Fall 2000 Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine LLL Annual Meeting at Pagan Spirit Gathering 2000 Pagans Celebrate Solstice at Stonehenge UK Teacher Reinstated Wiccan Attorney Can Practice Before the Supreme Court Sekhmet Temple Fights Noise Pollution Police Interfere with Maypole Dance Pagans Donate to Muscular Dystrophy Association Wiccan Teacher Suspended, Reinstated Appalachian Pagans on the 700 Club Interfaith Dialogue in the Ozarks Barr Wars Anniversary Use this list to link directly to the article you wish to read, or simply scroll down for all articles LLL Annual Meeting at Pagan Spirit Gathering 2000 This year's annual meeting of the Lady Liberty League (LLL) was held at midday on Thursday, June 22 during Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) 2000 at Wisteria Campground in Ohio. Selena Fox, executive director of LLL, facilitated the meeting, which was held at Circle Camp in the midtown area of the PSG Community Village. Selena began by giving an overview of LLL's history and work over the past fifteen years. She mentioned LLL's tasks forces, such as Public Relations, Academia, Law Enforcement Relations, Child Custody Issues, Military Affairs, and Land Use Issues, and invited those at the meeting to indicate areas of interest on the sign-up activists networking sheet which was circulated during the meeting. Selena then gave a short report on the newest task force, Interfaith Relations, which includes activists not only in the USA, but in other parts of the world. During the next part of the meeting, those present introduced themselves and their work with LLL, as well as their interests in Pagan religious freedom issues and connections with other Pagan religious freedom organizations. At least one person was present from most of the major national Pagan organizations engaged in religious freedom work. Many people present at the LLL meeting had news and updates to share. There were quite a few reports from the academic world. One person mentioned that those working toward gaining continuing education credits for mental health professionals are now able to gain these credits working at PSG's Psyche's Grotto (counseling center, formerly known as the Centering Dome). This has laid the groundwork for obtaining credit for those doing similar work at other Pagan gatherings. Harvard and Andover Newton Theological at the Boston Theological Institute have also expanded their options for people who are Pagan-identified to do their clinical studies in Pagan settings. Another meeting participant reported that there is a new university in Washington state called Kepler College, which is an accredited astrological university. Some of those who are connected with it are a part of an astrological network which successfully overturned anti-astrology laws in California and other states. In addition, a student at DePaul University, a Chicago area Catholic university, reported that this was the first year that this institution offered two classes on Witchcraft and the Wiccan religion. She hopes they will be offered again next year! Valley, a Circle Sanctuary Community member, reported that she is participating in two interfaith councils in Fox Valley, Wisconsin, and she is a scheduled guest speaker at three local colleges on a very regular basis. She also reported on her Wiccan chaplaincy work through Circle Sanctuary within Wisconsin prisons. SilverDrake Fey, Circle Sanctuary's military members support minister and the director of the LLL Military Affairs task force, reported that chaplains on military bases are soliciting him for help so they can meet the needs of their Wiccan personnel. He recently has become a designated religious faith leader. He also reported that the Overview and Guide for Wiccans in the Military which he co-authored with Dr. David Oringderff of the Sacred Well Congregation is being widely distributed among chaplains within various branches of the military. Pagan author, priestess, attorney, and activist, Phyllis Curott, mentioned that she received an invitation from Diana Eck to attend a round table discussion of interfaith activists. She also described some of her media work on behalf of the Craft. Phyllis then mentioned that the prequel to the Blair Witch Project is being released later this year. It is supposed to be called Book of Shadows, which is the same name as Phyllis' popular book on the Craft. Phyllis suggested that Witches and other Pagans learn more about how "Witches" and "Witchcraft" will be portrayed in the movie and formulate a prompt and well-thought out response in connection with this second film's release. Jerrie Hildebrand, another nationally known Pagan religious freedom activist, shared additional perspectives and volunteered to help with public relations planning. A variety of ideas were discussed. Selena and Phyllis suggested that a special follow-up LLL meeting be held at PSG to specifically continue discussion on possible responses to the Blair Witch Project Prequel. This strategy meeting was held at midday on Saturday, June 24 in the Circle Camp at PSG. At that meeting, a range of approaches were considered. SilverDrake volunteered to set up a list serv to continue discussion and planning. At the end of the June 22 meeting, participants joined together, invoked Lady Liberty, and did a short working for religious freedom for Pagans everywhere. Pagans Celebrate Solstice at Stonehenge In a reversal of last year's policy, the English Heritage, which manages the Stonehenge monument on Salisbury plain in England, agreed to allow public access to Stonehenge at Summer Solstice. As reported in previous issues (see LLL Report Summer 1999 and Spring 2000), Stonehenge was closed more than 10 years ago after Solstice revelers were involved in a riot with police. In 1999, after losing a court battle in which it was ruled that the public does have the right to peaceably assemble near the Stones, 100 people, who had received advance approval, were allowed access to Stonehenge on the Solstice. This year, English Heritage went further and permitted “managed access,” meaning that anyone was allowed to be on site, if they followed a few rules governing attendance, such as the ban on campfires, tents, and amplified music. A spokesperson for the English Heritage said