On Saturday, November 11, we will once again be co-hosting Let Peace Be Their Memorial at Seaforth Peace Park in Vancouver.

The event commemorates refugees and other civilian victims of war, who aren't normally included in traditional ceremonies.

The event starts at 2:30 PM and you can find more details on our website.

The BC Humanist Association today submitted its brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights supporting the proposed repeal of sections 176 and 296 of the Criminal Code, the prohibitions on "blasphemous libel", obstructing clergy and disturbing religious worship.

MPs on the Committee are currently studying Bill C-51, which would repeal the two sections and make other amendments to the Criminal Code.

Last week we launched a petition asking the Government of BC to add "nonreligion" to the Human Rights Code.

We've already received nearly 500 signatures, which is a fantastic start!

To continue to build the case for this simple change, I published an editorial in The Tyee today where I set out the motivation for this effort. It's one of the most read articles on their site and I encourage you to read and share it.

Finally, if you've faced discrimination for being an atheist or not believing in god, I want to hear from you. Simply reply to this email with your story and if you'd be okay sharing it (even anonymously) publicly. Personal stories can be some of the most effective ways to raise awareness about the importance of changes like this.

This petition is the first step in our response to the province's effort to re-establish the Human Rights Commission. Keep up to date on our response by signing the petition.

As some would have us believe, Quebec’s Bill 62 doesn’t explicitly mention niqabs or burkas, and anyway, such face coverings are cultural and not religious. Therefore, we’re told, that the renewed debate about the niqab and freedom of religion is completely unnecessary.

If only that were so.

The BC Humanist Association launched a petition today calling on the Government of BC to add "nonreligion" to the provincial Human Rights Code as a protected class.

The Government of BC is in the process of re-establishing a Human Rights Commission and is consulting on what changes should be made to BC's human rights laws.

If you're on Facebook or Twitter, you've probably seen a number of people posting "Me Too" over the past 24 hours.

The campaign, started by actor Alyssa Milano, asks people who've been sexually harassed or assaulted to simply say "me too." Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly women but also some men and gender non-binary people, have since spoken up and many have shared their stories.

I've been lucky to not face the unwanted looks, comments or gropes that so many of my friends and acquaintances have. And I've thankfully never been in a situation where I was afraid that someone wouldn't take no for no.

But I have been reading and listening to these stories. And that makes me think about what I, as a Humanist, can do to promote human flourishing and to defend personal autonomy, which are both denied by this harassment.

As an organization, I am proud to say that our board unanimously adopted a Code of Conduct recently. This document simply sets out that our events should be open and welcoming and free from discrimination and harassment.

I wish we lived in a world where a "me too" campaign or codes of conduct weren't necessary. But instead we live in one where people attending a skeptic conference cheered for a harasser. It's one where I'm nervous about sending this email because I've heard the apologetics for harassment from our own supporters and followers.

But speaking up against injustice is too important. The Humanist movement is built upon progressive values. We must embody them and we must defend them.

By Craig Goldie, Queen's University, Ontario

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) became a reality in Canada when legislation was passed in July 2016. This is the hastening of death through a lethal dose of medication — either by self-ingestion (assisted suicide) or physician injection (euthanasia).

More than 2,000 Canadians have received MAID, administered by a number of physicians. Few of those doctors are palliative care specialists, who are purposely keeping their distance from MAID to avoid further stigmatization as the physicians of death. They do not want to be associated with treatment failure, or viewed as only providing care to those who have either given up or been deemed hopeless.

This has left MAID without leadership or co-ordination, leading to unequal access and confusion among the public and health-care providers.

By Bryan Gaensler, University of Toronto

I’ve been alive for 44 years, and I’ve been watching Star Trek for 44 years.

I was a baby sitting on my father’s lap for re-runs of the original series. I watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at the drive-in. And on I watched, through another 11 films and 624 television episodes, and finally, this month, to the brand new Star Trek: Discovery.

Yes, I’m a Trekkie.

The BC Humanist Association today wrote in support of the SOGI 123 resources being adopted by the Langley School Board.

SOGI stands for sexual orientation and gender identity and was created for BC teachers in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the BC Teachers Federation, nine school districts and Out in Schools. It aims to promote LGBTQ-inclusive education.

Religious conservatives and activists who view the curriculum materials as part of a "political cult" have been holding rallies and targeting Langley School District specifically, despite the program being in place in districts across the province and having received support from all levels of government and across the political spectrum.

A rally in support of SOGI 123 is being organized for September 26 by Langley Parents for Inclusivity.

Four weeks ago we launched our petition calling for the Government of BC to give Humanists equal standing with the many religious groups that are able to perform marriages in the province.

Since then, over 500 people joined our call!

On Thursday, we put those first 500 names in the mail to the Health Minister. We reiterated our simple call: Give Vital Statistics a definition of religion that includes Humanists.

Read our letter.