Civil Rights Advocacy

Religious freedom in the United States belongs to every religion, including small ones and new ones. Pagan EdNet works to make that promise real for Pagans, one workplace, school, courtroom, and hospital at a time.

We ask for equal rights, not special rights. Where the law protects religious exercise, it protects Pagan religious exercise on the same terms. Our task is to see that Pagans know this, that the institutions they deal with know it, and that problems are resolved fairly and with as little conflict as possible.

What Our Advocacy Program Does

• Rights Education

  Plain-language guides to the religious freedom protections that apply at work, at school, in family court, and in hospitals, prisons, and the military.

  Know Your Rights

• Individual Assistance

  The Rights Desk listens, explains options, supplies educational letters and fact sheets, and refers people to attorneys and agencies when needed.

  The Rights Desk

• Institutional Guidance

  Through the Chaplaincy and Institutional Access Project we brief hospitals, hospices, and correctional facilities on the religious needs of Pagans in their care.

  Hospitals, Prisons and the Military

• Public Statements

  When public policy or public speech threatens the equal treatment of minority religions, we say so, carefully and on the record.

  News and Statements

Know Your Rights Guides

• Know Your Rights: an overview of the law and how it applies to Pagans.
• In the Workplace: discrimination, harassment, and religious accommodation.
• In Schools: students, parents, and school employees.
• Family and Custody: religion in custody disputes and family court.
• Hospitals, Prisons and the Military: religious practice where others control your surroundings.
• If You Face Discrimination: practical first steps for any situation.

The Rights Desk in 2025

• 318 requests for help answered
• 72% of closed matters resolved informally
• 22 trained volunteer advocates
• 3 business days, our longest time to a first reply

For the full picture, read the Rights Desk Year in Review: 2025.

How We Approach a Problem

1. Assume ignorance before malice. Most unfair treatment of Pagans begins with someone who has never met one. Accurate information often ends the matter.
2. Put it in writing. A short, courteous letter that states the facts and the request is the most useful tool in advocacy.
3. Use the process that exists. Employers, schools, and institutions have procedures for complaints. Using them properly protects your rights later.
4. Escalate only as far as needed. Formal complaints and lawsuits have their place. They are slow and costly, and we help people reach for them only when simpler means have failed or time is short.
5. Protect the person. No cause is worth a person's job, custody of a child, or safety. The person affected decides how far to go.