Barbara Smoker (born 1923) is a British humanist activist and freethought advocate. She is also former President of the National Secular Society (1971-1996), former Chair of the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society (1981-1985) and current Honorary Vice President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association in the United Kingdom.
Biography
Barbara Smoker was born in London in 1923 into a Roman Catholic family. On 15 August, 1945, while serving in the Women's Royal Navy, she sent out her own signal which was repeated throughout Southeast Asia, in an attempt to prevent unnecessary deaths due to ships at sea not knowing the War against Japan was over. It was during her time at the service that she became an atheist.
In 1949 Smoker joined the secular humanist movement, and eventually became President of the National Secular Society for the period (1971-1996). In that capacity, she represented the atheist viewpoint in print, on lecture platforms, speaking tours, on radio and television. She officiated at non-religious funerals, wedding ceremonies, gay and lesbian commitments and baby namings. She became active in various social campaigns, such as the abolition of the death penalty, nuclear disarmament, legalization of abortion and voluntary euthanasia.
She is considered one of the most powerful advocates of the freethought movement in Britain.
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