For Immediate Release
Forn Sidr of America, September 21, 2022 has officially withdrawn the legal challenge of the ‘Forn Sidr’ trademark.
2 years ago, Canadian blogger Christopher Fragassi waged a harassment campaign against us for our use of ‘Forn Sidr’ as our religious identity. Fragassi, who runs several websites and businesses espousing white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ views including Norskk.com, targeted our content and fundraising accounts with ‘quiet takedowns’ alleging trademark infringement in 2019. This created an ongoing obstacle for us as a new religious community.
For 2 years we fought for our religious rights and forged connections with legal advocates, bringing much needed awareness to white nationalist threats and their impact on marginalized communities. We are proud of the headway we made during a time when the problem of white nationalism was largely unacknowledged outside of Heathenry.
Forn Sidr of America has made the decision to withdraw our trademark challenge in light of how the world has changed in a post January 6th world. People have become more aware and vigilant of threats posed by authoritarian extremism and how white nationalists seek to weaponize systems against the marginalized. It’s on everyone’s news feeds, it’s on our TV’s, and it’s no longer a fringe problem.
There’s a much clearer distinction today than there was in 2019 between Forn Sidr of America’s 501c3 religious community and a commercial business espousing authoritarian values. The capitol insurrection moved these issues from the fringes of the internet and subcultures like Heathenry to headline news. People are able to recognize the hateful rhetoric and, by and large, are less likely to overlook or normalize tactics used by agents for white nationalism.
In light of these revelations, Forn Sidr of America council has determined that pursuing a commercial trademark is no longer necessary to defend our religious rights, nor is it necessary to spend exorbitant funds to secure protection for a nonprofit entity from commercial trademark disputes. With this in mind we have officially withdrawn our legal challenge of Fragassi’s trademark application for ‘Forn Sidr.’
By withdrawing we’ll be able to reclaim our energy and resources from a legal battle and devote them exclusively towards building a a religious community that can provide religious services and foster a place of belonging for all. We’d like to thank our community for their overwhelming support and we hope you’ll continue your spiritual journey with us.
Skol!
Forn Sidr of America