A Utah woman wears a colander on her head for a driver's license photo to make a statement about her religious belief.
Asia Lemmon, who is also known as Jessica Steinhauser, is an atheist. A member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster revealed that the colander, or a pasta strainer, was the official headgear of church.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster movement, which is also known as "Pastafarianism," started in 2005 to express the protest against intelligent design teaching instead of evolution in Kansas schools.
Lemmon, an ex-porn film actress who used the name Asia Carerra, revealed that she had the right to express her religious belief and got the photo taken on Sept. 29 this year. She was unsure if officials will allow her to take the photo with the colander but she hinted that she faced only brief resistance.
"I'm a really proud, outspoken atheist. I am proud of Utah for allowing freedom of all religions in what is considered by many to be a one-religion state," says Lemmon.
The former actress Lemmon suggests that the state of Utah is believed to be conservative; however, everyone in the state have been respectful towards her religious beliefs.
Lemmon is not the first person to get a photo taken for her driver's license with a colander on her head. Nannette Rolfe, who is the director of Driver License Division in Utah, reveals that in the last few years, a number of Pastafarians had also got their photo for the driver's license with a colander on their head. She says that it is ok to take the photo with the colander as long as the face is clearly visible.
Rolfe also revealed that headgear and hats cannot be used on a photo for driver's license unless they are religious garments. State officials established that the church is a recognized religion and allowed its members to wear a colander as a headgear on driver's license photo. The members of the church do not require any special paperwork to get their photos taken with a colander on their head.
Bobby Henderson, the founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, revealed that he enjoyed watching when members of the church make a statement such as Lemmon's.
