Fall 1998 Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine LLL Annual Meeting Wiccan Ways Store Update Witch Word on TV National Web Censorship Pagans and Gender Vatican Update Web Censorship in Wisconsin Sacred Earth Alliance Pagan Pride Day LLL Expands Website Use this list to link directly to the article you wish to read, or simply scroll down for all articles LLL Annual Meeting The annual networking meeting of the Lady Liberty League was held on June 18, 1998 at the Pagan Spirit Gathering. It was facilitated by Selena Fox, founder and director of LLL, and was attended by people from various traditions and groups. Those present talked about the next step in restructuring LLL and shared news about recent religious freedom cases. Selena reported on her work in the Winter, Wisconsin web censorship case. Philip Taterczynski discussed his response to an editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times. The meeting ended with a religious freedom working. Wiccan Ways Store Update As previously reported in Pagan World News, The Wiccan Way shop in Catskill, New York, was receiving unwanted attention from members of a local Christian church, who marched in front of the store and handed out leaflets to the store's patrons. One of the store's owners, Alfreda Snyder, reported in early June that business was dropping as a result. Later, the pastor of the local church stated in print that he was done with the situation and that he had told his parishioners to stay away from the store. Another local church and its pastor have welcomed Snyder and her store to the community. Witch Word on TV Talon and Firewalker of The Order of the Crystal Moon recently wrote to the daytime TV soap opera show, The Young and the Restless. The letter objected to the frequent, derogatory use of the word Witch in the show's dialogue, pointing out that Witchcraft is a legally recognized religion, and that misuse of the term Witch is disrespectful to its practitioners. Talon and Firewalker invite other concerned Pagans to express their opinions to the show's writer at: The Young and The Restless, Bell-Phillip Television, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036; yrbb@cbs.com. For further information, contact Talon and Firewalker at: The Order of the Crystal Moon, PO Box 802, Matteson, IL 60442; CrystalOrd@aol.com. National Web Censorship As LLL was going to press, we learned that the US Senate has passed a piece of legislation that will require all federally funded schools and libraries to adopt censorship software for the Internet to block pornography. Some Pagans have expressed concerns about some software that already blocks Pagan/Wiccan sites. LLL would like to hear from readers who have more information on the implications of this legislation, in terms of how such software could be used to censor more than pornography. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has information on how concerned people can respond: http://aclu.org/congress/congress.html; ACLU Action Update, ACLU National Washington Office, 122 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002. Pagans and Gender In his editorial column in the June 13, 1998 issue of the Chicago Sun-Times, of Chicago, Illinois, Gary Willis responded to the recent proclamation by the Southern Baptist convention that, according to church doctrine, wives should be subordinated to husbands. Identifying this as a male supremacist belief, Willis stated that it was closer to Pagan attitudes than to Christian scripture, citing a few quotes from Aristotle and Plato as proof of this. At Circle's 1998 Pagan Spirit Gathering, Philip Taterczynski, a Pagan scholar, drafted a response to Willis, which was circulated among and signed by other participants. The letter pointed out that generalizing the statements from two individuals (Aristotle and Plato), who were not writing about religion, to stand for the beliefs of an entire religion, was inaccurate. Furthermore, the letter stated that contemporary Pagans do not care to formulate doctrines assigning either gender a subordinate place, nor do they need a doctrine to remind them to honor their mates. Vatican Update News about the Vatican opening its Inquisition archives continues with a report from the Melbourne, Australia, The Age, that the Pope may be apologizing to Witches and other victims who suffered in the Inquisition. On March 8, 2000, in Italy, the Pope is scheduled to lead a penitential procession with representatives from groups tortured during the Inquisition, where he will call for forgiveness for the church. The records of the Inquisition will be examined in October of this year by about 50 historians at a Vatican conference that will be addressed by the Pope. Web Censorship in Wisconsin In mid-May, Selena Fox, founder of LLL and Circle Sanctuary, provided networking support in an education censorship case in Winter, Wisconsin. A high school student there was repeatedly denied access to Witchcraft sites while she was researching various religions on the school's computers. Selena and others communicated with the superintendent of schools regarding their concerns of possible constitutional rights violations in this situation, and pointed out that schools supported with taxpayer money cannot legally discriminate on the basis of religion. Although the school board passed a nebulous policy regarding student access to "controversial" websites during school hours, the very next day, the student who had previously been banned from some websites was able to access Wiccan and other sites of her choosing, without any restriction, while using the computer in the school library after school hours. Sacred Earth Alliance LLL is part of a newly formed organization, Sacred Earth Alliance (SEA), which is working to network together the various Pagan religious rights groups that are now in existence. SEA has begun work on a networking directory of public contacts for participating groups. The organization's goals include facilitating state-wide meetings for religious rights workers and a national archives of information and legal cases pertaining to religious freedom. SEA can be contacted c/o PAL * CDF, PO Box 413, Codorus, PA 17311; palaw@gte.net. Pagan Pride Day LLL is one of the religious freedom organizations encouraging people to join with others in participating in the First Annual Pagan Pride Day on September 19, 1998. The goal this year is to have one public ritual in each state to celebrate the Autumn Equinox, as well as to promote Pagan solidarity, hold a food drive to share in the harvest, and educate the public. Cecylyna Brightsword, the National Chair Person behind the effort, is offering a "how to" packet of information to those who would like to coordinate a festival in their area. For more information, contact: indypagan @rocketmail.com; http://www.paganpride.org; (317) 357-9470. LLL would like to receive email (circle@mhtc.net) or written reports (PO Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572) of how the festivals go in your area. LLL Expands Website The Lady Liberty League webpage has recently expanded and can be reached at www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty. The site will now include electronic versions of the Lady Liberty League report published in Circle Network News, and write ups on breaking news about religious freedom cases. We are also looking for special issues coordinators willing to be LLL public contacts to be included on our website and in the SEA Directory. We are looking for coordinators to work with religious discrimination cases in the following areas: employment, education, land use and zoning, law enforcement, corrections, health care, interfaith relations, legislation, and the media. If you are interested in helping with one of these positions, please send a resume and a cover letter describing your qualifications to: LLL, Circle Sanctuary, PO Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572.