Massachusetts grants woman right to wear colander in license photo
One devout Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster follower from Massachusetts has won the right to wear a colander on her head in her drivers' license photo, Time reported.
The approval to wear the colander during her photo comes following initial attempts that were denied.
“As a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I feel delighted that my Pastafarianism has been respected by the Massachusetts RMV. While I don’t think the government can involve itself in matters of religion, I do hope this decision encourages my fellow Pastafarian Atheists to come out and express themselves as I have," the woman, Lindsay Miller, said in an American Humanist Association press release.
According to the release, Pastafarianism, as mentioned in Miller's statement, is “a secular religion that views the existence of a Flying Spaghetti Monster to be just as probable as the existence of the Christian God."
After contacting the American Humanist Association, Miller filed an administrative appeal and was supposed to attend a hearing in October after her photo. However, the hearing was postponed and the state's Registration of Motor Vehicles is now allowing Miller to take her driver's license photo while wearing the colander.
Patty DeJuneas, Miller's attorney who she was connected with through the American Humanist Association said, "The First Amendment applies to every person and every religion, so I was dismayed to hear that Lindsay had been ridiculed for simply seeking the same freedoms and protections afforded to people who belong to more traditional or theistic religions. We appreciate that the RMV recognized the error, apologized, and issued a license respecting her First Amendment rights, and hope that RMV staff will be trained to respect diversity."
David Niose, legal director of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center agreed and said, "If people are given the right to wear religious garments in government ID photos, then this must extend to people who follow the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster."
The website for the Church of Flying Spaghetti Monster says followers of the religion are not anti-religion. However, they are "anti-crazy" and "anti-crazy nonsense done in the name of religion." "There is a difference,” the website says.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Registration of Motor Vehicles told the Associated Press that although state police does not allow head coverings or hats in license photos, but "exceptions are made for religious reasons."
Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitiesmith
