Episode 27: Secularism and (Non)Human Rights, with Monica Miller

Effective secular activism takes on a number of forms and issues, and builds connections across many different – and often unexpected – groups of like-minded people. In this episode, we talk with Monica Miller, the Legal Director and Senior Counsel for the American Humanist Association and an attorney with the Nonhuman Rights Project, and learn how an early interest in animal rights led to her arguing a separation of church and state case in the US Supreme Court. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the legal biases against the rights of humanists in prison, efforts to get animals like elephants and great apes the status of “legal personhood,” and how her work connects religious activists and vegetarian Satanists. We also find out whether a true humanist can consume animal products or own a pet.In the bonus content, available exclusively for Patreon subscribers, Monica tells us about her experience arguing in front of the Supreme Court and some behind the scenes details of filming the HBO documentary, “Unlocking the Cage.”For more on Monica: https://americanhumanist.org/about/staff/miller-monica/Follow Monica on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mon_L_MillerNonhuman Rights Project: https://www.nonhumanrights.org/American Humanist Association: https://americanhumanist.org/Unlocking the Cage documentary: ​​https://www.unlockingthecagethefilm.com/Follow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.