Something seems wrong with the podcast. Only four minutes are available.

Uh oh. It’s working here. Are you playing it via the web player above or subscribed via a podcast client? Are there more than four minutes when you use the direct link: http://anamericanatheist.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/3-37-Episode-36_-Women-in-Atheism-the-White-House-Faith-Interview-with-Reza-Aslan.mp3

I love the off the cuff commenting and the fact that your podcast does not start out with the typical 20 minute, hard rock/rap intro, public service announcements, and justification for your existence on the airwaves.

I had to write my observation that during your rant on feminism and discrimination that the first leading female atheist example you came up with was not a woman who risked her life to renounce her religion and dare to speak out publicly against Islam and religion in general, Ayaan Ali, but instead, Julia Sweeney, a comedian famous for her off-Broadway play on her coming out story to a upper middle class family in Spokane, Washington.

Hmmm…. …I guess recognizing our own prejudices, however subtle or unintentional, are not easy to recognize. Maybe we can give those evil, male chauvinist atheists a little bit of a break.

@ Ben Powers: Touche. To be honest I have never heard of Ayaan Ali, but I’m sure that has something to do with being white and middle-class myself. Thanks for pointing her out.

I am aware of Ayaan Ali, and I recognize that there are notable female atheists; I have written blog entries mentioning her on this site. By and large, though, in the New Atheism movement, women are not as popularly regarded as men.

I think the general point of our discussion was not that male chauvinist atheists are causing the problem but that sexism permeates all disciplines and often without the conscious efforts of the ones perpetrating it — at times, even women themselves.

There are many female atheists who have died for their beliefs or fought against insurmountable odds. I do agree, that in highlighting female atheists, Ayaan Ali is one who would deserve to be in the list, especially over Sweeney. There have been women dating back to Hypatia and before who would be worth mentioning.