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Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine
Camp Gaea Legal Battle UpdateIt's over! Earth Rising has been granted a perpetual Special Use Permit for their land! Camp Gaea, the 168-acre campground and retreat center that hosts some Pagan events near Tonganoxie, Kansas, has received word that the Leavenworth County Commissioners have approved and signed the agreement that resulted from their negotiations after previously losing the zoning permit for their land. Further information about this victory may be found on their website at www.campgaea.org. Harry Potter Book & Volunteer Fire Police BoycottA January 2002 Associated Press article talked about the Penryn, Pennsylvania Fire Police voting unanimously to refuse to direct traffic for the 20th running of the YMCA triathlon, saying the club promotes Witchcraft by reading Harry Potter books to children enrolled in their after school program. What wasn't said in the article was that the volunteer Fire Police are not your traditional municipal police department and are not government controlled. An executive assistant to the Director of Communications in the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office said the volunteers are similar to school crossing guards. Calls made to several Pennsylvania governmental offices were not returned. YMCA executive director, Michael Carr, confirms that the first reports out in the media were incorrect, that this group of eight Fire Police are "strictly volunteers" that stand at the corner and direct traffic for emergencies. As with any volunteer, they can choose what they will and won't do. Carr said the American Civil Liberties Union was "right on" the case but that the YMCA wouldn't be utilizing their services. He further said that he wasn't concerned, because they will just get someone else to perform traffic control for the event. Carr said that many, many people have offered support after this news hit. "The twist is that because of one group's refusal to help, which is their right," he said, "it appears positive for the organization," as this is now expected to be their biggest triathlon ever. Wicca 101 Course ProtestedIsaac Bonewits had been invited by a local bookstore owner to teach a Wicca 101 course in Warwick Village, New York. Flyers advertising the event were put up all over town, and the local stores were happy to let them be posted. However, upon arriving to teach the course on April 17, 2002, Isaac was jeered by some fundamentalist Christian protesters. These protestors also began to intimidate students as they arrived for the class. The store owner attempted to dialogue with the protesters with no success. A few local Neopagans then arrived, saw what was happening, and called for "backup." Soon there were Pagans out front, standing between the protesters and the doorway, speaking calming and preventing the protesters from blocking the door. Eventually, the protesters gave up and left. The next day, the store owner received threats of an economic boycott of the store if the classes were allowed to continue, and, fearful for the survival of the business he had built his life around, he asked Isaac to find a different location for his classes. A wire service has since picked up the story and, as a result, Isaac received dozens of emails and has now doubled the size of his class, which is being held at a new location. Rosemere, Washington Neighborhood DisputeThe January 20, 2002 edition of The Columbian, a newspaper serving Clark County, Washington, covered a battle between owners of an alternative bookstore and the new building owners where it was located. The new owners are a minister and a director of a Christian nonprofit program who plan to open a Christian thrift store, bookstore, coffee shop, and deli in the building. The new owners did not renew the lease for the alternative bookstore. Larger issues of religion and politics have erupted out of this after one of the new owners called the Rosemere Neighborhood Association board "anti-Christian" and claimed, they are fighting for the "soul of Rosemere." As a result, one of the alternative bookstore owners has filed a complaint with the Washington state Human Rights Commission, claiming one of the new owners "harassed me and treated me disparately on the basis of my creed." She was also called a "devil worshipper." The investigation is pending and could take up to seven months for some sort of a resolution to occur. Christians Interrupt Sacred RitualOn March 16, 2002 Pagans in Lancaster, California held a Spring Equinox ceremony in the parking lot of a Pagan gift shop. In the spirit of celebrating diversity, sometimes the public is invited to their gatherings. At first, the Christian guests attending this event remained mostly seated and were praying quietly along the periphery. Soon, however, car radios playing Christian music were turned up loud enough to drown out the Pagan ritual music. At one point, Christians got out of their cars and started to circle the Pagan ceremony and began praying. The Pagan group stayed focused and was determined not to stop. Meanwhile, the sheriff's department, whose station was only three blocks away, was called, but they did not respond until four and a half hours later after everyone was gone. Pagans believe the incident was a hate crime and that the disruptive Christian attendees should be prosecuted. A Lancaster County Sheriff captain said there were no actual threats made and that California law only applies to disturbances taking place in tax exempt buildings, not parking lots, therefore the Christians were merely exercising their right to free public speech. The captain said the slow response time was because they had plenty of other emergencies and a noise complaint was low on their priority list. Area residents are now debating over the definitions of free speech and
hate crime. A town meeting was held with state and local leaders in an attempt
to work out a peaceful solution to the dispute, which has attracted the
attention of representatives from the state and federal governments who
continue to monitor the situation. The Pagans are planning to lobby the
