January 18, 2025
An event hosted by HumanistsMN at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
Rachel Laser
Rachel Laser became president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in February 2018. She is the organization’s first non-Christian and female leader in its 76-year history. Rachel is a lawyer, advocate, and strategist who has dedicated her career to making our country more inclusive. In her position at Americans United, Rachel oversees the organization’s work to protect freedom of conscience for all and ensure religion is not used to justify discrimination. Prior to coming to AU, Rachel worked as an educator on white privilege and racism and held positions as deputy director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, director of the Culture Program at Third Way and senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center. She is a former board member of Reproductive Freedom For All (previously NARAL Pro-Choice America).
PANEL 1: Politics and Religious Freedom
Rev. Angela Denker
Angela Denker is an ELCA Lutheran pastor and veteran journalist. Her first book, Red State Christians, examines the white Christian nationalists who gave the presidency to Donald Trump in 2016. She is a columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune and has written for many publications, including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, and FORTUNE magazine, and has appeared on CNN, BBC, SkyNews, and NPR to share her research on U.S. politics and Christian nationalism. Her new book, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood, will be released in March.
Rep. Mike Freiberg
Mike Freiberg, first elected Minnesota State Representative in 2012, is co-chair of the Legislature’s Secular Government Caucus, whose members support separation of religion and government. As a legislator, he has focused on issues related to health care, local government, the environment, and election policy. He authored the End-of-Life Option Act, which would allow terminally ill Minnesotans to take medication to allow them to have a peaceful death, and the Recovery Options Act, which would ensure that people who are legally required to participate in a drug or alcohol recovery program have access to nonreligious options.
Kyrstin Schuette
Kyrstin Schuette is founder and executive director of the School Board Integrity Project, which recruits and trains school board candidates who pledge to counter efforts to erode our public education systems, take away the freedoms to learn and read from our students, and create unwelcome environments. In 2010, she was one of the student plaintiffs when the Department of Justice imposed a five-year consent decree on the Anoka-Hennepin School District after nine students committed suicide — many of them members of the LGBTQ community — over the course of a year because of policies that created a hostile environment. Founded in Minnesota in 2023, the School Board Integrity Project is now active in 18 states.
PANEL 2: Bodily Autonomy and Religious Freedom
Rep. Esther Agbaje
Esther Agbaje, a Minnesota State Representative since 2021, is a member of the Legislature’s Secular Government Caucus. She is author of the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which protects the rights and privacy of patients who seek abortions in Minnesota from legal repercussions if they are traveling from a state with draconian anti-abortion laws. She has also championed efforts to increase affordable housing and was lead author of the CROWN Act, a law that protects people from discrimination based on their hair texture or style in schools and workplaces.
Jess Braverman
Jess Braverman is the legal director at Gender Justice, where she supervises litigation to advance the group’s mission of removing barriers to gender equity. This includes a current lawsuit charging that a Catholic high school violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by effectively terminating a staff librarian after she came out as trans. She came to Gender Justice from the Hennepin County Public Defender’s office, where she spearheaded a unit that focused on racial profiling in policing. She was honored by the Minnesota Lynx in 2022 for her work to ensure trans women can participate in sports and litigation for abortion access.
Audrey Kingstrom
Audrey Kingstrom is a humanist celebrant, helping to plan and officiate at ceremonies to mark life transitions such as weddings and memorial services. An educator, organizer, and activist for humanist causes, she is the program coordinator and a Board member for HumanistsMN. She is also active with First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, a humanist congregation. She is a longtime volunteer with Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit that advocates for expanded choices and improved care at the end of life.
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