Dear Andrew Copson,

We, the undersigned, ask you to take all necessary steps to ensure that Humanists UK’s political and special interest groups are run in accordance with the charity’s principles – which include a commitment to free enquiry, the scientific method, evidence and reason.

We applaud Humanists UK’s work in supporting all victims of discrimination. We find the support and community provided to gender non-conforming and transgender people who face discrimination from some religious groups to be of especial value. However, we’re dismayed that Angelos Sofocleous was recently pressured into resigning from the position of President-Elect of Humanist Students, after tweeting an article from The Spectator about transgender issues with the comment, ‘RT if women don’t have penises’.

With the recent rebranding of Humanist Students, the charity needs to convince its members that its underlying values are unchanged. But the pressure put on Angelos Sofocleous to resign signals that Humanist Students no longer regards diversity of opinion -  or the freedom to discuss opinions - as a priority. No officer or elected officer of Humanists UK should be made to feel unfit for their role because they put forward a reasonable viewpoint or share the reasonable views of others. We are alarmed by attempts to suppress debate by suggesting any divergent opinions spring from fear and hatred. We also believe that Humanists UK, as an organisation that works in education, should not be complicit in suppressing evidence-based discussion.

This recent debacle  suggests that Humanists UK  wants to maintain an appearance of tolerance while simultaneously trying to prevent debate, discussion and dissent. We are calling on you, Andrew, to make it clear that is not the case.