“Pride and Shame: The Ups and Downs of Sexual Identity”

For many people, sexual identity and expression are an important part of life.  Shouldn’t Ethical Humanism support these people as sources of energy, joy, and pride! Unfortunately too often American culture wraps up sexuality in layers of shame, and this can hurt everyone, but especially people seen as not conforming to traditional stereotypes.  And unlike guilt, which is usually about something we did, shame is about who we are. Such shame can be traumatic and even lead to dysfunctional relationships and depression. Hugh Taft-Morales explores the damage done by shame and the joy that should flourish without it.

Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed “invigorating.” Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.