HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust has been chosen to benefit from the UK’s first ever atheist charity book: The Atheist’s Guide To Christmas.
The book is published by The Friday Project and edited by comedy writer Ariane Sherine, the creator of this year’s hugely successful Atheist Bus Campaign. It features original contributions from 42 atheist stars including Richard Dawkins, Derren Brown, Simon Le Bon, David Baddiel, Charlie Brooker, Ed Byrne, AC Grayling, Josie Long and Ben Goldacre.
All royalties from sales of the book will be donated to THT.
Ariane Sherine, editor of The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas, said: “I’m very excited that this project is supported by so many brilliant writers. I hope we can raise as much for THT as atheists raised for the Atheist Bus Campaign. Given some of the comments the Pope made earlier this year about condoms and AIDS, we thought it was appropriate.”
Debbie Holmes, Head of Fundraising at THT, said: “We’re delighted THT has been chosen to benefit from this book. It’s a great stocking filler, and I don’t know about anybody else but I hope I find one sitting under the tree this Christmas.”
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, exclusively told PinkPaper.com: "A lot of gay people are turning away from religion simply because it agitates so hatefully against them. This book also shows that the atheist movement is rational and pragmatic about sexuality – and instead of trying to make HIV/Aids into ‘moral’ issue, it sets about trying to do something useful to support those affected by the virus.
"In this book, and another new collection of essays to be published this month called 50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists, the number of openly gay contributors is quite noticeable. It seems the fightback against religious homophobia is at last getting underway.”