San Juan, PR—On Monday, American Atheists announced Puerto Rico’s first-ever atheist convention, scheduled for August 21-23, with billboards in San Juan and Ponce. Tickets are now available online at atheists.org/puertorico.



“A significant part of our mission at American Atheists is building up and empowering communities of atheists everywhere, nationwide,” said American Atheists President David Silverman. “Separation of religion and government is a major problem in Puerto Rico—just this month, an unconstitutional police blockade in Santa Isabel stopped 800 cars just to hand out religious pamphlets and offer prayers from on-duty officers. We intend to foster recognition of the Latino atheist community and the need, both legal and moral, for religious neutrality in government.”

The billboards feature members of Humanistas Seculares de Puerto Rico, one of American Atheists’ 160 affiliate groups and the first of its kind in the US territory. The billboard reads (translated to English): “We’re Puerto Ricans and we’re Christians—We’re ex-Christians—We’re atheists!” with “Christians” and “ex-Christians” crossed out in red, followed by the convention website at atheists.org/puertorico and the date of the convention.

Mexican-born actress and American Atheists Board Member Indra Zuno (The Violent Kind, The Virgin of Juárez, Corazón salvaje) will emcee the event, which will feature celebrated atheist debater and TV host Matt Dillahunty as keynote. Hispanic American Freethinkers President David Tamayo, author and professor Hector Avalos, and Mr. Silverman are also scheduled to speak. Many dditional speakers will be announced as the three-day convention approaches.

“We’re seeing extraordinary growth in this community and I’m thrilled to be a part of this historic event,” said Zuno. “The fact that hundreds of excited people have already RSVP’ed to this convention—before registration has even opened—shows just how much demand there is for atheist voices to be heard in Puerto Rico.”

The announcement comes less than two months ahead of the American Atheists 2015 National Convention, to take place April 2-5 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Speakers include human-rights activist and politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, HowStuffWorks.com founder and Discovery Channel host Marshall Brain, comedians Trace Bealieu and Frank Conniff of the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and many more.

For the most-recent version of this press release, including downloadable & reprintable graphics of the billboards, photos of the billboards as they appear in person, and the exact street addresses of the billboards, visit atheists.org/news after the embargo is lifted. The billboard graphic is available here.

Permission is granted to news outlets to republish this graphic after that time under the following conditions:

1) The graphic may not be edited, cropped, obscured, covered, layered over, or modified in any way, except to resize. The black bar at the bottom with the website must remain included in all reprints.

2) American Atheists must be credited for providing the image: “Image courtesy of American Atheists.”

If there are any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or (908) 276-7300.

The billboards are located at:

Location 1: AEELA – PR 18 KM 3.4 F/N San Juan

Location 2: LAS LETRAS DE PONCE, PR 52 KM 98.0 F/NE

and will be on display from February 23 through March 9.

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that defends civil rights for atheists, freethinkers, and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of religion and government; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy. American Atheists was founded in 1963 by Madalyn Murray O’Hair.

For More Information Contact:

David Silverman, President 908-276-7300 x5, [email protected]

American Atheists, Inc.

P.O. Box 158

Cranford, NJ 07016

Tel: (908) 276-7300

Fax: (908) 276-7402

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En Espñnol:

La organización de ateos American Atheists anunció oficialmente la primera convención de ateos a celebrarse en Puerto Rico, durante los días 21 al 23 de agosto de 2015 mediante la utilización de billboards en las ciudades de San Juan y Ponce. Los boletos ya están disponibles en línea en atheists.org/PuertoRico.

“Una parte importante de nuestra misión en American Atheists es el empoderamiento y la ayuda para construir comunidades de ateos en todas partes, a escala nacional”, dijo el presidente de American Atheists, David Silverman. “En Puerto Rico existe un problema grave de violaciones del precepto constitucional de separación de iglesia y estado. Sólo este mes, la policía municipal de Santa Isabel detuvo de manera inconstitucional más de 800 automóviles sólo para repartir folletos religiosos y ofrecer a los conductores detenidos, oraciones sectarias cristianas por parte de oficiales del orden público en horas de trabajo. American Atheists tiene la intención de fomentar en Puerto Rico tanto moralmente como legalmente la neutralidad religiosa que debe existir en el gobierno”.

Los billboards presentan a varios directores y miembros de la organización Humanistas Seculares de Puerto Rico, uno de los 160 grupos afiliados a American Atheists y el primero de su tipo en el territorio de Estados Unidos que ha estado trabajando mano a mano en la organización del evento. Los billboards leen: “Somos puertorriqueños y somos, cristianos, somos ex-cristianos, somos ateos!” Con los “cristianos” y “ex-cristianos” tachado en rojo, seguido por el sitio web de la convención y la fecha de la misma.

La actriz de nacionalidad mexicana y miembro de junta de American Atheists, Indra Zuno (The Violent Kind, La virgen de Juárez, Corazón salvaje), será la maestra de ceremonias, que contará como atracción especial a Matt Dillahunty un muy famoso ateo, especialista en debates y presentador de televisión. También estarán programados para participar de las conferencias el presidente de la organización Hispanic American Free-Thinkers (Librepensadores hispanoamericanos), David Tamayo, el autor y profesor Héctor Ávalos y el presidente de la organización American Atheists, David Silverman. Según se acerque la fecha de la convención se darán los nombres de muchos oradores adicionales que participaran del evento de tres días.

El anuncio se produce menos de dos meses antes de la Convención Nacional de American Atheists 2015, que tendrá lugar 2 a 5 abril de 2015 en el Hotel Peabody en Memphis, Tennessee. Los oradores incluyen a la activista de derechos humanos y políticos Ayaan Hirsi Ali, fundadora de HowStuffWorks.com, el anfitrión de Discovery Channel, Marshall Brain, los comediantes Trace Beaulieu y Frank Conniff del elenco de Mystery Science Theater 3000, y muchos más.

Las carteleras se encuentran en:

Location 1: AEELA – PR 18 KM 3.4 F/N San Juan

Location 2: LAS LETRAS DE PONCE, PR 52 KM 98.0 F/NE

y estará en exhibición a partir del 23 de febrero al 9 de marzo.

Para más información:

David Silverman, President 908-276-7300 x5, [email protected]