Maggie Ardiente
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Maggie Ardiente | |
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| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | James Madison University and Georgetown University |
| Occupation | Humanist leader and civil rights activist |
| Organization | Humanists International |
| Spouse(s) | Roy Speckhardt |
Maggie Ardiente is an American humanist leader and civil rights activist. Since July 2025 she has been the President of Humanists International.[1]
Career
Ardiente began her career in humanist advocacy at the American Humanist Association (AHA), where she worked for twelve years, eventually becoming the Director of Development and Communications and a senior editor of TheHumanist.com.[2][3][4]
She has served as the President of the Secular Coalition for America, an umbrella organization that represents twenty national secular, humanist, and atheist groups.[5][6] Ardiente is also the Vice President of Development at PFLAG National, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.[7]
In July 2025, Ardiente was elected President of Humanists International, succeeding British humanist leader Andrew Copson. She is the first woman of color to hold the position.[8] She had previously been elected to the Humanists International Board of Directors in 2023.[4]
Ardiente has spoken at numerous conferences and universities and has appeared in national media, including NPR, Fox News, and the Washington Post, to discuss humanism and advocate for the separation of religion and government.[7][9] In Godless Americana: Race and Religious Rebels, Sikivu Hutchinson described Ardiente as believing that humanists have a responsibility to challenge social inequality: contending that "just as faith-based organizations are designed to meet their communities’ social welfare, education, and political needs, so humanist organizations should be."[10] She has been a vocal advocate for reproductive rights, particularly in response to the political climate in the United States.[6]
Personal life
Ardiente was raised Catholic and is of Filipino American heritage.[10] She began questioning her faith in high school and identified as an atheist in college after joining a student freethinkers group. She later found humanism, which she felt encompassed her values.[4][11]
She is a graduate of James Madison University and Georgetown University.[5] She is married to Roy Speckhardt, former executive director of the American Humanist Association.[7]
References
- ↑ General Assembly Elects New President. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ Pinn, Anthony B., ed. (2013). What is humanism, and why does it matter?. Internet Archive. Durham, UK: Acumen. ISBN 978-1-84465-659-2.
- ↑ Maggie Ardiente. TheHumanist.com. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 “As long as we have hope, humanists will always fight for a better world for all”. diesseits.de. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Maggie Ardiente. Secular Coalition for America. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Humanist Society interview series: Maggie Ardiente of the Secular Coalition for America on reproductive rights under Trump. Humanist Society Scotland. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Our People. Humanists International. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ General Assembly Elects New President. Retrieved 18 August 2025
- ↑ "Religious freedom debate now includes atheists — a.k.a. the least-accepted group in politics". The Washington Post. 2015-04-02. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sikivu Hutchinson (2013-05-04). Godless Americana: Race and Religious Rebels. Internet Archive. Infidel Books. ISBN 978-0-615-58610-6.
- ↑ Cimino, Richard P. (2014). Atheist awakening : secular activism and community in America. Internet Archive. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-998632-3.
External links
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