Winter 2003
Lady Liberty League Report
Published in CIRCLE Magazine

Wiccan Priestess Wins Federal Court Case
Wiccan priestess Cynthia Simpson won her religious freedom battle in federal court in Richmond, Virginia on November 13, 2003. The magistrate ruled that the Chesterfield County Board discriminated against Cyndi when it prohibited her from joining their list of clergy able to open their meetings with prayer. As mentioned in the Spring 2003 LLL Report, Cyndi had been told by the Board that she could not be a prayer leader at their meetings because she did not practice a religion "within the Judeo-Christian tradition." She decided to challenge this decision and filed suit last year. She was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia, with assistance from Americans United (AU) for Separation of Church and State.

US District Court magistrate judge Dohnal ruled that, by denying her request to do prayers and preferring some religions over others, the Board violated the establishment clause of the First Amendmentthe constitutional mandate for separation of church and state. The judge ordered the County to change the policy to include all faiths or to stop using the policy altogether. The decision was handed down in the 4th Circuit Court, which is considered to be the most conservative federal court in the US.

Cyndi and those who assisted her are delighted with this victory. Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of AU said: "This is a tremendous victory for religious diversity. The decision serves as an important reminder that government may not play favorites among religions." Cyndi concurs: "People of all faiths should rejoice in this decision. It is extremely conservative, in that it is very conserving of a strict interpretation of our precious First Amendment, which protects both our right to freedom of religion in our practice and our right to freedom from the government establishment of religion. This is a victory for all peoplethose who espouse particular faiths and those who do not." Lady Liberty League executive director Selena Fox agrees and adds: "This victory also reminds government officials that the Wiccan religion is indeed a religion and entitled to equal treatment under the law. Congratulations to Cyndi for standing up for Pagan rights and for religious freedom for all!"

Cyndi thanks Selena and the Lady Liberty League for blessings, phone calls, emails, and other spiritual support she received throughout her case: "Thanks for all your support and care. It meant a lot to me and I know that energy helped!"

Pagans Protest Official's Bigoted Remark
Thousands of Pagans across the United States and other countries are outraged at the anti-Pagan remark made on the afternoon of November 26, 2003 by James Towey, White House deputy assistant to the president of the United States. Pagans of many paths and groups have protested Towey's slur against Pagans with a barrage of emails, phone calls, and faxes. Towey is the Director of the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, a controversial program that gives tax payer dollars to religious groups with charity ministries. The day before American Thanksgiving, Towey hosted a question and answer session on the whitehouse.gov website. Colby Lewallen, the Missouri State Chairperson of the Pagan Unity Campaign (PUC), contributed several questions to Towey's on-line session. Towey responded to one of them: "Do you feel that Pagan faith based groups should be given the same considerations as any other group that seeks aid?" In his reply, Towey, who admitted he hadn't run into any Pagan faith-based groups yet, went on to cast aspersions on Pagans, and insinuated, among other things, that Pagans don't have loving hearts or care about the poor. Immediately after getting word about Towey's anti-Pagan remark, Ginger Strivelli, national president of PUC, sent out a press release describing the situation and calling on Pagans and others to voice their concerns as well as provide accurate information about the positive nature of Paganism and Pagan charity work. Send your comments to: Jim Towey, The White House, Washington, DC 20502; fax: (202) 456-7019; phone: (202) 456-6708; website: www.fbci.gov.

According to Selena Fox, LLL executive director, Towey's remark not only is a slur against Pagans, but it highlights the same constitutional establishment clause concerns at the heart of Cyndi Simpson's federal court case. It casts doubts on the likelihood of equal treatment for all religious groups by the office Towey directs. The rudeness and bigoted nature of Towey's remarks becomes readily apparent to both Pagans and non-Pagans alike when the name of some other world religion or cultural group is substituted for the word Pagan in Towey's comments. Would he make the same remark about a Jewish or Buddhist group? What would happen if he did? What response, if any, will Towey make to Pagans? Towey's exact quote and updates on the protest are on-line: paganunitycampaign.org. For more information, contact Ginger: ginger@paganunitycampaign.org.

Prison Ministry Task Force Update
Lady Liberty League's Prison Ministry Task Force has received more than a dozen new requests for help with Pagan religious accommodation issues for inmates from various prisons this Fall. It also is continuing to receive inmate requests for books and other information on Paganism. In November, Patrick was appointed as prison issues liaison for the American Academy of Religion. In Tennessee, priestess Kathy Neely has taken over the leadership of the Wiccan prison program started by Laurel Owen at the Brushy Mountain Correctional Institution and is now beginning to establish programs at other prisons. In addition, Michelle Eventide, Director of the Nonnery Refuge, has successfully established a Pagan program at the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, California.

