The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

[AL!CE]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

Question: Are there any Gods/Goddesses that tend to be revered by gay people, more so than for heteros?

Gaia ::



"The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters." No.

[njsquarebear]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

As a newbie gay male ChristoPagan (55) I have a few questions:

1. Are any of you involved in covens or associations of strictly gay or gay/bi males and/or females? If so, how have your rites or other experiences there differed from that of mixed sexual orientation or all heterosexual groups or associations? Are any of these rites posted publicly here or elsewhere?

2. I saw that one person(s) - forgot who now, but thanks! - posted a weblink article about homosexual / gay-positive gods and goddesses, and also the radical faeries. I'm wondering if other folks here also have links LGBT pagan resources - weblinks, books, journal articles, web articles, YouTube videos, groups, etc. etc. I know that I would very much appreciate it and I'm sure all the newbies who come after me would find it a great resource for this 'sticky topic'

[Clive]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

1. Are any of you involved in covens or associations of strictly gay or gay/bi males and/or females? If so, how have your rites or other experiences there differed from that of mixed sexual orientation or all heterosexual groups or associations? Are any of these rites posted publicly here or elsewhere?

The area I live in is very strange. In many ways it's fairly progressive, but every instance of progression is mirrored by backward thinking. The only openly non-Christian groups around here are UUs (one church) and a small number of Jews. I imagine if there were any Pagan groups around here they would catch some heat, and in my experience those who are openly Pagan are typically high school and college students with chips on their shoulders and out for shock value, and charlatans who want to make money. Case in point, AJ Drew of Ohio. If there are any "serious/real" Pagans around here they keep to themselves.

So no, I'm not nor have I ever been a member of a coven or any sort of group. I doubt I would enjoy being part of one.

[arcticluna]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

I actually was in a coven once where we all were LGBTQ, but that was just by coincidence, and not at all planned. It kind of just happened to be like that. (I'm now solitary).

I'm good and well tucked into the broom closet, but am openly LGBTQ. I'm not a huge fan of labels, but if I am to have one, it would have to be pansexual (falls in love with a person regardless of gender or gender identity). I'm currently in a relationship with a woman.

[MoonRaven]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

Okay, I'm pagan and lesbian and have a question of my fellows.

Have you ever been discriminated against or persecuted by fellow pagans? Not just in religious context, but by and large.

[Clive]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

Okay, I'm pagan and lesbian and have a question of my fellows.

Have you ever been discriminated against or persecuted by fellow pagans? Not just in religious context, but by and large.

No, never. Every Pagan I've met has been very non-antagonistic toward others' lifestyles and whatnot.

[Corvus]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

Okay, I'm pagan and lesbian and have a question of my fellows.

Have you ever been discriminated against or persecuted by fellow pagans? Not just in religious context, but by and large.

In general pagans are pretty nonjudgmental in regards to a person's lifestyle. The only homophobic pagans Ive ever even heard of are wiccans who would say its god and goddess not god and god but thankfully I've never actually met or seen any pagan say anything like that.

[Serria]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

In general pagans are pretty nonjudgmental in regards to a person's lifestyle. The only homophobic pagans Ive ever even heard of are wiccans who would say its god and goddess not god and god but thankfully I've never actually met or seen any pagan say anything like that.

When has a Wiccan ever said this? The Wiccan Community is very accepting of anyone with a different sexual orientation. Yes there is a God and Goddess but that doesn't mean we are homophobic. It's just the way the religion is. I don't think it should also be an issue that it's a God and Goddess rather than a Dual God or Dual Goddess. Honestly it's not about the relationship of the God and Goddess. It's about the balance of the Universe and the Universe's opposites; woman and Man and the Goddess at Yule gives birth to the God. That is a symbol of how each one of us comes into this world. It isn't at all about the romantic relationship.

[Clive]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

When has a Wiccan ever said this? The Wiccan Community is very accepting of anyone with a different sexual orientation. Yes there is a God and Goddess but that doesn't mean we are homophobic. It's just the way the religion is. I don't think it should also be an issue that it's a God and Goddess rather than a Dual God or Dual Goddess. Honestly it's not about the relationship of the God and Goddess. It's about the balance of the Universe and the Universe's opposites; woman and Man and the Goddess at Yule gives birth to the God. That is a symbol of how each one of us comes into this world. It isn't at all about the romantic relationship.

Most Wiccans are aware of this; most Wiccans are not homophobic. However, there have been Wiccans who did believe that homosexuality was wrong on the basis of the God-Goddess polarity, effectively mimicking the "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" chant of other anti-gays. Mark Ventimiglia of the Seax-Wica tradition is one example. Gerald Gardner himself was known to exclude gays from group rituals.

