SatanCon2023 is dedicated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu after Satanic Temple was barred

The Satanic Temple's next SatanCon is going to be held in Boston and is being dedicated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu after the city council refused to allow the organization to deliver a satanic invocation at Boston City Hall.

The temple has filed a lawsuit against the city after its request to deliver the invocation was denied, and also requested to raise a flag at Boston City Hall in honor of 'Satan Appreciation Week' in July 2021.

The city later announced it would no longer accept applications to raise flags at the building.

The Salem-based organization is set to run the event from April 28-30 in downtown Boston with the them of Hexennacht, also known as Witches Night, a German holiday that occurs on April 30, similar to Halloween.

'A weekend of blasphemy and remembrance in Boston,' the website states whilst promoting the event as the 'largest satanic gathering in history'.

The Satanic Temple have said the weekend marks the temple's 10-year anniversary and will include talks about efforts to protect members' reproductive rights, promote addiction recovery and build support for the group's after-school club. 

There will also be vendors as part of a 'satanic market', entertainment and a keynote presentation by Lucien Greaves, cofounder of The Satanic Temple.

The Satanic Temple and its members claim not to view Satan as an evil figure, but as one who dared question authority. 

The group which opened its first official headquarters in Salem in 2016, mostly advocates for the separation of church and state and is known for attempting to get its one-ton goat-headed idol statue placed next to any monument commemorating the 10 Commandments on public grounds.

 The Satanic Temple previously dedicated its conference in Scottsdale, Arizona to former Republican Mayor Jim Lane and former Republican Councilor Suzanne Klapp, who also denied a request for a satanic invocation at a City Council meeting.

The Temple was in the news last month after an 'After School Satan Club' began hosting meetings at a California elementary school in Kern County.

In an interview with KBAK, one parent described the decision to allow the club, founded by the Satanic Temple and the Reason Alliance, as 'disgusting,' while another called it 'a mistake.' 

That kind of reaction was expected, according to Paul Hicks, the man who will lead the club at the Northern California school. 

'We've already gotten threats against us,' said Hicks, who is also a critical thinking professor. 'As I would often say, there's no hate like Christian love.'

'I understand the school has to allow them because they allow other after school programs such as the good news, which is a Christian based after school program, that one I'm okay with, but I can't imagine why anyone would want their child to attend this Satanic group,' said Sheila Knight, a grandparent.

The club's presence sparked outrage online with dozens of parents and community weighing in.

In a post made in the Techapi Asks, Rants, and Raves Facebook page, one man wrote that he believes the club's organizers are being deceptive with their tactics and the motives.

'So several people have told me that the new Satan after school club at Golden Hills elementary is not a religion, but a philosophy club ... Then why did they choose Satan? Why not the Jean Paul Satre existentialism club? Why not the Descartes club?' asked Joe Lathrop.

'They put Satan in the name for a reason. People should stop being intellectually dishonest and just own up to the fact that they want kids to worship Satan as a secular god,' the man continued.

'Its just sick that they are targeting elementary school kids. Those are babies,' wrote one woman. 

'The whole thing is a lark for a reaction,' said a commenter.  

'The hypocrisy of the School Board..saying they have no choice...just try starting a Neo Nazi Club or a Pro Life Club and see how fast they run,' said another person. 

The club is meant to 'educate children and encourage critical thinking,' according to Lucien Greaves, spokesperson for the After School Satan Club. 

Greaves says that in spite of the controversial name, the organization does not teach Satanism to children. 

'We keep religious matters out of the teachings of the after school Satan clubs and people often ask us, "well then why include Satanism at all, being that people are going to be offended by it?"

Despite the claim from Greaves, parents and family members of students say that the whole situation completely unsettles them. 

'Tehachapi said yes, and I think they made a mistake. I know my grandson will not be a part of this club,' said Brenda Maher, another relative of a student. 

In a statement released by the Tehachapi Unified School District, officials stated that it is against the law to discriminate against groups founded on Faith. 

Hicks said it was the involvement of clubs like the Good News Club, already established on campus, that led to the decision to start The Satanic Temple endorsed group. 

'There's currently a Good News Club there which is teaching kids to go save souls for Jesus, at the school. We want to give an alternative point of view,' Hicks said.