The Troth’s stance on inclusive Heathenry is enshrined within our Bylaws, the mandatory oaths of our Officers, our status as a signatory to Declaration 127, and our work within Heathens Against Hate. We hold as sacred within our halls that hatred or bigotry based on race, gender, orientation, ability or faith is abhorrent in the sight of the gods and in the eyes of our ancestors.
It is unfortunate that not everyone shares our inclusive vision, and, at times, we are compelled to review the actions of leaders and to sever the relationships of the past. It is our policy to remove members who do not support our core values of inclusive Heathenry. These decisions are painful, but we stand by our inclusive stance.
Our Officers' Oath of Service reads, in part, “With The Troth I stand against any use of Germanic religion and culture to advance causes of racism, sexism, homophobia, white supremacy, ableism, or any other form of prejudice.”
Recently, a Troth Elder was observed making remarks on social media which belie the spirit of inclusiveness The Troth strives to foster. The Rede has determined that these recent posts by Freya Aswynn have violated our policies. We attempted to intervene in private, but the posts continued with increasing Islamophobic rhetoric.
The High Rede of The Troth must honor our oaths and condemn this behavior. As such, the High Rede has determined that our relationship with Freya as an Elder is no longer appropriate, and we have rescinded her status as Elder and have terminated her Lifetime Membership.
Thank you very much.
The High Rede of The Troth
