Our response to Governor Newsome hosting Charlie Kirk
California Governor Gavin Newsom's recent decision to host Christian nationalist provocateur Charlie Kirk on the inaugural episode of his podcast is deeply disturbing to the atheist community.
Kirk, a key figure in the MAGA movement, has advanced dangerous Christian nationalist ideologies that threaten the rights of nonreligious people and other religious minorities.
He has openly denied the principle of church-state separation, calling it a "fiction," and has promoted the false idea that America was founded to be a Christian nation.
Kirk's rhetoric casts political battles as a spiritual war, encouraging Christians to seize positions of power to impose religious law.
Kirk's alignment with the Seven Mountains Mandate, a movement calling for Christian control over government, media, and education, is a stark reminder of the growing influence of religious extremism in American politics.
Additionally, Kirk regularly advances white supremacist rhetoric, often using his platform to stoke division and promote xenophobia.
His views on women, particularly regarding abortion, are equally concerning.
Citing his religious beliefs, Kirk has consistently pushed for extreme anti- choice policies, advocating for the restriction of reproductive rights and undermining women's autonomy over their own bodies.
Governor Newsom's agreement with Kirk on the podcast that transgender women in sports is "deeply unfair" undermines California's long-standing commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights and and signals a troubling shift in the governor's stance on issues that impact communities marginalized by religion.
By providing Kirk a platform, Governor Newsom is inadvertently legitimizing these divisive, harmful, and dangerous ideas.
We urge Governor Newsom to stand firm in his commitment to equality, and the protection of the rights of all Californians, regardless of faith, gender, or background.
It is essential that our leaders resist the forces of Christian nationalism, cishet white male supremacy, and authoritarianism, and instead promote policies that foster equality, the separation of church and state, and pluralism.
Jessica Kemper-Lytle
Chair, Advocacy Committee Atheists United