Journeys to Humanism: Leaving Behind the Alt-Right
Journeys to Humanism, theHumanist.com’s regular series, features real stories from humanists in our community. From heartwarming narratives of growth, to more difficult journeys, our readers open up about their experiences coming to humanism.
Casey Kiracofe
Mansfield, OH, USA
Growing up in a small town came with challenges I didn’t even realize I was facing until I left.
I was a product of my environment, but I’ve found that excuse only covers so much ground.
Looking back, I feel as if every aspect of myself has either evolved or fizzled out for good reason. I grew up going to Vacation Bible School and later attended a youth program in high school. Religion was never actually a large part of my personality, but the mindset that it carried dictated the way in which I processed information and the level of certainty I had in unreasonable things. For example, I had mostly unmonitored internet access at an early age, which led me down some version of the Alt-Right pipeline. It was through this that I got deeply involved in internet conspiracy theories and became a part of their community at the age of fourteen. I was praised for “finding the truth” at such a young age, and it fundamentally changed the kind of person I was.
Casey Kiracofe
One of the most embarrassing aspects of this time in my life was how hateful and bigoted I felt towards trans individuals. My attitude became less emboldened over the years, but it wasn’t until I was seventeen that I met my then girlfriend who had a brother who was trans. He was an all-around good person, and this was a formative moment that led to the unraveling of years of misunderstanding.
At some point I accepted that I was a hypocrite–I was kind in person, but mean to other marginalized people online, and in my head. I was exactly the kind of person I didn’t want to be. Despite all the beliefs I held, I thought I was a good person that whole time. My thirst for knowledge and truth was genuine, but the method I followed was flawed.
Once I was in a position to be humbled, I slowly stopped believing in conspiracy theories and religion, and moved to Columbus, Ohio with some friends at the age of twenty-one. Leaving my bubble changed me entirely, but I would have been the same exact person in a different city had I not been willing to change mentally. Fast forward, and I find myself at a bookstore face-to-face with Humanism: A Beginner’s Guide by Peter Cave. This was another noteworthy moment that propelled me further in a different direction. I was fascinated by how much the book resonated with me, and how much I agreed with and believed in it, without even consciously being aware of it.
Now I went down a new rabbit hole—but this time it consisted of something that had more substance to it. It was roughly two years ago that I publicly identified myself as an atheist, and shortly after a humanist, as well. Since then, almost every day has been spent either reading or researching, all with the intention of becoming a better person.
My new understanding of skepticism has provided me with a method of proper reasoning—but my new understanding of humanism helped me realize that I can be a good person without needing any of the baggage I used to carry. Later this month I’m traveling to Florida for FREEFLO where I’ll be meeting many of the people I look up to in the humanist and atheist community. I’m excited by the idea of exploring the world with a new perspective, and I look forward to bringing humanism to the forefront of conversation for newer generations.
We all have our own stories of how we came to be humanists, and we want to hear yours! Fill out the form here to be featured in this series. You can also share your journey and chat with others on the Journeys to Humanism channel on the AHA’s Discord Server.