that they feel that people shouldn't be penalized for the actions of a minority of people in 1999 who broke down barricades and occupied the site. This year, Druids, Witches, and other Pagans celebrated the Solstice at Stonehenge in a variety of ways (see page 40 for a report on this event). The decision to open the site was vindicated, as this year's celebration saw no disturbances. UK Teacher Reinstated As mentioned in the Summer 2000 issue of the Lady Liberty League (LLL) Report, Ralph Morse, a Witch from Colchester, Essex, in Great Britain, was suspended from his job as a school teacher after a sensationalistic and distorted article about his religion and his appointment as the youth manager for the Pagan Federation (PF) appeared in an English newspaper. Although minors are not permitted to join PF, a youth manager was appointed in response to the increasing number of inquiries the organization was receiving from those under 18 years of age. Although Morse's school had already been aware of his religion for the previous five years, and of his youth manager appointment since it began in August of 1999, the publicity they believed would be generated from the newspaper article led them to suspend Morse in early April of 2000. In a statement from the school, Morse was accused of, “conduct that has led to the association of the school with the Pagan Federation and publicized nationally, bringing the school into serious disrepute.” Through the efforts of the Pagan Federation, Morse's labor union, and support from Pagans of many paths and different countries, Morse was reinstated in his job in mid-May. After completing a thorough investigation, the school confirmed that no evidence had been found to support the allegation that Morse had been using his position to influence his students with his personal religious convictions. Their press release included the statement that, “A number of parents and pupils have expressed personal support for Mr. Morse, both verbally and in writing, testifying to his personal integrity and the high regard in which they hold him. This response has certainly assisted the Governors in reaching their decision.” For more details about the case, see the Pagan Federation website: http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk. Wiccan Attorney Can Practice Before the Supreme Court The Alternative Religions Educational Network (AREN) announces that their resident attorney, Bonnie-Ann Brill Keagy, has been admitted to practice in front of the United States Supreme Court. AREN believes that she is the first Wiccan attorney to receive this honor, which is one to which many attorneys aspire. Keagy has had a wealth of experience in cases involving Pagan rights, as well as in standard law practice focusing primarily in criminal defense and family law. She has been active in civil rights, religious rights, and politics for many years. Keagy has been a legal advisor and Board member to AREN and was a Vice-President of WADL prior to its rebirth as AREN. She currently reviews cases brought before AREN. This honor will add a depth to AREN's legal department by allowing them the ability to, if necessary, plead Pagan cases before the highest court in the United States. Sekhmet Temple Fights Noise Pollution The April 17, 2000 issue of the Wall Street Journal carried an article about Patricia Pearlman, high priestess of a Sekhmet Temple located 50 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada, that has begun a battle against local noise pollution. The Temple, which was founded in 1993 in the hopes that Sekhmet could heal the wounds inflicted on the area by nuclear testing, has formerly had to deal with noise pollution from Air Force jets and from a nearby bar that was built across the street, in spite of a law prohibiting bars from being established near churches. Now the Temple is fighting a decision by the federal Bureau of Land Management to allow a gravel pit to be dug a mile away. Pearlman objects to the presence of the mine both because of noise pollution and the dust that it might cause, since the extraction of the 200,000 tons of sand and gravel would mean that big trucks would be rolling around the area many times on a daily basis. Other supporters, including the millionaire philanthropist who originally funded the Temple, members of the local Shoshone tribe who have ancestral claims to the land, and feminist organizations including the National Organization of Women who support the Temple's mostly female members, are also fighting the mine. According to Pearlman, the judge of the Interior Board of Appeals in Washington, DC expects to make a decision regarding the location of the gravel pit in the next month or two. For more information, or to send well wishes and prayers of support, contact Pearlman at: PO Box 946, Indian Springs, NV 89018; goddess@anv.net; (702) 879-3262. Police Interfere with Maypole Dance A May Day rally attended by several hundred people to support several social issues in Portland, Oregon was disrupted by the interference of police officers, some of whom were in riot gear. Area Pagans, including participants from SisterSpirit, Hands of the Mother, and Reclaiming/Portland, participated in the event and were responsible for leading the Maypole dance that began the rally. During the protest march that followed the Maypole dance, police attacked the crowd, which they later claimed was becoming violent, with pepper spray and riot sticks. Event organizers, however, claim that they planned a peaceful march which included many families with young children. Several people have filed lawsuits against the police for personal injuries received during the attack. In addition, Pagans have found it challenging to convince the city that their Maypole is a religious object. They were not allowed to remove it from the site after police demanded that the crowd disband. It was consequently confiscated and destroyed by the police, despite follow-up calls from Pagans inquiring about it after the event. Although the rally and subsequent police interference has received much media attention, as yet none of it has mentioned the inclusion of Pagans or the Maypole Dance in the rally. The Pagan community is currently debating what their next response to the situation should be. For more