A large list of awesome female atheists

In a perfect world, we shouldn't have to have a separate list for female atheist activists. Some commenters even said such a list was "patronizing" by insinuating that women couldn't play with the big boys. But when other polls, lists, and posts seem to forget our existence, every little bit of awareness helps. We have just as insightful things to say, but we need people to listen. Once more people realize this, you'll start seeing more females listed amongst the likes of Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris, Dennett, Myers, etc...

So, without further ado, here is a list of some great female atheists who you should check out if you haven't already done so:

Authors/Journalists - Bloggers - Podcasters/Videobloggers - Activists - Comedians/Other

Authors/Journalists

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Infidel, Nomad, The Caged Virgin
  
• Natalie Angier - The Canon: A whirling tour of the beautiful basics of science, Woman: An intimate geography
• Ophelia Benson - Does God Hate Women?, Why Truth Matters, The Dictionary of Fashionable Nonsense
  
• Susan Blackmore - Author
  
• Leslie Cannold - Writer and ethicist
• Jane Caro - Author and journalist
  
• Catherine Deveny - Author and comedian
  
• Ann Druyan - Author and writer
• Rebecca Goldstein - 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction
• Jennifer Hancock - The Humanist Approach to Happiness
  
• Jennifer Michael Hecht - Doubt: A History, The End of the Soul: Scientific Modernity, Atheism and Anthropology in France
• Susan Jacoby - The Age of American Unreason, Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, journalist for The Washington Post's On Faith Panel
• Wendy Kaminer - Sleeping With Extra-Terrestrials: The Rise of Irrationalism and Perils of Piety
• Paula Kirby - Author
  
• Joan Konner - Editor of The Atheist’s Bible: An Illustrious Collection of Irreverent Thoughts
• Nica Lalli - Nothing: Something to Believe In
  
• Tanya Levin - Author
• Molleen Matsumura - Writes the Humanist advice column Sweet Reason, co-author of Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief
• Jennifer McCreight - Contributor: The Atheist's Guide to Christmas
  
• Sheila McLean - Writer and law & ethics researcher
• Adele Mercer - Writer and philosopher
  
• Maggie Miller - Actress and writer
• Meera Nanda - Breaking the Spell of Dharma, Prophets Facing Backwards
  
• Taslima Nasrin - Writer, human rights activist
• Christine Overall - Writer and philosopher
  
• Sumitra Padmanabhan - Contributor at The Freethinker and Nirmukta; Secretary of the Humanists' Association of India
• Sue-Ann Post - Comedian and Writer
  
• Laura Purdy - Writer and philosopher
  
• Joan Smith - Author
• Valerie Tarico - Author and Blogger at the Huffington Post
  
• Polly Toynbee - Journalist
  
• Marlene Winell - Author

Bloggers

• Attempts at Rational Behavior - Blogger
  
• Ophelia Benson - Editor of skeptical website Butterflies and Wheels
• Maia Caron - Blogger
• GodlessGirl - Blogger
  
• Greta Christina - Blogger, focusing on atheism, sex, GLBT issues and politics
• Evolved Rationalist - Blogger: Evolved and Rat/i/onal
• Vyckie Garrison – Creator of No Longer Quivering, a community for women who have escaped the Quiverfull movement
• GrrlScientist - Blogger: Living the Scientific Life
  
• Amanda Gulledge - Blogger and winner of the Good Without God essay on raising freethinking children.
• Miranda Celeste Hale - Blogger: Exquisite With Love
  
• Leah Elliott Hauge - Blogger: The Whore of All the Earth
  
• Diana Hsieh - Blogger and Rationally Selfish podcaster
  
• Sikivu Hutchinson -Blogger, focusing on atheism, religion, and race issues
• Angie Jackson - Blogger: Angie the Anti-Theist
  
• "KimDonesia" - Blogger
• Heather MacDonald - Blogger: Secular Right
  
• Amanda Marcotte - Blogger at Pandagon, focusing on feminism and politics
• Annie Margis - Blogger: Godishness
  
• Jennifer McCreight - Blogger: Blag Hag
  
• Melissa McEwan - Blogger: Shakesville
• Monica - Blogger: Monicks: Unleashed
• Jen Myers - Skepchick and Blogger: Deliberatepixel
  
• Maryam Namazie - Blogger
• Jennifer Ouellette - Author and Blogger: The X-Change Files
  
• Negative Entropy - Bloggers
  
• Possummomma - Blogger: Atheist in a Mini Van
• Jill Psmith - Blogger: I Blame the Patriarchy
• "Surly" Amy Davis Roth - Skepchick
• Acharya S - Blogger: Truth Be Known News, author
• SC - Blogger: Salty Current
  
• Kylyssa Shay - Blogger: That Atheist Bitch
  
• Signy - Ex-Muslim Blogger: Here in Glitnir
  
• The Skepchicks - Awesome group of bloggers
  
• Abby Smith - Blogger: ERV
• Kylie Sturgess - Blogger: PodBlack Cat; reporter for Skeptic Zone and host of Token Skeptic podcasts
• Laura Talley - Blogger: The Redheaded Skeptic
• Valerie Tarico - Blogger at the Huffington Post
  
