After nearly a year of work, Heathens Against Hate is proud to announce that Declaration 127 3.0 is approved and live. Two of our members worked closely with Troth leadership on this document as members of the Community Relations committee, along with soliciting and incorporating feedback from other coalition members (and, of course, Rob Schreiwer, a senior member of HAH who retains veto power as an original creator of D127).
It was important to us to address the issues that exist both within Heathenry and without, ranging from bans around the worship of certain deities to racism and transphobia. This declaration is intended to be a living document, with new appendices added over time, along with an upcoming library of resources to help people take action on the ideals within. In the future, we hope to set up a multi-organization stewardship and revision process for Declaration 127, including a way for any signatory who is interested to become more involved in the project. As Rob puts it, “All D127 versions are cornerstone documents — one might even say “manifestos” — of inclusive Heathenry.” Because of that, everyone who worked on this agrees that stewardship over this document is too important to leave in the hands of any one group.
As the call to action of declaration itself says:
At this moment in history, we have been gifted an extraordinary opportunity. We face countless heavy challenges, both outside our faith and within it. However, rather than despair at the weight of these problems, we can choose to face them head on and use them as tools for transformation, as our Gods and Spirits have taught us to do.
It’s been said that we Heathens are people of action: our deeds forge our reputation and that of our communities. By fighting for inclusivity and equity, we have a chance to partake in the gifting cycle, seize these opportunities, and build a future together that we can proudly gift to those who come after us. It is imperative that we do so, both for the sake of our communities and the larger web of communities in which we all exist.
We must reach beyond our organizations and fight for the dignity that all people deserve. Solidarity is among the purest forms of reciprocity — standing beside and fighting alongside others when they are under attack, with the knowledge that there will be a time when your rights, your future, and your humanity will also be attacked. When that day comes, none of us want to be standing alone, so we must be willing to stand by others. We know what’s at stake and have seen what happens when communities don’t stand together, and we cannot let that happen right now, with the stakes as high as they are.
The cornerstones of our faith — hospitality, reciprocity, respecting the spirits in all things — compel us to act right now, in whatever meaningful ways we can. Whether that means monitoring unwanted advances into our neighborhoods and doing what we can to protect our neighbors, collecting and delivering food to people who need it, educating others on how they can help, offering aid to organizations that have been fighting these fights for years, or some combination of the above, we can all do something. These acts of service are some of the best ways that we can live our faith and protect the most vulnerable in our local communities.
As stated above: it is not enough to affirm that each of us has a soul, or a spirit, or inherent worth, if the actions we take toward each other and the world do not uphold that belief. When something — whether casual ignorance or legal action on a national level — seeks to take any one of us out of relation with each other and the natural world, our faith, the very oath that we take by calling ourselves Heathen, requires that we do what we can to resist those forces.
In the spirit of these beliefs, we call on individual Heathens and Heathen groups, kindreds, and organizations to stand up, take action, and be counted among those working for a better future. Doing so makes it easier for people to find healthy communities to participate in and strengthens the ties between our organizations and us as people, regardless of where we’re physically located.
Now more than ever, we need strong coalitions and communities acting as bastions and defending each other from the maw of fascism and bigotry we see in our societies. Whether facing obvious acts of oppression or a maliciously crafted policy, we must stand in solidarity with each other against these evils. We must be vigilant, for the sake of frith, each other, and our shared future.
You can read the full text of Declaration 127 3.0 here. The signatory form will be available soon.