-making from our new leaders in Edinburgh and London. And we expressed solidarity with US humanists over the re-emergence of Trump’s Christian authoritarianism. In August, we condemned the anti-Muslim rioting that spread across cities and towns in Britain.
The humanist community
We were pleased to see the ongoing rise in popularity of humanist ceremonies and the currency of humanist beliefs in 2024. Census results in May showed a majority of Scots were non-religious for the first time. This follows news in 2023 that more humanist weddings were conducted in 2022 than all other faith and belief-based marriages combined. In June we celebrated ten years of equal marriage in Scotland with celebrant Ross Wright.
In October, we welcomed over 100 delegates from around the country and world to our sold-out Festival of Humanism. In November, our celebrants laid wreaths and took part in ceremonies to mark Remembrance Day. Meanwhile, our brilliant local groups continue to deliver exciting events programmes and make a difference at a regional level across the country.
We said hello to a new ambassador, actor Brian Cox, and goodbye to a stalwart of humanism in Scotland, Kate Buchanan (1964-2024).
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Title image: our CEO Fraser Sutherland with charity leaders and Liam McArthur MSP celebrating the lodging of the assisted dying bill at Holyrood in March.
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