information, or to send letters of support, contact SisterSpirit at sistersp@teleport. Pagans Donate to Muscular Dystrophy Association Cassonya Douglass, a minister from the Temple of Isis in Columbus, Georgia, was invited to participate in a Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) lock up fund raiser on May 24, 2000. Douglass accepted donations from fellow Pagans and presented the resulting $300 donation that was raised to the MDA as her bail money to get released from the mock jail. Douglass believes that MDA may have approached her to join the fund drive because Temple of Isis is the only alternative church in her area. It is thus the first Pagan church to be asked to participate. She believes that the outpouring of support that she received from fellow Pagans definitely made an impression on MDA organizers who will hereafter be hard pressed to look down on the Pagan community. She would like those who donated to the MDA to know that their voices were heard, loud and clear. Wiccan Teacher Suspended, Reinstated In October of 1999, Stephen Piziks, teacher of English and teen health at Walled Lake Central High School in Walled Lake, Michigan, was suspended from his job for wearing a ring and wristband with pentacle designs. After a complaint was received from one student's parents, school officials requested that Piziks voluntarily remove the jewelry. After he refused, the school then suspended him without pay. Piziks next consulted with his teacher's union and a private attorney. On their advice, he removed the ring and wristband so he could file a complaint of being forced to work under adverse conditions. The union also pressured the school district into paying Piziks for his day of suspension and continued to meet with various school administrators on his behalf. Three weeks later, the school admitted that Piziks had the right to wear his religious symbols in the classroom. The parents who had filed the original complaint subsequently requested that their daughter be moved to another English class. The school denied the request, and the girl failed the course due to her parent's continued refusal to allow her to attend the class. Appalachian Pagans on the 700 Club The Appalachian Pagan Alliance (APA) of Asheville, North Carolina, recently received coverage from the “700 Club,” a show that airs on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Ginger Strivelli, head of the Alliance, was interviewed, and their First Annual May Day celebration, which was open to the public, was filmed. The Asheville area was of interest to the “700 Club” due to its growing reputation as a center of alternative spirituality amidst the Bible Belt, and due to the controversy it received last Samhain when the mayor declared and later rescinded a decree to create an Earth Religions Awareness week (see LLL Report Winter 1999). The final media coverage included an article entitled, “Spiritual Battle Looms in Asheville, NC,” and a broadcast on May 31st on the same subject which included footage of the Alliance's Beltane gathering. APA was created to do public relations work in the greater community in order to dispel negative misconceptions about Witches. Strivelli feels that this goal was realized in this media coverage. She reports that, although the broadcast was followed by some inaccurate commentary, the final report was, for the most part, fair and truthful. The article concluded with a statement from a local Baptist minister that he was glad that Pagans were in his area, as it provided an opportunity for his congregation to share the Gospel. The article can be viewed at: http://www.cbnnow.com/Newsstand/stories/000531.asp. The Appalachian Pagan Alliance can be reached at: PO Box 1498, Skyland, NC 28776; ladyginger@apexmail.com; http://www.angelfire.com/nb/appalachianpagan/index.html. Interfaith Dialogue in the Ozarks Festival 2000, held this past June at Wolvenwold in the Missouri Ozarks, drew suspicion from the surrounding local community. Letters attacking this Pagan event were printed in the local newspaper, the West Plains Quill, and Christian prayer meetings were organized against the festival. However, a reporter, from the paper who was invited to attend the event, subsequently wrote a fair, positively slanted article about the festival, after interviewing two of the Wolvenwold stewards, Fran and Beltana, plus SilverDrake Fey of Circle Sanctuary. Positive letters expressing support and tolerance for the festival were then received by the Quill. Additionally, some of the more concerned members of the community were invited to visit the event while it was in progress and speak with staff and participants. An informal question and answer session ensued, interspersed with good-natured humor on both sides. Although vandals destroyed Wolvenwold's sign, and local teenagers caused a mild disturbance near the entrance to the land, no other unfortunate incidents occurred during the festival. Thanks to the efforts of the Pagan participants, the festival staff and stewards, the Quill article, and the good will of the local neighbors, a difficult and tense situation was largely diffused. Barr Wars Anniversary An article marking the one year anniversary of Rep. Bob Barr's attack on Wiccans in the military (see the LLL Special Report in the Fall 1999 issue for the original story) appeared on The Pitt News, U-Wire of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in May of 2000. Written by Michael Mazza, an army reservist, the article characterizes Barr's attack as a holy war. On May 18, 1999, Barr sent a press release demanding an end to the taxpayer-supported practice of Witchcraft in the military (the press release can be viewed at http://www.house.gov/barr). But Congress and the military have both refused to listen to Barr's prejudiced opinions and the federal legislation Barr introduced twice on Capital Hill was defeated. Military chaplaincy have upheld their policy of meeting the religious needs of all military personnel, including those who practice minority religions, as long as those religions are practiced within the confines of military regulations. Mazza wrote, “I am happy to report, one year after Barr's unprovoked assault, that religious tolerance still reigns in the Army. Barr's 'war' has been a failure.”