Monette Richards experienced her first taste of sexism when she had to fight her way into the boys' baseball league at age 11. Later, having to demand entrance to the higher math classes into which boys were readily welcomed was another lesson of how society defined gender roles. The most recent and blatant encroachment of religious ideology into women's civil rights has forced her into activism, starting with the tweeting, filming and livestreaming of the UniteWomen Ohio event in April 2012.
Ms. Richards' parents' own distancing from their religious upbringing contributed to her lifelong atheism. She and her husband dragged their teenage daughter to the Reason Rally in DC in May of 2012. Attending the Women in Secularism conference that same year motivated her to get involved even more. She is a member of CFI and is exploring community building projects.
Following in her grandmother's and father's footsteps, Ms. Richards is self-taught in information technology, with no formal post-secondary education. She has worked her way to her current position running the IT department for a local company.
When not working or volunteering for the ACLU, PPAO, NARAL, or local candidates, Ms. Richards can be found riding her motorcycles, knitting or gaming.