[Serria]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

Most Wiccans are aware of this; most Wiccans are not homophobic. However, there have been Wiccans who did believe that homosexuality was wrong on the basis of the God-Goddess polarity, effectively mimicking the "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" chant of other anti-gays. Mark Ventimiglia of the Seax-Wica tradition is one example. Gerald Gardner himself was known to exclude gays from group rituals.

Well I haven't experienced it. And I'm sure that there then must also be other Pagans that are the same.

[Corvus]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

When has a Wiccan ever said this? The Wiccan Community is very accepting of anyone with a different sexual orientation. Yes there is a God and Goddess but that doesn't mean we are homophobic. It's just the way the religion is. I don't think it should also be an issue that it's a God and Goddess rather than a Dual God or Dual Goddess. Honestly it's not about the relationship of the God and Goddess. It's about the balance of the Universe and the Universe's opposites; woman and Man and the Goddess at Yule gives birth to the God. That is a symbol of how each one of us comes into this world. It isn't at all about the romantic relationship.

I said that I'd heard of it not that I had actually seen or experienced it. However if you need an example Gerald Gardner was intensely homophobic. Louis Bourne (high priestess of one of Gardner's first covens and his friend)said that "Gerald was homophobic. He had a deep hatred and detestation of homosexuality, which he regarded as a disgusting perversion and a flagrant transgression of natural law"

In general I would agree. Pagans, wiccans being pagans, are usually quite accepting. As I said in the first part of my prior post.

[Serria]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

I said that I'd heard of it not that I had actually seen or experienced it. However if you need an example Gerald Gardner was intensely homophobic. Louis Bourne (high priestess of one of Gardner's first covens and his friend)said that "Gerald was homophobic. He had a deep hatred and detestation of homosexuality, which he regarded as a disgusting perversion and a flagrant transgression of natural law"

In general I would agree. Pagans, wiccans being pagans, are usually quite accepting. As I said in the first part of my prior post.

Yes well I'm not sure if you know but Wicca has changed immensely since him and most people of his time were homophobic because that's just how society was. It had nothing to do with Gerald Gardener as a Wiccan. Also the first part of your post did not imply Wiccans as 'most pagans' you said 'most pagans' then singled out Wicca. If suggest you take into consideration other factors before assuming it's the whole religion. A better way of putting it is that there are some Pagans who are homophobic because there are people that are homophobic no matter what religion you are. It probably wasn't wise to use only Wicca as an example because I guarentee there are other religions with homophobic people.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

I am guilty as charged of being slightly homophobic. I don't dislike the person, I just cant wrap my head around it, I just cant. Its just me though, doesn't help that the 3 openly gay guys I met either hit on me, knowing I'm straight, or wear shirts that say "I suck dick better than girls." so it kind of gave me a bad picture.

[toxicyarnglare]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

I am guilty as charged of being slightly homophobic. I don't dislike the person, I just cant wrap my head around it, I just cant. Its just me though, doesn't help that the 3 openly gay guys I met either hit on me, knowing I'm straight, or wear shirts that say "I suck dick better than girls." so it kind of gave me a bad picture.

To be fair, gay people in general can't wrap their heads around why they should be straight, if that helps at all.

[MoonRaven]

Re: The Ask a (Gay) Pagan Thread!

I'm sorry if I stirred up a bit of a hornets nest here, that was never my intent, but my point was along what Corvus said, except that I have tried it myself.
Most of them have been Heathens, here I almost expected it since some Heathens have a White supremasist/Pseudo Nazi thing going (this is not a jibe at any Heathens on this site but my general findings in contact with other Heathens), but there have been a couple who claimed they were Wiccans. This took place on-line so I had little chance of verifying their claims, but according to these fonts of wisdom since I was lesbian I couldn't properly connect with the male aspect and therefore would never be able to call myself Wiccan. In retropect I should thank them since that was part of why I walked away from Wicca and ended up on a path better suited for me, but their words always made me wonder. FInding this thread I thought I'd ask. I'm glad that my experiences doese not seem to be common.

I am guilty as charged of being slightly homophobic. I don't dislike the person, I just cant wrap my head around it, I just cant. Its just me though, doesn't help that the 3 openly gay guys I met either hit on me, knowing I'm straight, or wear shirts that say "I suck dick better than girls." so it kind of gave me a bad picture.

I can understand you perfectly even if my experience is in reverse. I'm tired of being hit on by men that thinks the only reason I'm lesbian is that I haven't had 'a real man yet'.
And I wouldn't call you homophobic. To me that is someone who discriminates against gays and lesbians because they don't understand it or dislike us for what we are. Not being able to understand, is just that, not being able to understand.
As Toxicyglare said, most queers can't wrap their heads around being straight either, doesn't necessarily make us heterophobic.