By GUEST COMMENTARY, Buckeye Flame
by Reverend Ginger “Stormwalker” Marshall
HB 240 proposes allowing paid and volunteer chaplains to act as counselors in Ohio public schools. Inspired by a recently passed Texas law, the bill would continue requiring schools to employ licensed counselors but also allow additional counseling from chaplains. The bill states that chaplains must pass an FBI criminal background check, but they are not required to have a particular license or certificate to work in the schools.
I fear this law will open official doors to spiritual bullying and abuse by aggressive members of the dominant religion, causing or adding to shame and trauma for far too many students. It will also become a proselytizing pipeline for the usual suspects. And I expect the bill will move though both state House and Senate and be signed by the governor later this year or in early 2024.
We don’t have the votes in Columbus to shut it down, leaving us with a choice: We can bitch and moan and complain, or we can organize and prepare now—and be ready to move forward when it is signed. We all know the aggressive evangelicals already have a plan and process and are waiting for the starter whistle.
Back in 2002, the case Good New Club v. Milford Central School was pushed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to force schools to accept the evangelical Christian Good News Club on campus. Generally, if a school allows any outside group to hold after-school club meetings for students, then groups like Good News can be there as well. In response, in July of 2016, the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic (atheist) church, established the After School Satan Club, with the stated goal of having a group in every school that allows a Good News Club to meet.
Every single time a new After School Satan Club is approved for a school, the usual suspects encourage local outrage and protest ranging from picket signs to bomb threats, and the school rescinds its initial approval. The ASSC, working with attorneys from the ACLU, files in court and in every single instance, the judge finds that, under the First Amendment and the precedent in Good News Club v. Milford, the school system must either allow After School Satan in or shut down all after-school clubs.
I am not a member of The Satanic Temple, but their example and efforts make them an ally and example in fighting religious tyranny by protecting religious rights for all. Following their example, I believe we need to act decisively and purposefully to protect kids.
The Queer community has a wide range of spiritual paths. Some are Christian, some are Pagan, some follow other faiths. Personally, I am a Witch ordained as a priestess and chaplain. I have decades of experience with pastoral counseling and teaching. In other words, I will be a fantastic chaplain working with kids and families.
My suggested goal is to organize similar folks across the state, with Pagan and affirming Christian chaplains ready to apply and have a presence in schools, and ready for legal challenges if our chaplains are denied participation.
The usual suspects have built a false narrative that they are the only ones with ethics, morals and family values and that all other paths are inherently harmful to children and communities. A calm, organized professional presence, backed by the Constitution of the United States, will allow us to challenge the lockstep thinking and help young people and families who will not benefit – or would be harmed – by anti-LGBTQ Christian teaching and counseling.
The truth is, Pagans as a group are ethical, loving, caring and moral people who strongly value family, children and community. As a group, we also value sovereignty and personal growth without coercion or shame or pressure to follow a rigid path.
My experience says that welcoming and affirming Christian churches also have leaders and members who are loving and moral people with strong values who should be included in school chaplain programs. Working together we can ensure we all have a spot at the table, even if we must face name-calling and threats to get through the door.
We should oppose this bill because it will be used to harm too many children. But if it is passed—and it very likely will be—we need to be there with our faith and our presence to help and heal. 🔥
Reverend Ginger “Stormwalker” Marshall is a priestess of Isis ordained by the Society of Aset Rising; a chaplain in the Sunflower Sisterhood of the Paratheo-Anametamystikhood of Eris Esoteric; and an elder holding the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood. She teaches witchcraft and diversity and has been known to enjoy a little good trouble.
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The Buckeye Flame is an online platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ Ohioans to support community and civic empowerment through the creation of engaging content that chronicles their triumphs, struggles, and lived experiences.
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Previously Published on thebuckeyeflame
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