New Atheism and women

After previously apologizing to feminists and others for the Elevatorgate scandal, Richard Dawkins retracted his apology and said, "I don’t take back anything that I’ve said. I would not say it again, however, because I am now accustomed to being misunderstood and so I will... I feel muzzled, and a lot of other people do as well.“^[1][2][3]

Founders of the New Atheism movement Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, have elevated the amount of contention between men and women within the atheist population and there are now frequently complaints from women that there is a significant amount of misogny within the atheist community and that its leadership is too heavily populated with men.^[4][5][6]

Elevatorgate is a term commonly used to describe a scandal involving new atheist Richard Dawkins' 2011 comments made to atheist Rebecca Watson which are perceived to have been inappropriate by a sizable portion of the atheist community and to the public at large.^[7]

David Allen Green wrote: "Can Richard Dawkins still credibly pose as a champion of rational thinking and an evidence-based approach? In my opinion, he certainly cannot, at least not in the way he did before."^[8]

Subsequently, Richard Dawkins was widely criticized within the atheist community and in various press outlets for his insensitive comments made to atheist Rebecca Watson about the incident which occurred in an elevator (see: Richard Dawkins initial Elevatorgate comments).^[9]

According to Rebecca Watson atheist women are often punished for being outspoken - particularly when they speak about feminism.^[10] In August 2013, Watson said the harassment she received from male atheists skyrocketed after Elevatorgate.^[11]

Furthermore, she said she still receives harassment from male fans of Richard Dawkins.^[12] The atheist feminist Sikivu Hutchinson concurs with Watson and says that sexual harassment has been institutionalized within the atheist movement and that atheist men have an investment in censoring, controlling and policing women and also have an investment in "male privilege".^[13]

Elevatorgate and negative press

The New Statesman reporter and fellow skeptic David Allen Green said he believed Dawkins was a misogynist and a racist.^[14] In addition, Green wrote: "Can Richard Dawkins still credibly pose as a champion of rational thinking and an evidence-based approach? In my opinion, he certainly cannot, at least not in the way he did before."^[15]

Elevatorgate created negative press for Richard Dawkins in a number of major news outlets (see: Elevatorgate news stories) and within the atheist movement/atheist population (see: Atheist movement). As a result of Elevatorgate, Dawkins popularity among atheists and the public at large plunged (see: Richard Dawkins' loss of influence).

See also: Decline of internet atheism

See also: Atheism and women and Atheism and sexism

Sam Harris

Like his fellow new atheist Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris has raised the ire of feminists.^[16][17][18] See also: Elevatorgate

In 2014, Harris said that atheist activism lacks an “estrogen vibe” and was “to some degree intrinsically male”.^[19]

On October 3, 2014, Salon magazine published an online article titled, Atheism’s shocking woman problem: What’s behind the misogyny of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris?^[20] On September 20, 2014, the feminist blogger Libby Anne wrote an article entitled Is Sam Harris Sexist?^[21] Atheist Sam Fincke wrote a piece entitled On Sam Harris’s Reply to Feminist Critics.^[22]

In his defense, Harris published an article on his website titled, “I’m Not the Sexist Pig You’re Looking For”^[23]

• Atheism and women

• Atheism and sexism