Well, public vocal athiesm was definitely a thing back when I was in high school. That said, I was elected president of the atheism club (which I joked was the religious debate club since we barely spend any time actually discussing the philosophical implications of atheism, instead debating evangelicals who would crash the club and just want to debate) one year, mostly because nobody else wanted to do it, and I was the least socially awkward member (which is v. true. I can get along with pretty much anyone, which is both a blessing and a curse because so many people just feel this deep need to tell me the worst aspects about themselves and I have to decide if I will associate with them anymore).

I mean, tame in comparisons to the evangelicals (their club had the money to by pizza for every meeting, which I would of course attend every time and eat because fuck it free pizza), but still, there were some absolutely annoying little pricks in the club.