A psychotherapist found guilty of professional malpractice for using a bogus form of treatment which claims to “cure” homosexuality has lost her appeal against the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  Lesley Pilkington was found guilty of malpractice last year after trying to convert a gay client to heterosexuality using so-called “conversion therapy”. The BACP described her practices as “negligent”, “dogmatic” and “unprofessional”.  The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the BACP’s decision.

Today, May 21st, Church and State moved a little further apart in Norway. The reality is not as dramatic as many of the international headlines stating that Norway has disestablished its State Church, but it is a major step towards the ultimate goal of completely separating the Lutheran Church of Norway from the Norwegian State.

What an exciting week it’s been! After many years of campaigning the Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) is nearing its goal of gaining legal status for Humanist weddings in Ireland.

Matt Cherry represented the International Humanist and Ethical Union at the Fourth Annual Global Sikh Civil and Human Rights Conference at the United Nations Church Center on April 24. The conference brought together more than a hundred Sikh leaders and human rights activists from across the globe.

The Malta Humanist Association (MHA) has launched a campaign calling for Malta to adopt a secular constitution. The campaign comes during a public debate, led by the president of Malta, to discuss constitutional reform in the Mediterranean island nation.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today launched a campaign to remove reserved seats for the Bishops from the House of Lords. The campaign, “Holy Redundant”, follows on from the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Draft House of Lords Reform Bill reporting on Monday in support of the Government’s proposals to keep reserved seats for Bishops in a reformed second chamber by a vote of 13-7.

Professor Richard Dawkins, Vice President and Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association (BHA), has this week been announced as the recipient of the BHA's prestigious Services to Humanism award, which will be presented at the gala dinner at the BHA Annual Conference in Cardiff on Saturday 9 June.

Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was the winner of this year's award for Secularist of the Year. He was presented with the £5,000 Irwin Prize by the author and freedom of expression campaigner Nick Cohen at an event hosted by the National Secular Society last Saturday, March 17. The audience included prominent scientists, journalists, campaigners and writers including Richard Dawkins, Lord Taverne, Joan Smith, Oliver Kamm, Professor Peter Atkins and Maryam Namazie.

Following a tour that began in Sydney, Australia last September, an extraordinary theatre production called “Can We Talk About This?” opened at the National Theatre in London on 9 March.