I was the Vice President of HSGP from 2020 - 2023. This is my experience with this organization…read more
The Good: This is a haven for people who want to live ethical lives without the dictates of religion. They operate a Little Free Library, Little Free Pantry, blood drives, and meetings for those recovering from alcoholism and substance abuse. They make sleeping mats for homeless people, hold discussion groups, host speakers twice a month, and much more. I would also consider HSGP to be a safe place for anyone on the Q spectrum provided they are politically left.
The Not So Good: Lots of contempt toward religion and anyone not on the left (e.g. conservatives, Republicans, Trump supporters, supporters of capitalism, Libertarians, etc.). In some cases, they have disinvited speakers because of who they supported for public office or things they wrote on social media even when it had little or nothing to do with what they were coming there to speak about. The contempt there is not universal, but those who speak out against it and how it contradicts humanist principles don't get much traction. Unfortunately, "Oh My! You're right! We've been doing it wrong, and we're changing our behavior immediately", said no one ever. If you're religious, not on the left, or if you truly value free thought and free speech and dislike bigotry, you're likely to find the contempt there tiresome. If you dislike religion and you consider anyone not on the left to be at best mistaken, you'll likely find a home here.
A bit of caution: If you have a problem with how someone, or some group that meets there, is treating you, you might or might not get any support in dealing with that. I haven't found a definite pattern, but if you find yourself shut down for expressing incorrect opinions, you're not likely to get any support in dealing with that. They appear more likely to support the person who shut you down. For that reason, I would advise against confronting the person who wronged you unless you don't care about going there again. How much support you get might also be related to whether you're the sort who files formal complaints, but, again, no guarantees that it will go well for you.
I hope that this review is helpful for anyone curious about HSGP.