Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

[Unleash the Hounds is a monthly feature that highlights media stories of interest originating predominantly outside of our collective communities. If you like seeing this roundup every month, consider donating to our Wild Hunt Fall Fund Drive today. Only a few hours left in the 2015 campaign! Join the team of supporters. Donate today and help keep The Wild Hunt on track for another year. Thank You.]

According to a number of news sites, Facebook announced Friday that it is making changes to its infamous “real name policy.” Last year, this policy triggered a number of protests after it was used to target various communities, most visibly the LGBTQ and Indigenous populations. As we have previously reported, many Pagans, Heathens and Polytheists have also been targets of “real name policy” enforcement.

The reported announcement came in the form of a letter written in response to the most recent protest. On October 5, the Electronic Frontier Foundation published its own open letter, speaking out against the policy and asking Facebook to respond by Oct 31. The open letter was signed by a number of organizations and individuals from around the world, including the ACLU, #MyNameIs Campaign, Transgender Law Center, Women, Action &  the Media and more. The EFF open letter reads in part, “Facebook maintains a system that disregards the circumstances of users in countries with low levels of internet penetration, exposes its users to danger, disrespects the identities of its users, and curtails free speech.”

In response, Facebook’s Vice President of Growth Alex Schultz reportedly responded with his own letter announcing the changes. According to that document, the policy itself will remain intact; however, beginning in December, Facebook will allow people to submit descriptive reasoning for a name choice along with their non-government issued IDs. Similarly, anyone who flags a person’s name will be required to submit detailed reasoning and proof.

Schultz explains that “bullying, harassment or other abuse on Facebook is eight times more likely to be committed by people using names other than their own than by the rest of the Facebook community.” However, he acknowledged that the policy, as it stands, does not work for everyone. Along with other tweaks to the system, they hope to make the process easier and “more personal.”  This is good news for Pagans, Heathens and Polytheists who use their public Craft names on the social media site.

Schultz letter was posted online by BuzzFeed reporter and can be read in full there. Despite the news reports, no formal announcements seem to have been made via Facebook’s press sources or on its own social media.

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In Other News ….

• As reported by the Huffington Post, the U.S. Military has refused to remove a sign reading “God Bless” from a base in Hawaii. The sign was originally erected on the Oahu base “in response to the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.” However, in recent months, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has gotten involve in protesting the sign and has requested its removal. In response, Col. Sean C. Killeen said the sign will remain in place and will not be altered in anyway. He added, “This sign has the secular purpose of conveying a message of support, does not advance or inhibit religion or any particular faith, nor does it foster excessive government entanglement with religion.” MRFF, undaunted by the response, fired back requesting that, to remain within the parameters set by the Constitution, the base now needs to erect similar signs representing other beliefs, specifically including Judaism, Islam, Norse Religious Faiths, Wicca, Humanism/Atheism, and Hindu. Later the MRFF, calling the Killeen’s response “massively unconstitutional,” added three more belief systems: the Baha’i faith, the Jedi church and the Church of Satan.
• In Colorado, one Pastor is attempting to combat religious bigotry with simple education. In an article for the local Mountain-Ear, Pastor Hansen Wendlandt explains the importance of religious literacy. He writes, “America is still a very religious country. By all measures, we are full of people who believe in God, gods and goddesses, or at least something sacred about the world. And by all accounts, very many of us behave and make civil decisions based on our religious commitments. And yet, according to the careful research, Americans are woefully ignorant of each other’s faith systems and traditions.” He is using his Community Church as a forum to teach young people, mostly teenagers, about different religions. Oct 18 marked the first session, in which he invited a Hindu speaker. In Nov, Pastor Wendlandt will welcome a Wiccan speaker; then in Dec, he will bring in a Jewish speaker, following in January, by a Buddhist. He writes, “Future dates for Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism and Humanism will be announced later.”
• While the mainstream media continued its October quest to interview witches, a town in Italy is discussing the forgiving of one. In the town of Brentonico, Mayor Christian Perenzoni is seeking the pardon of a woman who was labeled a witch and killed 300 years ago. He told The Independent, “We wanted to render justice and historical truth, and give back the condemned woman her ethical, moral and civil dignity.” According to the report, Maria Bertoletti Toldini was accused of practicing Witchcraft since the age of 13. She was eventually tried, beheaded and burned. Her trial is considered to be one the last in a long line of Witchcraft executions in the area.
• With everyone’s mind on Halloween, a local CBS affiliate in Minnesota reported on the “Witch Tree.” The report explains, “The solitary tree … has long been growing out of a rock on tribal land along the rugged shoreline of Lake Superior.” Local indigenous groups consider the tree sacred and leave offerings at its base. The article goes on to talk about the rituals and its honored place in that culture.
• Contributing to the month’s trending religious discussions, The Week‘s Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry asks, “Could paganism make a comeback?” Note that in this article he is defining “paganism” as that which was practiced in the classical period, as he understands it.
• In the art world, the Deitch Project presented an exhibition, “Cameron: Cinderella of the Wastelands,” which shared the Uncensored Story of LA Artist/Occultist Majorie Cameron.” According to an article in The Observer, “Close friends … gathered to share memories of the ‘Scarlet Woman’ who starred in Kenneth Anger films and was married to rocket scientist Jack Parsons, amid a small but historic first East Coast survey of her artwork.” Her religious beliefs were integrated into her work, and she was reportedly practicing at the convergence of three traditions: Wicca, Thelema, Scientology. According to the Deitch Project website, “The combination of Cameron’s precise line, her visionary imagery, occult practice, and charismatic personality created a singular aesthetic. Her distinctive vision and her strong feminist spirit are now inspiring a new generation of artists.” Examples of her work are on the Deitch website and in the Oberserver article.

That is it for now! Have a nice day.

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