The USA is nowhere near as "free" as you guys pretend it to be.

There is no picture of me to photo shop or share anywhere on the internet. I have had trouble with men due to something. Stalker. Seeking me outside of Agnostic on FB. No picture there either. I now understand when years ago the Native American women on the Navajo Reservation eshewed photos. I dislike the intrusion into the autonomy of my body & my being.

Move to Europe. I live in Spain, a land that was dominated by the Catholic church until the death of France in 1975. Nowadays, the people here least tolerant of atheists are NOT Spanish. UK is similarly tolerant. It's only in the lands where religious extremists abound that there is intolerance - think Arabia and America.

In some areas it can cost you a job and garner harassment.

My vehicle was repeatedly vandalized in the parking lot of my employer and I suffered a bit of harassment from some members of management.

There would also be a lot of social ostracism. I have lost friends over it, have been viewed with suspicion, suspected of being the liar in any dispute etc

The only way this will change is if we do come out, let people know who we are and they can realize they liked and respected us before and they still like us now. If they don't you don't really want to waste any more of your time with them anyway.

I have been asked if I worshiped satan. It was hilarious and disturbing.

Christians fear gays and atheists and are certain they don’t know any of “those people.”

In rural areas you could lose your job. It's a real thing.

I think it's a fair response, bigpaw. I can put my photo up because I have nothing to lose. If my ex was on this site and she did it, she would have paid a helluva price.

I refuse to judge others. That's my real photo, for what it is worth. That said, others could have a number of reasons to not show their face. I support other people making their own choices. I came for the conversation, and meeting others was secondary. I did meet someone happily, so it goes.