• Sunsara Taylor - Blogger
  
• Rebecca Watson - Founder and contributor of the blog Skepchick

Podcasters/Videobloggers

• Jessica Constantine - Co-host of the Humanist Network News podcast
  
• Laci Green - Videoblogger
• Tracie Harris - Rotating co-host of the Atheist Experience show
• Diana Hsieh - Rationally Selfish podcaster
  
• Angie Jackson - Videoblogger
  
• "KimDonesia" - Videoblogger
• Ashley Paramore - Videoblogger, better known as "healthyaddict"
• Jen Peeples- Rotating co-host of the Atheist Experience show
• Cristina Rad (ZOMGitsCriss) - Wonderfully sarcastic videoblogger
  
• Desiree Schell - Host of Skeptically Speaking
  
• Kylie Sturgess - reporter for Skeptic Zone and host of Token Skeptic podcasts
• Swoopy - Host of Skepticality podcast
• Rebecca Watson - co-host of popular podcast The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe
• Reba Boyd Wooden - Executive Director of Center for Inquiry Indiana and Blogger: Freethought from the Heartland

Activists

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Women’s rights activist combating militant Islam
• Maggie Ardiente - Development Director at the American Humanist Association
• Lauren Becker - Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Inquiry
  
• Lori Lipman Brown - Founding director of Secular Coalition for America
• R. Elisabeth Cornwell - Executive director of the U.S. branch of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
• Margaret Downey - Activist, founder and president of The Freethought Society
• Myna Futrell - Co-founder and executive director of The Brights’ Network
• Annie Laurie Gaylor - Co-founder and current co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
• Debbie Goddard - director of African Americans for Humanism and Campus coordinator at the Center for Inquiry
• Susan Jacoby - director of New York's Center for Inquiry
• Ellen Johnson - Atheist activist, former president of American Atheists
• Kathleen Johnson - Vice president and military director of American Atheists and founder of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers
• Wendy Kaminer - Secular Coalition for America Advisory Board Member
  
• Lyz Liddell - Campus organizer for the Secular Student Alliance, somehow helps hundreds of non-theist student groups without exploding
• June Maxwell - Director of Humanist Academy at Glasgow
  
• Amanda Metskas - Head Director of Camp Quest
• Taslima Nasrin - human rights activist
• Sumitra Padmanabhan - Secretary of the Humanists' Association of India
• Toni van Pelt - Director of the Center for Inquiry-Office of Public Policy
• Eugenie Scott - executive director of the National Center for Science Education, outspoken opponent of Intelligent Design and creationism
• Ariane Sherine - Creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign
• Samantha Stein - Director of Camp Quest UK
  
• Wafa Sultan - Outspoken critic of Islam
  
• Reba Boyd Wooden - Executive Director of Center for Inquiry Indiana

Comedians/Other

• Catherine Deveny - Author and comedian
  
• Kathy Griffin - Hilarious comedian
• Sachiko McLean - Humanist glamor model and performer
  
• Maggie Miller - Actress and writer
  
• Carolyn Porco - Planetary scientist and public speaker
• Sue-Ann Post - Comedian and Writer
  
• "Surly" Amy Davis Roth - Creator of awesome skeptical jewelery
• Julia Sweeney - Comedian, on Showtime with her act Letting Go of God

If you know someone who's missing and you think deserves a shout out, let me know in the comments and I'll add them. Or if I listed someone but didn't link to their blog or a more relevant site, let me know. Consider this a growing reference!

To clarify, this list is for living women who are known for their vocal support of atheism, skepticism, and/or scientific thinking - or, likewise, speaking out against religion and supernatural beliefs. There are plenty of women who simply happen to be atheists but never ever speak about it - this isn't intended for them.

A little backstory:

My previous post asked readers who they thought was the most influential female atheist of 2009 - and it has become very popular. All of the comments have reinforced one major theme: Too many incredible female atheist voices are unknown.

When I started to make a list of influential females, I asked around for names. Half of them I hadn't even heard of, and some of them I was only vaguely familiar with. I did some Wikipediaing and Googling to try to figure out who should make it to the list. I didn't want to exclude people just because I wasn't personally familiar with them, but I didn't want a list of 30 choices either. I tried to focus on active voices of 2009: those who had written new books, been consistently blogging, appeared on the news, etc.

Of course, I'm not perfect. Some excellent ladies didn't make my poll because of inadequate research, my own obliviousness, or most likely a combination of both. Apparently the list was also very US-centric, which I promise was not intentional, but again a result of my own biases. And for every atheist woman I missed, there was someone on my list a reader hadn't heard of. I think this lack of awareness speaks strongly. If a fellow godless lady who trumpets the importance of female voices in atheism doesn't know so many of these people, how will everyone else?

My best solution at the moment is to make a giant list. I can't make people click the links, follow the blogs, or even care - but I think it will help. In all the comments here and at other sites, I've seen a curiosity - a "Why haven't I heard of these people before? Time to check them out!" So hopefully people will click the unfamiliar names on this list and find a new favorite blogger, author, activist, or whatever.