California legislature for tougher laws against people who interrupt religious
ceremonies. Lady Liberty League Prison Task Force UpdateThe Lady Liberty League Prison Task Force has been busy since the last LLL report. In March of 2002, Patrick McCollum received reports of religious discrimination against Wiccans in the Utah State prison system. Wiccan inmates were being told that they could not enter the non-denominational chapel in the prison because their presence would supposedly "desecrate" its holiness. They were also denied the right to read any Wiccan books or religious materials during the prison's weekly non-denominational independent religious study program. In addition, inmates were also denied the right to worship Paganism in any form. Patrick contacted the state administrators and successfully negotiated all of the issues in contention. LLL joined with Darla Wynne, Director of Prison Ministry for W.A.R.D., in a case involving the Michigan Department of Corrections, which had denied Wiccan inmates the right to meet for group worship even though other faiths are authorized to meet. Patrick contacted the officials involved and provided them with 30 pages of documents from nationally recognized religious scholars and Pagan leaders, verifying that meeting together in group worship is a basic part of the Wiccan faith. The Michigan Department of Corrections is currently considering this material. Another discrimination case brought to the attention of LLL was in the Eldorado County Juvenile court system in California. In this case, a priestess of Covenant of the Goddess (COG) was denied access to a Wiccan juvenile requesting her spiritual support. Officials not only denied access to Wiccan clergy, but also espoused that Wicca was not a valid religion and was potentially harmful to the juveniles in their care. Patrick contacted the director of the Court and provided the necessary documentation to convince him that Wicca was in fact a valid religion and that Wiccan morals and ethics are comparable to those espoused by other religions. COG, working in conjunction with LLL, also provided documentation for the case, and in the end the court agreed to allow Wiccan clergy to minister to juveniles in their care. In California, a Wiccan inmate on Death Row at San Quentin had a severe heart attack. The inmate, facing death, requested Patrick, who serves as his Wiccan Chaplain, to attend him and hold a ritual of last rites for him. Officials from the prison denied the inmate's request based on the current state policy which specifies that only Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy may attend inmates who are dying. Both Patrick McCollum and Selena Fox contacted numerous officials trying to right the situation, but were unsuccessful in their efforts. The inmate survived after three successive heart attacks and a severe embolism and finally became stabilized. Patrick immediately contacted the gubernatorial oversight committee that sets governing policy for the California Department of Corrections and filed a formal complaint. A meeting between Patrick and top officials has been scheduled for late May. Patrick also responded to two Federal correctional institutions in Kentucky, where negotiations are currently underway to establish a Wiccan religious program in that state. LLL also responded to requests from the Nebraska Department of Corrections this month, and made significant headway toward Pagans being granted a small parcel of land within each correctional facility to use as sacred space for rituals. After nearly a year of negotiations between LLL and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Marie Macdonald of Texas and Laurel Owen of Tennessee held the first approved Wiccan Sabbat in that state's correctional system. The Sabbat went well and both Laurel and Marie are to be commended for their patience and diligence in the establishment of this historic occasion. On May 1, Patrick facilitated two Beltane celebrations in California prisons. The first was held at the New Folsom Prison outside of Sacramento. About 15 men gathered in a closed concrete security yard, where an altar was set up. A full circle was cast and a beautiful Beltane ritual was held. All of the inmates actively participated and were allowed full access to ritual tools, candles, and incense. Following the ritual, a feast prepared by the participants was enjoyed. The second ceremony, held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, made history. At this facility, Patrick helped to dedicate one of the first permanently established parcels of sacred land given to Pagans within a correctional institution. The plot, which is quite beautiful, is surrounded by green foothills with a full view of the sky. The institution also built a privacy fence around the site and have provided water so that gardens can be planted. With approval, Patrick led about twenty women as they celebrated with a Maypole dance, jumping over a bonfire, and a wonderful feast. Both the women at the Federal Correctional institution and the men at the new Folsom Prison were overwhelmed with joy to be able to practice their faith freely and a number of inmates cried during the ceremonies. The women asked Patrick to convey this message to our community: "We thank all of those of you who work so hard to secure equal rights for Pagans. We are living proof that your work makes a difference. Live free and most importantly, appreciate what you've got. Never take what you have for granted. When you stand on a mountain top with the wind blowing in your hair, or meet with friends at a gathering, thank the Gods for what you have, because there are some of us that will never have that again. Blessings to you all and happy Beltane!" In closing, LLL's Prison Ministry Task Force received a total of 18 new
requests for assistance in religious discrimination cases since our last
report. We also responded to several requests for information on Wicca and
other Pagan paths from various governmental agencies who are considering
the incorporation of Pagan religious participation in their programs. LLL Report is published quarterly in CIRCLE Magazine. Click here for Subscription Information.
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