The Rally for Free Expression will take place at the Old Palace Yard, opposite the House of Lords, from 14:00-16:00 hours, on Saturday February 11. http://www.iheu.org/humanists-rally-free-expression

The International Humanist and Ethical Union has joined with its member organization One Law for All to hold a Rally for Free Expression in London on 11 February. The rally was organized to respond to the recent spate of attacks on free speech in the UK, including threats and censorship directed at Humanist student groups at the University of London (see IHEU stories at  http://www.iheu.org/humanists-condemn-another-attack-atheist-expression-london-university and at http://www.iheu.org/threats-violence-force-cancellation-university-talk-sharia-law).

An excellent opportunity for an experienced Communications Officer has arisen within the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), the world union of Humanist and other non-religious organizations.

Yet another Humanist student group in London is being threatened with censorship for talking about Islam. The London School of Economics (LSE) Student Union has instructed the LSE Student Union Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society (LSESU ASH) to remove cartoons featuring Jesus and Mohammed from their Facebook page. It is the third instance this month of free speech being threatened at a London college.

A meeting at the University of London had to be cancelled yesterday after threats of religious  violence. The talk on ‘Sharia Law and Human Rights’ was organized by the Atheism, Secularism and Humanism Society at Queens College.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the British government’s decision to not fund schools that teach creationism or are run by creationist groups. The Department of Education issued a new revision of the model funding agreement for Free Schools in order to preclude "the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations"  The change follows the BHA coordinating the ‘Teach evolution, not creationism!’ campaign, which called for this precise change.

The gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has re-launched its online magazine with a new title, The Pink Humanist.  The UK-based magazine aims to reach a global audience of freethinkers through its website at http://www.thepinkhumanist.com.

Public prayer will no longer be part of local authority council meetings in England and Wales, if the National Secular Society (NSS) wins a case that began at the High Court on Friday, 2 December. About half of local government councils in England say prayers as part of their meetings.

Naomi Phillips, head of public affairs for the British Humanist Association (BHA), said, “The BHA aims to lend its support to significant initiatives to meet global challenges. For us, World AIDS Day is such an initiative, where uniting in the fight against HIV must begin with accepting scientific evidence for the basis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and acknowledging human responsibility and endeavour as the way to reduce harm, to prevent unnecessary suffering and deaths, and to combat prejudice and discrimination.

Journalist and campaigner Patrick Strudwick condemned the role of religious groups in their promotion of “conversion therapy”, during a speech at the annual fundraising lunch of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) in Central London on Saturday, Nov. 12.  He also criticized a Church of England newspaper article for equating gay and Humanist campaigners with Nazis.