An LGBT activist and self-proclaimed atheist is pushing for lawmakers in Connecticut’s capital and four other cities to fly the flag of his non-existent organization after a Christian flag was approved for display.
Last week, the Hartford City Council voted 7-2 in favor of flying the white flag with a red cross during Holy Week, which they have flown for the past several years, according to a local NBC affiliate.
In response, Timothy “Chaz” Stevens of Florida reportedly sent emails to Hartford and four other cities in Connecticut threatening legal action and demanded a banner promoting the “Church of Satanology and Perpetual Soirée” be flown as well.
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It’s not clear whether Stevens’ Church of Satanology is an actual organization. A search by The Christian Post of the state’s website did not locate any organization or filing record for that name. Likewise, a general search for the organization did not appear on any of the major search engines.
Under state law, “three or more persons uniting for public worship” may form a religious corporation and/or a religious society.
The push to fly the Satanology flag comes after several Connecticut cities flew the Christian flag, including New Britain, located about 9 miles southwest of Hartford, which raised the flag in an annual ceremony on April 19. Mayor Erin Steward shared the event on social media and said the flag-raising “served as a special moment to reflect on my own faith and the strength, courage, and resilience it has provided me throughout my life.”
Other cities, like Bridgeport and Waterbury, also had similar Christian flag-raising events.
On his website, Stevens offers a Church of Satanology 3-foot-by-5-foot flag with a tagline reading “Satan loves the First Amendment” for $89 or a sticker for $15.
Despite invoking the title of “church,” Stevens, 60, says it’s not actually a religious organization, but a “satirical ‘religion’ built on sarcasm, satire and cynicism, specifically crafted to challenge government overreach and religious favoritism.”
“It’s not about worshiping Satan,” he told CP on Monday. “It’s about exposing hypocrisy in how public institutions handle religious expression. … I’m not a satanist. I’m something scarier to politicians: a citizen who understands the Constitution better than they do and isn’t afraid to use it.”
A software developer, entrepreneur, and openly gay artist, Stevens acknowledged the “church” claim is less protest and more “performance art with constitutional teeth.”
“It’s real enough to make officials sweat and courts listen,” he added, pointing to his lawsuit against the Broward County School Board over its refusal to display his “Satan Loves the First Amendment” banners.
Known for declaring a “gay war on Christmas” and complaining to Florida school officials that the Bible is “too woke,” Stevens reportedly considers himself an atheist who cares about trans ideology.
“I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in any of that stuff,” Stevens was quoted as saying, “It’s about [transgender-identified] kids and LGBT kids and kids of color.”
In 2015, he told Time magazine his activism is aimed at “Christian privilege” and that reading the phrase “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency “makes [him] nauseous.”
