Skeptics Event Drops Richard Dawkins Over Anti-Feminist Tweet

The Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (NECSS) withdrew its invitation for famed atheist author Richard Dawkins to be keynote speaker after he retweeted a video the organization found offensive. “We believe strongly in freedom of speech and freedom to express unpopular, and even offensive, views,” the statement read. “However, unnecessarily divisive, counterproductive, and even hateful speech runs contrary to our mission and the environment we wish to foster at NECSS.” The video Dawkins retweeted from a fan depicts a caricature of a feminist with the title “Feminists Love Islamists.” The woman in the video received online harassment after Dawkins retweeted it, prompting him to eventually apologize.