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History of Pagan Pride

How It All Began

The History of the Pagan Pride Project
Cecylyna Dewr, Executive Director
Dagonet Dewr, Membership Director
April 3, 2001

Roots

Nobody really knows who first used the term "Pagan Pride". In name, it owes its origins to the Gay Pride movement, and certainly it is a term that reaches far beyond any single organization. It cannot be copyrighted; the founders have always felt it would be a breach of honor and decency to copyright it. There are rumors of single, local events using the name of Pagan Pride as early as 1992, though no documentation of these events has been found. We can, however, safely identify and document the first organized movement to support and encourage public celebrations of Pagan Pride in communities all over the world -- the Pagan Pride Project.

The history of the Pagan Pride Project starts with Cecylyna Brightsword's -- now Cecylyna Dewr -- participation in the Pagan Awareness League, or PAL, the organization founded after the Witches' League for Public Awareness eliminated their state representative program in 1997. During her time as a member of PAL, Cecylyna proposed a formal program to the PAL membership and director to facilitate celebrations of Pagan Pride on a local level to be called Pagan Pride Day.

From the beginning, Cecylyna's vision of what Pagan Pride Day should be included several departures from the celebrations common to the Pagan community. Her proposal included the central core of what has become the Pagan Pride Project, three elements designed to increase community good will and public relations towards Paganism: a public ritual or celebration open to Pagans, non-Pagans, passersby, and onlookers; press releases and public relations activities designed to encourage positive media portrayal of Pagans and Paganism; and a food and materials drive for a local charity, food bank, shelter, or refuge, to symbolize both Pagan responsibilities to their town, city, or state and in honor of the various Thanksgiving holidays common to most Pagan traditions held around Fall Equinox. While many Pagan Pride Day celebrations have included more than this, every celebration ever held as a part of the Pagan Pride Project has included at least two, if not all, of these elements. (Two of the celebrations in 1998 were food drives only.)

Departures

The proposal generated some interest in PAL, but a combination of personal issues in Cecylyna's life and PAL's sporadic activity meant that PPD remained inactive until around Lammas of 1998, when Cecylyna returned with a public apology for her inactivity and in six weeks with the help of a dedicated group of Local Coordinators held the first ever Pagan Pride Day on September 19, 1998.

Beginnings

There were 18 celebrations that first year, 17 in the United States and one in Canada. All were small, and while attendance figures were never totaled formally, a rough estimate would probably include about 800-1000 attendees. Food drive numbers were not collected. While many Local Coordinators were PAL members, Pagan Pride Day was never a part of PAL's official events, and by the end of the 1998 celebrations the term 'Pagan Pride Project' was being used for the organization, usually shortened to PPP. PAL soon after dissolved and reformed as PACT, which has no relationship to the Pagan Pride Project.

The participants of the 1998 events were determined to try to do it again in 1999, and Pagan Pride Day was set for September 25 of that year. (A side note here. While Pagan Pride Day is set each year, Pride events are actually scheduled within a 'window' of two weeks to either side of the date. For 2001, this has been changed to anytime in the month of September.) However, Cecylyna was promoted to management at her mundane job that year. This, combined with some personal issues, meant no Pride planning was done until May, when Cecylyna's husband and priest Dagonet Dewr came on board as Membership Director. With Cecylyna providing direction, Dagonet performing organizational and event recruitment duties, and dedicated Local Coordinators doing the hardest work of all in bringing communities together,1999's totals included 44 events, 4589 confirmed attendees, and 4715 pounds of food and goods collected to go to local food banks, shelters, and refuges. (See the 1999 event list here. Note: this list and these numbers differ from certain 2000 press releases, as it eliminates all Pride events that were never confirmed directly to the Membership Director.) 1999 also brought the first protesters to Pagan Pride events. Thankfully, no protests were ever confrontational; in fact, Pagan Pride Birmingham neatly defused an Operation Rescue attempt to protest at PPD Birmingham by selling them booth space.

Growth

In 2000, the theme was organization. This year brought the establishment of the Pagan Pride Project Regions in order to better coordinate efforts in various areas. These new Regional Coordinators became members of the Pagan Pride Board in order to take some of the workload off Dag and Cec and to better serve the Pagan community. The Board has been instrumental in setting policies and goals for PPP and in maintaining growth and accountability. The Pagan Pride Project now has effective means of dealing with any issue, question, or problem facing a Local Coordinator, and provides immediate response help if Local Coordinators should need guidance, moral support, or just a good word. The role of the Pagan Pride Day e-mailing lists has become paramount in providing immediate national response; if a problem arises, one email can get response and feedback from all the Local and Regional Coordinators. Help and advice is never more than an Internet connection away. 2000 also brought Pagan Pride its first national press coverage in the New York Times and Associated Press. Coverage of local events was also quite impressive. Pagan Pride Day was September 23 of that year, and attendance was, frankly, stunning. 54 fully confirmed and reported events brought a Pride-wide attendance of 9,359 people. 8,671 pounds of food, clothing, and other goods were donated to various charities, ranging from food banks, women's shelters, and the Pagan Project for South Africa. On top of that, $4,961.11 in cash was donated to various charitable and pagan causes, including food banks, women's shelters, animal shelters, Witchvox, the Sacramento VFW, Vermonters for Civil Unions, CMA, the Virginia Wildlife Center, and Adopt an Acre. Attendance at events ranged from the 1571 people who enjoyed Pagan Pride Day Houston's live bands and 1100 in Sacramento, to a brave 12 souls who braved wintry weather and howling winds in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, all part of the 9,359 person nationwide total, more than double of the preceding year.

Opportunities

2001 will bring more challenges, and hopefully more success. 2001 has brought us our first Canadian Regional Coordinator; our first events in Australia, South America, and Europe; and, hopefully, continued growth and media exposure. Pagan Pride Day is September 22 of this year, and hopefully on that day or on other days in September, Pagans and non-Pagans will mingle in thanks and pride that religious freedom and diversity is alive and well.

Pagan Pride Project � www.paganpride.org - (317) 916-9115. PMB #119, 133 West Market Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2801

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