Glass City Humanist

The Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie hosted a speech by Fish Stark, executive director of the American Humanist Association on September 13, 2026 in Toledo. This episode includes his remarks as recorded on that day.

Stark discusses what humanism means as a positive identity rooted in science, compassion, human potential, and human responsibility. He describes humanists as people committed to civil liberties, human dignity, and the idea that public institutions should serve everyone equally. He then explains Christian nationalism as an extreme right-wing movement that seeks to use government to impose a conservative religious framework. Stark describes legal and legislative efforts by the AHA and its allies to oppose these trends.

Next are a couple of clips from the AHA's National Conference held online on September 19th. Jordan Klepper's acceptance speech for Humanist of the Year reflects on uncertainty, certainty in politics, and the role of kindness. He talks about humanism as a commitment to reason and intentional compassion rather than automatic tradition.

Rachel Deitch outlines the policy work of the Center for Free Thought Equality, including opposition to voucher expansion, chaplain replacement bills in public schools, and release-time religious instruction. She also describes support for a student bill of rights for secular public education and plans to expand state-level advocacy.

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our merch

Three women whose lives were tied to humanist and feminist values: Dolly Parton, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem died recently. We talk about their work, the ways they supported other people, and the public roles they played.

We talk about a Zoom conversation Gloria Steinem held with our local group, which was a highlight for our host. She encouraged people to identify potential activists and get them involved in public life and we mention her later repudiation of earlier anti-trans views and her efforts to make the feminist movement be more inclusive.

The American Humanist Association has gone through a rebrand, including an updated logo, website, and tagline. We explain the reasons for the changes, the response from members, and the effort to reach younger people through social media and creators.

Finally, we talk about the city of Toledo’s effort to landmark two closed Catholic church buildings before a demolition moratorium expires. We explain the legal and practical issues around preserving old church buildings, and we compare that situation to other reused buildings and local preservation debates.

Full Show Notes and Links Used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our merch

In an update to previous episodes talking about Released Time Religious Education in Ohio and LifeWise Academy in particular, our guest Keith Comer, founder of Respect our Schools discusses what has been happening since LifeWise lobbied the state to force it's brand of child recruitment into the middle of the school day.

Elementary students are most affected because their schedules are controlled by the school, making mid-day departures disruptive. He says LifeWise prefers to take students during specials because attendance is higher than during lunch, or recess, and the ultimate goal is recruitment and proselytizing rather than character education.

Another focus is money and organization. Comer says LifeWise operates like a franchise, collecting fees from local groups and sending money to headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio. He says local programs often pay substantial portions of their fundraising to the central organization, which also provides curriculum, insurance, and training.

We end with concerns about safety and school resources. Comer says parents should ask how background checks, transportation, and monitoring are handled. He also describes cases where schools, city property, or public facilities were illegally used for LifeWise-related activities, and says legal challenges may be necessary to stop such programs.

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe to our free email list

Check out or merch

There is an anti-science agenda of Christian nationalism. We saw it in the recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci. The claims made against Fauci, causing him to invoke the Fifth Amendment, is a political effort to unfairly blame him for the pandemic.

Science has been politicized, including attacks on gender-affirming care, abortion, vaccines, and public health guidance. The scientific method and with the role of experts during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also noting past public health crises such as the AIDS epidemic, show why science policy can't be about politics.

There was an offensive billboard in Lima, Ohio, which said that no child has two dads or two moms. We explain why we see the message as harmful to LGBTQ+ families, describe the organization behind it, and note the community response, including a positive counter-campaign and public pushback.

An interfaith group sued the federal government over Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge claiming an unique reason.

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe To Our Free Newsletter

Check Out Our Merch

Donate to the Show

In this episode, we focus on how we judge political candidates using evidence rather than instinct. We look at the Graham Platner controversy in Maine, and how prior trauma, PTSD, alcoholism, and harmful behavior can shape a person’s life while still not removing the need for accountability.

There are limits of certainty in politics. We say that we are not clairvoyant, that we should give people the benefit of the doubt until credible information changes our view, and that our own life experiences can affect how we interpret allegations. Recent political history and campaign reporting explains why corroborated evidence matters.

The other big story is local. We discuss Ohio House Bill 347 and the continuing effort by Christian nationalist groups to restrict abortion despite our state’s reproductive rights amendment. Following a public records requests, we show who was involved in shaping the bill, and how the documentation revealed coordination behind the proposal between a state anti-abortion lawyer and the two representatives that introduced his copy and pasted bill.

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

Check out our merch

Even with all the struggles in protecting our religious liberty, we need to remind ourselves how progressive and positive Humanism is. We do have to focus on negative aspects of the world in order to highlight how Humanism is a better, bold, and joyful way.

We highlight a book by Roy Speckhardt and and essay by Fred Edwards to define humanism as a philosophy grounded in reason, science, empathy, compassion, fairness, civil liberties, and human rights. We also note that humanism is open-ended, forward-looking, and focused on life in the present rather than supernatural authority.

