I always thought that "humanist" was a good word long before I understood that anyone thought it was a bad word. It seems to me that it means you believe in the great potential and the best of human beings, so I didn't have to overcome anything to accept this award; it seemed an unmitigated honor. And since the ultra-right wing has tried so hard to make it a bad word— humanist has been demonized in much the same way that the word feminist has — it seemed especially important to identify as humanist and support humanist groups.

The Humanist interview (2012)