Boston City Council ignores Satanic Temple's request to perform invocation

The City Council of Boston has not responded to the Satanic Temple's request to allow its member to perform an invocation at the beginning of a council meeting.

The head of the Satanic Temple in Boston, who identified himself as Travis L, wrote a letter to City Council president Michelle Wu on Tuesday, asking for an invocation slot which is given by the council by invitation. He said he has already reached out to other council members but he has not received a reply.

"It would be shocking if I am to be turned away due to my faith while other religions are allowed to hold prayers in a government building," Travis wrote.

He added that the temple could increase diversity in its schedule if the organization is allowed to say a prayer at a council meeting.

"Our goal in this specific endeavor is to either receive equal religious protection from the city of Boston or to prove the inequity and hypocrisy of the city's leadership," he told the Boston Globe.

Wu said that the invitations are based on the choices of the individual councilors. Each councilor is allowed to invite two to three people each year.

"It's not based on anyone's religious preference, but it does often recognize figures that have done work in the community and are representative of the district," said Wu.

Wu said her office already received a call from Travis asking for an invitation but no councilor has invited anyone from the Temple.

She explained that council members have already invited faith leaders to give an invocation and there are just a few slots left.

"Many of us have a long list of folks who we would like to have the chance to invite to the council meetings," she added.

Travis stated that other chapters also applied to open council meetings with invocations in other cities.

Last July, a Temple member named David Suhor was allowed to open a meeting in Pensacola, Florida, with his own prayers but he was interrupted by Christians who recited the Lord's prayer. He was able to proceed with the invocation when City Council President Charles Bare told the audience members to be quiet.