Liberate Your Inner Awesome: Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt!

Last weekend, I attended the Largest Secular Gathering in World History: The Reason Rally. I was so proud to be a part of the atheist movement that day. Around 30,000 secularists showed up, and I had the honor and privilege to be among them. There was entertaining music, inspiring speeches by some of the best and the brightest in the atheist community, and of course, an abundance of free stuff! As an atheist aspiring to come out to my friends and family, it was very important that I not only know that I had a supportive community backing me, but to see them as well. That was my mission in going to the rally, and I can very confidently say that it was a tremendous success. I took a ton of pictures, albeit not very good ones. I also took many videos. I stood there in the front, right next to the stage for 6 hours in the rain, recording as much as I could of the event, learning as much as I could from the people who had been my inspiration through this tedious journey. It was almost surreal seeing them all in one place. Richard Dawkins, Christina Rad, Victor Harris, Jamila Bey, PZ Myers, James Randi, Penn Jillette (via video), Greta Christina, and so many other atheists who I admired, all on stage, all telling us in their own way that it's okay to stand tall and boldly proclaim that, 'I am an atheist". I met people that I hope to stay in touch with for years to come, and I made memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. I hope to make it to the American Atheist Convention next year to see all these lovely speakers again.

Peace & Love,
Chantal Wallace