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American Humanist Association

Advocating progressive values and equality for humanists, atheists, and freethinkers

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Margaret Downey

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Margaret Downey


Email: Margaret@FtSociety.org
Phone: 610-793-2737 (office) | 610-357-9432 (cell)


Margaret Downey has had a prolific career in secular activism. Downey is the founder of the Freethought Society, Anti-Discrimination Support Network, Mentor Connection, The Helping Hands Committee, and the Thomas Paine Memorial Committee. She is a past board member of the American Humanist Association, Scouting For All, The Humanist Institute, and the Thomas Paine National Historical Association. She is a current board member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Downey also serves as an advisor for the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum and the Openly Secular campaign.

With all these connections Downey can keep her finger on the pulse of the nontheist community. She has become a proud nontheist spokesperson and media representative. She has been published in three books, Parenting Beyond Belief, A Better Life and 50 Voices of Disbelief.

Downey delivers presentations about dealing with death and how the funeral industry and religion takes advantage of the grieving. In those presentations, she also discusses discrimination against atheists who are in elder care, nursing homes, hospice and in many other ways.

In 2007, Downey created a secular winter holiday symbol – The Tree of Knowledge. The Freethought Society promotes the use of this symbol and supplies at-cost ornaments for all who adopt its use.

Downey has been a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit to remove a Ten Commandments plaque from the facade of the Chester County Courthouse (Pennsylvania) and has organized discrimination complaints against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Downey also filed her own discrimination complaint against BSA in 1991. Downey is a certified Secular Officiant in 2001. Since that time she has operated Secular Celebrations – a secular officiant business designed to serve the life celebration needs of the nontheist community. For more information see: Secular-Celebrations.com.

Secular Celebrations and the Freethought Society began hosting Secular Day of the Dead events in 2015 as a way to offer options for Hispanic nontheists to celebrate and respect their culture’s traditions and rituals in a secular way. The Secular Day of the Dead was created by Victoria de la Torre and Downey in 2013.

Downey is the Skeptics DragonCon Parade Organizer designing and coordinating costumes for 50 people each year since 2010. The parade is viewed live by 90,000 people who line the streets of Atlanta, Georgia every Labor Day weekend. Millions more view the parade on television.

To honor the legacy of Thomas Paine, Downey conducts school assemblies, walking tours (Paris, France and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), special events, and Thomas Paine Day celebrations.

Downey has been a guest on National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation and Radio Times. Television appearances include features on local news stations as well as ABC’s Nightline, PBS and Fox News.

Media Training Worldwide has endorsed Downey to conduct media training for the nontheist community.

Downey created the Richard Dawkins Award in 2003. She served as president of the Atheist Alliance International for two years.

Downey is also available to help host a Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center on any given Friday the 13th. Dressed in character as a Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Nurse, she will help cure superstitions with her team of volunteers. The Treatment Center is comprised of an interactive museum, games, music, and souvenirs. For more information on this educational service visit the website at: Friggatriskaidekaphobia.com.

Speaking Expertise

Thomas Paine
Anti-Superstition
Tree of Knowledge
Discrimination Against Atheists
The History of Women Suffrage
The Secular Day of the Dead
Media Training
Eva Ingersoll Portrayal (one-woman play)
Living Life the Secular Way
30 Years of Activism (A question and answer forum)
Skepticism on Parade
Death and the Secular Community

An honorarium of $150 and transportation costs are required.

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 242
Pocopson, PA 19366

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January 20, 2023 Featured, Press Releases

American Humanist Association Condemns National Prayer Breakfast

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Humanists Condemn New York Governor Hochul’s Veto of Non-Religious Recovery Options Bill

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American Humanist Association
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202-238-9088
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