New Port Richey, USA - Following the cues of homosexual activists, pagans in Florida are coming out of the closet to hold Pagan Pride Day.
Pagans in New Port Richey, Fla., say they told the Tampa Tribune they're tired of being labeled as devil worshippers who sacrifice animals under a full moon.
"People think paganism is evil," said Robert Crom, 25, regional coordinator for Pasco Pagans. "Some people, especially among mainstream religions, feel threatened by us."
Crom's group of 50 members, formed a couple of years ago, was issued a permit Thursday to hold the event at New Port Richey's popular Sims Park next month.
The daylong activities – including music, pagan worship and public education – are expected to draw at least 100 devotees.
"There's no voice for the pagan community here," said Crom, whose group was formed mostly from transplants from neighboring Pinellas County.
A former Methodist, Crom said that as a teenager growing up in rural Nebraska he began "searching for a religion that made me feel comfortable."
He found Christianity especially lacking in tolerance, reverence for nature and emphasis on a person's free will.
Modern-day paganism is a collection of beliefs embracing many movements and traditions, including Wicca, New Age Mysticism, American Indian practices, tarot readings and Buddhism.
Last year, there were at least 70 pagan pride events in 36 states. The first Pagan Pride Day was held in Indianapolis in 1998
"We're everywhere nowadays," Crom told the Tampa paper. "And our membership is growing."
But Crom said misconceptions keep many pagans from outing themselves. Local charities, for example, won't accept their offers to donate time and money.