Circle Sanctuary priestess Mari Powers now conducts six Wiccan-Pagan Worship services at three Wisconsin prisons each month. She is also providing monthly mentoring support to Wiccan inmates at a federal prison in Milan, Michigan. This Fall, Mari arranged for a Blue Star priestess to do the Wiccan presentation at an interfaith symposium for inmates at Lino Lakes Prison in Minnesota, and the talk, by Beth Sommerville of the Northern Dawn Council of Covenant of the Goddess, was well received. Mari, Patrick, and Selena have fielded questions from various chaplains from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, resulting in a wider range of services, and access to books, herbs, and outdoor worship spaces for Pagans incarcerated in federal institutions.

In early October, Patrick met with Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United to discuss his current case against the State of California for religious discrimination against Wiccans in the hiring of state prison chaplains. Rev. Lynn consequently invited Patrick to participate in a one-hour nationally broadcast radio show on the subject. The program went exceptionally well, and American United has decided to get involved in the case. In addition, several nationally prominent law firms have also expressed interest in lending support.

Protests at Pagan Pride Events
Although Pagan Pride events were a big success in many ways across the country this year (see page 53), unfortunately, protestor activity has increased for the second year in a row. This year, sixteen Pagan Pride events reported protestor problems, including confrontational preaching, sign removal, minor vandalism, and unauthorized photography. At one of these events, participants had to clean up broken glass scattered through the area. Others had to have the local sheriff's department evict "Christian" protestors from their reserved park shelter. Fortunately, police removal of protestors by police and event security was peaceful.

Pentagram Problem in Halloween Media
On October 30, 2003, a Madison, Wisconsin television show, Fox 47 News, aired a fairly accurate piece called "Witches in Your Backyard" which included interviews with several priestesses from the Madison-based Reformed Congregation of the Goddess. Unfortunately, station staff inserted an upside-down pentagram in the background of the opening segment. Members of the group and other local Pagans contacted the station and expressed their dismay at the use of this symbol most commonly associated with Satanists instead of Wiccans. Fox 47 News issued a letter of apology.

Priestess Counters Harassment
Lianna Constantino, high priestess of the Sylvian Hearth Pagan Temple, moved to the Franklin, North Carolina area to found another center and to pursue other ministry work. After renting a pavilion in the park for a grove meeting last summer, she had to call the Sheriff to deal with loud harassment that was intended to disrupt their meeting. After this incident, one of the local preachers spoke out against her at a Town Meeting and falsely claimed that he had found a left wing political website that belonged to her. Lianna countered his arguments eloquently at a subsequent Town Meeting. Letters supporting her were among those published in the editorial section of the local paper. Step by step, she contacted all the
appropriate people, educated them, and where deemed necessary, asked for apologies. Since then she has received many positive emails, phone calls and letters of support from Pagans and Christians alike. The same preacher who instigated the harassment at the park tried again to speak against her at another Town Meeting. He was asked to sit down and be quiet by both the Mayor and City Attorney, who informed him that a Town Meeting was not the place to air any grievances of religious differences. Good work and kudos for Lianna.

Pagan Talk Held Despite Protest
In Spring, 2003, the Mt. Horeb Youth Center in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin received a Dane County Arts and Humanities grant for multicultural education. The Youth Center began their program series in the Summer. The first few programs that were advertised and held were positively received. However, when the talk on Wiccan-Pagan culture planned for September was announced in the center's newsletter, several parents complained and mounted a campaign to stop the talk. Those with objections not only contacted Center personnel, but also pressured school and government officials. Upon learning of the controversy, the Youth Center program director contacted Eric, archdruid of Sun Raven Grove in Madison, who was to give the talk, and Selena Fox, high priestess of Circle Sanctuary and executive director of the Lady Liberty League. Selena and Eric discussed strategies with Youth Center staff and members of the center's Board of Directors. After a series of meetings, the Center decided to continue with its plans to hold the talk for youth and to also have the same talk presented for parents and any concerned citizens in the afternoon shortly before the youth presentation. Center staff decided to have Eric and Selena speak at both talks. In addition, the Center staff had the Village weekly newspaper publish an article announcing the talk. The article described the Center's work with diversity education and also presented some basic information about the Wicca religion and Paganism in an effort to counter misconceptions spread by those who wanted the talk cancelled. The talks by Eric and Selena were held on Friday, September 26 at the Mt. Horeb Youth Center. The talks were positively received by youth and adults alike. Eric and Selena received cards of appreciation from the youth and Center staff.

For more information about Lady Liberty League's Pagan religious freedom work, visit us online at:
www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty



© 2003, Circle Sanctuary.

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