Published by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.
Vol. 39 No. 06 August 2022
FFRF’s ‘Secular values voters’ ad blitz a success
Candace R. Gorham, was featured in the full-page ad that ran July 3 in the Raleigh News & Observer, where she was pictured in front of the North Carolina State Capitol. The ad describes Candace as “an author, activist, mother, lifelong North Carolinian . . . and an Atheist.”
Ed and Mikel Hensley, activists with the FFRF Kentucky Chapter, were featured in full-page ads on July 3 in both the Frankfort State Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader. In the newspaper ads, Ed is identified as a “a husband, father, grandfather, retired software engineer, Kentuckian . . . and Atheist.” Mikel is identified as a “wife, mother, electrical technician, lifelong Kentuckian . . . and an Atheist.”
Zenaido Quintano is featured on this billboard in Spanish in Phoenix at 7th Avenue, south of Polk Street. He also appeared in the full-page ad in the Arizona Repulbic, where he was identiifed as “a retired corporate executive, small business owner, great-grandfather, native Arizonian . . . And Humanist.”
Black Nonbelievers Founder and President Mandisa Thomas shares a photo of herself in front of the billboard featuring herself that went up in early July in Atlanta.
Lewis L. Foerster is identified as “a father, veteran, president of Unfettered Freethinkers of South Bend, Washingtonian . . . and a Humanist.” Linda M. Foerster is identified as “a wife, daughter, friend, Washingtonian . . and a Freethinker.” They are featured in the upcoming July 3 ad in the Olympian as well as a billboard.
Grant “Chip” Taylor, shown in front of the state Capitol building in Montpelier, Vt., is a Humanist Air Force veteran. The full-page ad ran in the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and Rutland Herald.
Chip worked in human resources, then did radiological protection for State Emergency Management. He’s been a volunteer firefighter for 55 years on four fire departments and served as chief on two of them.
Paul and Dianne, pictured in front of the Iowa State Capitol, are featured in a full-page ad headlined “We’re Secular and We Vote.”
Paul identifies himself in the ad as a “father, grandfather, emergency medicine physician, pilot, Iowan . . . and Humanist.” Dianne is identified as “a mother, grandmother, nurse anesthetist, Colonel, USAR Retired, Iowan . . . and Humanist.”
Suzanne Flathers is shown on the billboard in Hartford on Allyn Street. She was also featured in the full-page ad in the Hartford Courant. She is descibed in the ad as “Grandmother, contract specialist, gardener, lifelong Nutmeg . . . and Atheist.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation was all over the country on billboards and in newspapers during the Fourth of July weekend.
FFRF’s timely and vital national “I’m Secular and I vote” ad campaign began that first weekend in July and will finish around Constitution Day, Sept. 17. (FFRF had the wrong date in the previous issue.)
FFRF featured one member per state (or couples, in some cases) in full-page ads in daily newspapers in state capitals on July 3.
Companion billboards also went up in those cities. To hit larger metropolitan areas, FFRF also had ads in Portland, Ore., Philadelphia and Chicago, and The New York Times.
Each ad features the photo of a local FFRF member, most taken in front of their state Capitol building, and a description about them.
The ad encourages secular voters to join FFRF. It also links to the results of FFRF’s impressive secular values voter survey. (ffrf.org/valuesvoter)
FFRF thanks participants and donors to its advertising fund for making possible this campaign.
