June 30, 2006

The Board of Directors of the Pagan Pride Project stands in supportof the efforts of other Pagan organizations, including the LadyLiberty League, the Covenant of the Goddess, the Aquarian TabernacleChurch, the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, CircleSanctuary and others, to influence the United States Department ofVeterans Affairs to grant official recognition of the pentacle, auniversally recognized symbol of Wicca and other Pagan faiths, as asymbol permitted on the headstones of Pagan servicepersons who havedied as members of the American armed forces. The mission statementof the Pagan Pride Project includes the following:

"The purpose of this organization shall be the advancement ofreligion and elimination of prejudice and discrimination based onreligious beliefs, specifically those religions that fall under thedefinition of "Pagan" as defined for this document."

It seems clear that denial of the right for Wiccan and Pagansoldiers to have the symbol of their religious faith inscribed ontheir headstones, particularly in the light of the fact that symbolsfor smaller and lesser-known religions such as Izunome, Konky-Kyo,and even atheism and humanism, do have such symbols approved, is adirect statement of prejudice against the faith of persons who self-identify as Wiccan or Pagan. Since the United States Armed Forceshas permitted the inclusion of Wicca and other forms of Paganism asrecognized faith paths which may be inscribed on a soldier'sdogtags, it seems logical that the faith of such soldiers should berecognized on their grave markers. The only reason we can ascertainwhy the logical progression of that mention on the dogtags, whichare not usually seen in public, to the final recognition of faith onthe same soldier's headstone, a publicly visible symbol, has beendenied, is indeed discrimination on the basis of religion, andofficial discomfort at acknowledging the presence of members ofPagan faith paths in the military.

As an organization whose purpose is the eradication ofdiscrimination and prejudice against members of Pagan religions, wefind this exclusionary policy to be untenable. Therefore we urge theDepartment of Veterans Affairs to take such steps as may benecessary to speedily accord to members of Pagan faith paths whohave given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedomsinherent to Americans, one of which is freedom of religion, the duerecognition of their spiritual identity which has already beengranted to others.

With respect,
Pagan Pride International Board of Directors

• Dagonet Dewr, Executive Director, National President
• Brian Ewing, Membership Director, National Vice President
• Maureen Duffy-Boose, National Secretary, Assistant Membership Director,Upper Plains Regional Coordinator
• Jill MedicineHeart, Ohio Valley Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPP Board of Directors
• Carla Smith, South Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPP Boardof Directors, Local Coordinator Boone High Country PPD, Co-LocalCoordinator Charlotte Metro PPD
• Bob Bruhin, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPPBoard of Directors
• Susanna Grows, West Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPPBoard of Directors
• Duane Marshall, Former National Secretary, Former Mid-South Regional Coordinator,member at-large of PPP Board of Directors
• Slink, Mid-South Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPP Boardof Directors
• Paulette Reynolds, Upper Midwest Regional Coordinator, member at-large of PPP Board of Directors