We then look at three current religious liberty issues. One is the end of the biased Trump Religious Liberty Commission and a lawsuit filed by progressive groups. We talk about Pete Hegseth removing many religions off the official Department of Defense list and Douglas points out how an agency of the Federal government shouldn't be passing judgement on what is and what isn't an approved religion.

Finally, we mention a Supreme Court decision the pushed aside a lawsuit involving a Rastafarian prisoner and the violation of his religious liberty. Religious liberty seems to only apply to Christian Nationalists

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our merch

We start off talking about an informational booth we staffed at the Old West End Festival in Toledo and how the event was affected by gun violence. The festival is an important outreach opportunity for our small humanist group. All our volunteers were safe, and we were glad with the festival's decision to cancel the Sunday schedule. We discuss our concerns about desperation of young people in the city, the limits of police response, and the broader problem of easy access to guns.

Next we reflect on changing cultural norms by looking back at older films and music we enjoyed in our youth. We discuss how some works now feel dated or offensive, including films Airport 75, Valley Girl, Gone with the Wind, Birth of a Nation, and some early Eddie Murphy comedy material. Culture does change over time and people should be treated with basic worth and dignity.

Full Show Notes & Links

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our merch

Our guest is Ken Schneck, the founder and editor of the Buckeye Flame, a statewide LGBTQ+ news site in Ohio. We discuss how the publication began in 2020 and why he felt there needed to be a dedicated source covering LGBTQ+ issues across Ohio.

The mission of the Buckeye Flame is to amplify LGBTQ+ Ohioans and support civic engagement. It encourages readers to submit local stories, including from rural parts of the state, and how that approach has expanded the range of reporting they receive. They also want people to freely share the articles with others.

The main reason we produced this episode was to talk about the recent coverage of House Bill 249, the proposed drag ban in Ohio. We discuss testimony from LGBTQ+ people who appeared before the Ohio House Judiciary Committee, including the tense exchange between Representative Josh Williams and witnesses who spoke against the bill. We focus on how the hearing affected people testifying from their lived experience and professional expertise.

House Bill 249 not only connects to drag performances but also to transgender people being in public spaces. We discuss concerns raised in the hearing about vague legal language, enforcement, and the possibility of chilling speech and discouraging public expression.

We also talk about the history and future of LGBTQ+ media in Ohio and the publication’s efforts to expand coverage of LGBTQ+ Ohioans of color.

01:00 Origins of The Buckeye Flame and mission

05:54 When Queer Ohioans Confronted the Man Trying to Erase Them

10:19 Two Clips from the HB 249 hearing on 03/18/2026

29:10 Main Interview resumes

Full show notes & Links Used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our merch

We give an after-action report on our American Empathy Project sponsored by a grant from the American Humanist Association. Douglas took the lead on this project and he recounts his project anxiety and lack of logistical awareness. He didn't realize what moving 400 plus cans of food really meant. We had to dial back our goal of 100 kits on the day of the event and completed 50 kits in less than an hour.

Another freethinking celebrity, Bill Maher, took his podcast guest, comedian David Cross to task for Cross' daughter having Trans friends. Maher repeated many transphobic myths like he was a member of Turning Point USA. We listen to a segment from Sam Seder of Majority Report about the interview and we agree how Maher’s skepticism reflects a disregard for the lived realities of many. It is crucial to highlight that listening to and validating children's identities is not an agenda; instead, it is an essential aspect of affirming their dignity and well-being.

Finally we try to unpack the US Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Calais that finally gutted the last bit of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Many southern states with history of racial voter suppression are trying to quickly redraw their voting maps to eliminate as many Democrat held seats as possible before the midterm election in November. We connect the historical context of voting rights with contemporary struggles against systemic racism, illustrating how far we still need to go in achieving electoral equity.

01:00 Our American Empathy Project After-Action Report

12:31 Children Trigger Bill Maher

27:09 Waving Voting Rights Good Bye

Full show notes & links used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check Out our Merch

We discuss the pressing themes of humanism and empathy as we prepare for the American Empathy Project, an initiative aimed at combating the widespread cruelty currently proliferating across our nation. We discuss how this project, set to launch on May 2nd, provides a platform for community service projects funded through $100,000 in grants by the American Humanist Association. These projects embody the essence of compassion and collective action in the face of adversity.

In more positive news, Virginia's recent legislation aimed at dismantling historical racial injustices by eliminating taxpayer subsidies for Confederate organizations reflects a broader movement towards acknowledging and rectifying past discriminations.

Finally we look at the recent fight President Trump started with Pope Leo over the latter's criticism of the stupid "war" the US is waging against Iran. We look at the backlash faced by Pope Leo in response to his criticisms of the Trump administration and the broader implications this has for the Catholic community, especially as it relates to empathy in political discourse. Trump needs catholic voters more than they need him.

Full Show Notes & Links Used

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Check out our Merch