Pastafarian lodges complaint with ACLU over right to wear pasta strainer

A Chicago-area woman wants to sue for the right to wear a pasta strainer.

When Rachel Hoover renewed her driver’s license June 27, she persuaded supervisors to let her wear a colander — a symbol of her religious beliefs — in the ID photo.


Arlington Heights resident Rachel Hoover fought to wear a colander on her head for a photo ID and she plans on getting legal assistance to keep it that way. She calls herself a "strong believer" in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. | Facebook/Rachel Hoover

As a Pastafarian, Hoover belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Now, the state says her license will become invalid if she doesn’t retake the picture before July 29.

On Facebook, the 21-year-old called it a matter of “religious freedom” and said she was ridiculed by workers and others at the Schaumburg Secretary of State Drivers Services center.