After a hiatus, Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day is back. Here's how to go.

Jack Perry, Providence Journal
·3 min read
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Fearing discrimination, many pagans prefer to keep their faith private, according to Darrell Moore, high priest of Horn and Cauldron, Church of the Earth, a small Wiccan church on a 13-acre farm in Coventry's rural village of Greene.

Moore is trying to counter stereotypes about paganism and defend its followers from discrimination by helping to organize Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day on August 26 at Johnston Memorial Park in Johnston.

The annual event is "a vibrant and inclusive celebration of spirituality, diversity, and community," Moore says, aiming "to promote understanding, reduce discrimination, and foster a sense of unity among all individuals interested in, or curious about, pagan traditions."

More: A Wiccan church in Coventry was denied a zoning permit. Then the ACLU got involved.

What to know about the Pagan Pride festival

Attendees will be able to learn about different Pagan groups, watch or take part in public rituals, and learn and strengthen skills in workshops, according to Moore. The event, which is free and will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., will also have live music, vendors and food trucks. It will be "family-friendly" and open to all, Moore says.

Many pagans hide their faith

According to Moore, many pagans choose to keep their faith private, because they fear discrimination at work, school, housing and even in child-custody issues.

Gail McHugh, senior clergy and founder of Horn and Cauldron Church of the Earth, and her husband, Darrell Moore, co-senior clergy, stand inside a sacred labyrinth circle used with their congregants during services. The church is sponsoring Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day in Johnston on August 26.
Gail McHugh, senior clergy and founder of Horn and Cauldron Church of the Earth, and her husband, Darrell Moore, co-senior clergy, stand inside a sacred labyrinth circle used with their congregants during services. The church is sponsoring Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day in Johnston on August 26.

Moore, who works as an engineer, says he suspected discrimination from some previous employers but not from his current employer. Still, he said didn't want his place of employment mentioned in this story.

Horn and Cauldron, Church of the Earth fought for a permit to worship

Moore says his church, Horn and Cauldron, Church of the Earth, suffered discrimination starting in 2020 when the town said it needed a special permit to hold services. The church applied but was denied by the Zoning Board of Review, which claimed group worshipping would cause parking problems and pose a fire hazard.

The permit was issued last fall after the national and Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union stepped in and informed the town that a refusal to grant the permit would violate the Church’s First Amendment rights, as well as its rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The federal law provides increased protections to houses of worship in zoning proceedings and ensures that governmental entities may not discriminate against any faith.

The ACLU, which called the resolution a "victory for religious freedom," will make a presentation on religious freedoms at Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day.

What is paganism?

In a nutshell, Moore defines paganism this way: "It's an Earth-centered religion. We honor nature."

He believes other religions have played a role in the discrimination faced by pagans. "I think a lot of the main religions have demonized lesser religions by associating us with Satanism and things like that," Moore said.

"That fact is Satan is really a Christian god, not a pagan god," he said.

A key objective of Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day, Moore said, is providing accurate information and dispelling misconceptions about pagan religions by showing the diversity of the pagan community and sharing personal experiences.

"Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day is about education: informing the public about our faiths, and also bringing fellow practitioners together to learn from one another," he said in a press release.

Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day has been on hiatus

Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day was first held in the early 2000s but has been on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the past, it's generally attracted about 500 people but drew about 1,500 in 2019, Moore said.

"We're trying to make it bigger and better," said Moore, who's working with a church subcommittee to put on the event.

The church had to obtain a permit from the town of Johnston to hold the event. Moore said it had no problem.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day in Johnston: When is it, how to go