A Christmas festival at the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, has sparked controversy for featuring a “Satanic tree” and a stand promoting radical gender ideology to children. The event, part of the museum’s Festival of Trees from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31, includes traditional festivities like hot chocolate and holiday sing-alongs.
However, the inclusion of a Satanic monument and far-left propaganda has drawn criticism. Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher criticized the move as “offensive, upside-down cultural propaganda,” while festival organizers argue it is aimed at promoting “inclusivity.”
The National Railroad Museum’s Festival of Trees, an annual event since 2007, serves as a major fundraiser. Of the 66 featured trees this year, 60 lack explicit Christian themes. However, two trees directly oppose Christian beliefs. The Wisconsin chapter of the Satanic Temple contributed a tree illuminated in red lights, adorned with Luciferian symbols, and topped with a red pentacle. The tree features upside-down crosses and an ornament reading, “HAIL SANTA.”
At the tree’s base, there is a depiction of what appears to be a coiled snake alongside an icon representing the demon Baphomet, featuring uncovered breasts. The Satanic Temple, identified as an atheistic leftist organization, advocates for the legal right of women to undergo abortion procedures, framing it as a “religious abortion ritual.” The group has engaged in various provocative activities, including distributing satanic literature to children, performing “unbaptisms,” conducting a demonization ceremony protesting the canonization of Catholic priest Junípero Serra, and placing Baphomet statues on government property.
Additionally, the temple operates an online clinic in New Mexico, distributing abortion drugs under the name “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic.” Jacqueline Frank, the museum’s CEO, shared insights with the Press-Gazette regarding the Satanists’ application to sponsor and decorate a tree.
“There was no hesitation,” Frank said of the Sanatic offer.
“We’re not a religious organization.
“We focus on trains,” said Frank.
“And honestly, the Christmas tree is used by so many different secular and religious organizations.
“All we’re doing is putting up decoration in that room.”
While the museum maintains a policy against decorations promoting violence, sexual content, and drug abuse, Frank seemed to consider the depiction of a demon with exposed breasts acceptable for a venue catering to families with young children.
Frank expressed pride in including the tree from the anti-Christian activist group and affirmed the museum’s intention to have the organization back next year.
Another non-traditional tree showcased at Frank’s festival was curated by the Bay Area Council on Gender Diversity, a radical activist group advocating for transvestites. This group offers support services for gender-dysphoric minors in the greater Green Bay area. The tree features numerous transgender flags and agitprop ornaments, seemingly promoting gender confusion and irreversible sex-change procedures for children.
One ornament read, “Protect Trans Kids.”
Another stated, “Drag queen.”
Other decorations purportedly endorsed gender dysphoria and transvestism.
In an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Gallagher stated on the Fox News show:
“It’s impossible to overstate how offensive this is to Christians.
“It would be, in quite a literal sense, the same thing as waving a Hamas flag inside of a synagogue.
“Conservatives are often accused of launching a culture war or focusing or fixating on cultural issues.
“But here is a perfect example of how that’s not what’s happening,” said Gallagher.
“What’s happening is we’re just trying to defend basic traditions or defend our children in the midst of these basic traditions from the encroachment of woke ideology or offensive, upside-down cultural propaganda.
“The shame of it is … every year the National Railroad Museum does something very interesting and cool and fun for kids, which is they do a big screening of ‘Polar Express’ and you’re surrounded by all the trains, and it’s a cool, fun thing to take your kids to,” continued Gallagher.
“But now … I don’t want my kids to be surrounded by satanic trees.”
