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A Florida high school student who is in the forefront of protests against Florida’s anti-LGBTQ “Don’t Say Gay” law is the guest on the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Freethought Matters” TV show this Sunday.
Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education law, also known as the “don’t say gay” bill, outright prohibits or seeks to inhibit public schools from discussing or teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity. Will Larkins, a 17-year-old Florida student and nonbeliever, has spoken out against the harmful effects of this bill before the Florida Legislature, has coordinated a walkout of 500 students and has written an op-ed that appeared in The New York Times. FFRF is proud to name Larkins as a Catherine Fahringer student activist awardee, which carries a $5,000 scholarship.
“All of the oppression that I’ve faced my entire life, whether or not these people are religious, the hatred stems from ideals that come from religion, and it’s literally a human construct,” Larkins tells “Freethought Matters” co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. “I was born gay. You weren’t born religious. You can choose to stop going to church. I can’t choose to stop being gay.”
If you don’t live in the quarter-plus viewership of the nation where the show broadcasts on Sunday, you can already catch the interview on the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday. You can also receive notifications when we post new episodes of “Freethought Matters” by subscribing to FFRF’s YouTube channel.
“Freethought Matters” airs in:
- Chicago, WPWR-CW (Ch. 50), Sundays at 9 a.m.
- Denver, KWGN-CW (Ch. 2), Sundays at 7 a.m.
- Houston, KIAH-CW (Ch. 39), Sundays at 11 a.m.
- Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
- Minneapolis, KSTC-IND (Ch. 45, Digital Channel 5.5), Sundays at 9:30 a.m. (Digital channel 5.2 has been dropped.)
- New York City, WPIX-IND (Ch. 11), Sundays at 10 a.m. WPIX, which airs “Freethought Matters” in New York City, will be pre-empting “Freethought Matters” (FFRF pays the station to air its show) in order to run a Catholic Easter Mass at no cost! “Freethought Matters” will air at 11:30 am instead. This shows the power of religion.
- Phoenix, KASW-CW (Ch. 61, or 6 or 1006 for HD), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Portland, Ore., KRCW-CW (Ch. 32), Sundays at 9 a.m. Comcast channel 703 for High Def, or Channel 3.
- Sacramento, KQCA-MY (Ch. 58), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- San Francisco, KICU-IND (Ch. 36), Sundays at 10 a.m.
- Seattle, KONG-IND (Ch. 16 or Ch. 106 on Comcast). Sundays at 8 a.m.
- Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
Upcoming shows will include interviews with science writer Natalie Angier, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Christians Against Christian Nationalism organizer Amanda Tyler, illustrious illustrator Edward Sorel and freethinker and sculptor Zenos Frudakis, who is creating a memorial to “Forgotten Founder” Thomas Paine. “Freethought Matters” is now in its sixth season. To watch earlier shows, including an interview with freethinker and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, visit the “Freethought Matters” playlist on FFRF’s YouTube channel. Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters.
P.S. Please tune in or record according to the times given above regardless of what is listed in your TV guide (it may be listed simply as “paid programming” or even be misidentified). To set up an automatic weekly recording, try taping manually by time or channel. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers!
