A former porn star who said she wanted to make a statement with her headgear was allowed to wear a colander in her driver’s license photo in Utah. Jessica Steinhauser, 41, who has earlier been known as Asia Carrera or Asia Lemmon, says she is an atheist and a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which is a satirical movement that promotes a lack of belief in organized religion.
“I'm a really proud, outspoken atheist,” she said. “I am proud of Utah for allowing freedom of all religions in what is considered by many to be a one-religion state.”
About two-thirds of Utah’s population is Mormon and the state also serves as the headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Steinhauser is the fourth person in the United States and the first person in Utah to be allowed to wear a colander in her driver’s license, said Bobby Henderson, founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
“I think it's nice, and I'm 100% sure Asia is doing this for good-natured reasons,” said Henderson. “Hopefully, the state of Utah will have a sense of humor about it as well. We are fortunate to have her as a member of the church.”
Nannette Rolfe, director of Utah’s Driving License Division, said close to a dozen Pastafarians have worn colanders on their heads while coming in for their state driver’s license photos to be taken.
“As long as we can get a visual of the face, we're fine if they choose to wear the headgear,” she said.
Headgear of any kind are disallowed in driver’s license photos unless, of course, they are part of a person’s religious attire, Rolfe explained. After the first couple of Pastafarians came in two years ago, state officials decided the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is in fact a recognized religion and its members do not need to produce any official paperwork if they wish to wear colanders for their driver’s license photos.
Steinhauser said she had absolutely no trouble going through with her mission, calling it “surprisingly really, really easy.” Reportedly, she went to the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles office in Hurricane and wore her colander at the time of the photo. Initially, her photographer questioned her actions but once she produced the necessary documents citing her right to religious freedom, the photographer went ahead without any more questions.
Steinhauser, who starred in a few hundred adult films before retiring a decade ago, also happens to be a member of Mensa, with an intelligence quotient of 156.
“I've always been a proud atheist, and I feel comfortable doing that even here,” she said. “Even though it's really conservative here, everyone has always been really sweet about (my religious views).”
She was introduced to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by her 9-year-old daughter, who found the organization’s website while browsing the internet.
“The church is purely satirical,” Steinhauser said. “Catty learned about it online before I did. She's been an atheist since she was 5, and that's how I learned about it.”
Photo Credits: Cinemania
