Being an atheist in a rural area is not easy. One of the first questions someone asks is -what church do you go to? People look horrified when you mention atheism. My employer says Christian prayers over employee meals, with the head of HR clasping her hands, lowering her head, and praying right along. Constantly awkward. Religion has an iron grip out here.

Then again, I always wish that many religious people would not stand up so vocally and be counted so much ;-)

US is steadily turning into an extremist theocracy, wouldn’t be surprised if US starts resembling something like UAE or Isreal in a decade or so.

I don’t hide it, it’s more of a Russell’s teapot situation. It’s not real, why would I talk about how I don’t believe in imaginary things? I also don’t openly talk about how I don’t believe in Unicorns, or Dragons or Magic or anything like that.
Now Religion as a societal force is 100% real, but being anti-religion doesn’t make you an atheist, it makes you a humanist.