From noon to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May third, Minnesota Atheists hosted the annual Day of Reason rally inside the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. This is the seventh year that we have held this celebration of the separation of state and church to protest the Day of Prayer event held at the same time outside on the Capitol steps.

There are many ways in which the separation of state and church is violated, and this year we focused on the denial of equal rights to gays and lesbians, especially when it comes to civil marriage.

. Speakers included:

• Phyllis Kahn, Minnesota State Representative
• Eric Jayne, Minnesota Atheists Associate President
• Doug Benson, Lead plaintiff of Marry Me Minnesota
• Scott Lohman, President of Humanists of Minnesota
• Charles Samuelson, Executive Director of ACLU Minnesota
• Robin Raianiemi, Minnesota Atheists Associate Chair
• James Zimmerman, Editor for The Minnesota Atheist
• David Pacheco, Representative from Minnesota United for Separation of Church and State
• Grant Steves, Former Minnesota Atheists board member

Steve Petersen hosted the event, and George Kane served as Master of Ceremony.