Lady Liberty League Report – Summer 2005
Report prepared by Windwalker and Jerrie Hildebrand.

Lady Liberty League (LLL) convened its annual meeting on Saturday, June 25, 2005 during the Pagan Spirit Gathering in Ohio . About thirty people attended. This included advisors and members of LLL, plus those representing other organizations, such as Alternative Religions Education Network (AREN), Earth Religions Assistance List (ERAL), Pagan Pride International, Pagan Education Network (PEN), and Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). The meeting was co-moderated by LLL's Assistant Director Jerrie Hildebrand and Executive Director Selena Fox. Reports from various facets of LLL's endeavors were given at the meeting.

Organizational Development

We opened with a general overview of changes that have been happening with LLL and what our hopes and dreams are for the organization. Among them are database development, website development, collateral and marketing materials for online and in-print, and stronger networking. Jerrie and Selena are working on putting things in place to develop these areas.

Over the past year, new LLL brochures were developed. These are available by request through the Circle office, Box 9 , Barneveld , WI 53507 ; 608-924-2219; liberty@circlesanctuary.org. Specify in-print or pdf format. The preliminary design for the website has been evaluated and is in process.

Prison Ministry

Patrick McCollum, LLL's Prison Ministry Task Force coordinator, reported on actions and issues that have surfaced within LLL's prison ministries. He announced the recent religious accommodation victory in the Cutter vs. Wilkson case. This case involved inmates of minority religions in the Ohio state prison system seeking to get religious accommodation. Although the State of Ohio won in the 6th District US Circuit Court of Appeals, when the case was heard by the US Supreme Court, the decision was reversed and decided in favor of the inmates. A Wiccan was among the inmates who won in this case. This decision not only upholds freedom of religion and strengthens Pagan rights in prison settings, it is significant because it is the first time a case involving the Wiccan religion was part of a US Supreme Court decision.

Patrick also reported that he is putting together more seminars for prison chaplains at this year's American Academy of Religion (AAR) conference in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania in November. Patrick is AAR 's liaison for prison ministry issues.

Selena commended Patrick on being the first Pagan to become a member of the American Correctional Chaplains Association. Those at the meeting joined her in congratulating him for this important breakthrough for Pagans.

Family Issues

Dagonet Dewr of Pagan Pride gave an update on the case of the divorced Wiccan parents in Indianapolis , Indiana who were told by a court judge that they could not raise their child Wiccan, despite their wishes to do so. The couple has filed an appeal. They are working with the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) regarding the matter. Selena, Jerrie, and other LLL advisors also have been providing support. An Associated Press interview with Selena about the religious freedom implications of this case was published in newspapers nationwide this Spring.

Also at the meeting, we discussed Paula Johnson's child custody case and the victory for Wiccan religious freedom. Jerrie led the group in thanking Dr. Drake Spaeth, Kerr Cuhulain and Selena for their help with the case, including their willingness to give expert testimony. We also honored Paula for her courage.

Other cases involving child custody and other family issues are coming in. We continue to monitor them and provide support when it is warranted.

Headstones for Pagan Veterans

In April, Selena Fox and Circle Sanctuary sent in our application requesting that the Pentacle be added to the federal list of approved emblems for government issued headstones and markers for US military veterans. On May 9, 2005, Lindee L. Lenox, Acting Director of the Memorial Programs Service, responded to our application, and stated “We received your letter requesting that the Pentacle, the religious symbol used by Wiccans, be added to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) list of approved emblems for Government headstones and markers.” We are thankful that this letter supports our assertion that the Pentacle is an emblem of the Wiccan religion. Also in the letter, Lenox indicated that they are in the process of revising procedures and a decision on our request will be issued when this process is completed, which is to be “in the near future.”

Although our application is not yet approved, we continue to be in touch with the VA regarding this opportunity for Pagan veterans. Circle Sanctuary and LLL also have been in touch with several other groups working toward this goal that are choosing to work within existing federal government protocols.

To further our quest, we are inviting Pagan veterans and active duty military personnel to send us letters stating their military service and status and their desire to have the pentacle a symbol of their faith on their headstones. Please contact LLL Military & Veterans Task Force, Pentacle Headstone Project, Circle, PO Box 9 , Barneveld , WI 53507 . Include your complete contact information, including postal address, email, and telephone numbers. Dr. John, LLL's Military and Veteran's Affairs advisor, is working with Selena on this project. Your letters will be greatly appreciated.

Several Pagan veterans and military service personnel were among those attending this year's meeting. We took time in our meeting to acknowledge them and to commend the service of our men and women in the armed forces who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world. Selena passed out LLL's Military Pagan Prayer Cards to military Pagans present. Cards are available from the Circle office to Pagans serving in the military, their loved ones, and veterans

Public Relations

We discussed the need to continue interfaith dialogue with religious moderates and conservatives who stand for religious liberties for all faiths and not just their own. Several LLL advisors continue their interfaith work. Selena reported that in January she was elected President of the Greater Madison Interreligious Association. This marks the first time a Pagan minister was elected head of an interfaith organization in Wisconsin .

Jerrie Hildebrand was recently a consultant to the Mayor's office in the City of Salem, Massachusetts regarding TV Land's statue honoring the work of Elizabeth Montgomery not only as Samantha Stevens on the 1960's television show “Bewitched,” but in the domain of social justice. As Montgomery did in her real life, the show, still being shown by TV Land, took on many social issues of the times. This is the beauty of having the statue in Salem . Jerrie looked at not only how the statue would be seen by the Wiccan and other Pagans but also why a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery stirred emotions in a city with so many lessons to be shared about honoring tolerance and diversity. Jerrie polled many local and national Pagan and Wiccan leaders and took their opinions to the mayor's office. The statue was erected on June 15, 2005 in Salem . It is nine feet high and shows the character Montgomery played sitting on a broom flying across the crescent moon in her housewife finery.

Networking

Larry Cornett of Earth Religions Assistance League (ERAL) handed out a listing of websites this organization has created for referencing religious rights cases on the internet. It is a valuable tool for those in the legal professions.

Dagonet Dewr of Pagan Pride International, shared some of the issues Pagan Pride Day (PPD) has faced with cities and towns hosting their events over the past year. He commended LLL in their speedy support of the Tulsa , Oklahoma PPD last year. LLL was called in for assistance and coaching when attempts were made to stop the Tulsa Pagan Pride event from happening. The way the original order was written was that not only could organizers not hold PPD at that location, but neither could they hold it anywhere else in town. There was also a request for a hearing that a permanent injunction be filed against organizers and the guest speaker. All of that was dismissed. Because of zoning issues, the site was moved to a new location and the event was held on the day it was intended to run.

Dave Sassman of Pagan Educational Network (PEN) described PEN's work and hosted a meet and greet at the Pagan Spirit Gathering 2005.

Jerrie described her continued collaboration with LLL and AREN. She has been partnering with the AREN board and working on some common projects and cases. We honor our continued relationship with AREN.

Members of the Military Pagan Network (MPN) were also present. LLL continues their collaborative relationship with this organization.

Selena closed the meeting with a group honoring of Libertas, Lady Liberty, and a working for Pagan religious freedom.