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The intersections of
LGBTQ people LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
with
Modern paganism Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the Paganism, beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some comm ...
vary considerably among different paths, sects, and belief systems.


Community demographics and LGBTQ prevalance


Orientation

In her 1995 book ''Never Again The Burning Times'', Loretta Orion published results of a survey of the Modern pagan community she conducted in the mid-1980s which received 189 responses. Orion found 61% reported as heterosexual, 11% reported as homosexual, and 28% as bisexual. From 1993 through 1995,
Helen A. Berger Helen Alice Berger (born 1949) is an American sociologist known for her studies of the Pagan community in the United States. Life and career Helen Berger, then an assistant professor at Boston University, first became involved in the study of ...
and Andras Corban Arthen, founder of Neo-Pagan group EarthSpirit Community, surveyed just over two thousand Neo-Pagans in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
as part of their "Pagan Census". Berger and her colleagues found overall 67.8% reported as heterosexual, 9.3% homosexual (4.8% lesbian, 4.5% gay male), and 19% as bisexual. Orientation demographics differed within subgroups . Over a decade later, Helen A. Berger and colleague James R. Lewis, began the "Pagan Census Revisited" which ran from 5 September 2009 until 15 October 2010, and published separate analyses. Lewis reported total responses exceeded eight thousand, with Berger reporting 6420 of those from the United States. Berger states in her 2012 analysis that "there remains a healthy minority that is queer", while the majority of Neo-Pagans, 66.1%, reported as heterosexual. In a follow-up analysis published 2014, James R. Lewis and his colleague Inga Bårdsen Tøllefsen further analyzed responses to the "Pagan Census Revisited" along with census data from
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
between 1991 and 2011. Lewis and Tøllefsen reported orientation prevalence differences between genders.. A 2015 study survey by
Pew Research Center The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It ...
found that 11% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual respondents identified with non-Christian faiths, a large portion of which being some form of neopaganism or interfaith universalist beliefs. This was nearly double LGBTQ prevalance in the general population.


Sex / Gender

In her 1995 book ''Never Again The Burning Times'', Loretta Orion published results of a survey of the Modern pagan community she conducted in the mid-1980s. The self-reported gender of the 189 respondents was 58% women, 38% men, and 4% androgynous, with Orion surmising those who reported as androgynous "intended to express their rejection of traditional sex roles, rather than biological androgyny" in the endnotes. While the Western neopagan community is gender-diverse as a whole, the demographics tend toward female plurality or dominance in terms of numbers. The aforementioned 2013 scientific survey of Western neopagans found that women were not only the dominant neopagan demographic, but the proportion thereof was increasing across the board in many countries surveyed. However, men tended to dominate certain traditions like Norse Heathenry,
Druidry A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wri ...
,
Neo-Shamanism Neoshamanism (or neo-shamanism), refers to new forms of shamanism, where it usually means shamanism practiced by Western people as a type of New Age spirituality, without a connection to traditional shamanic societies. It is sometimes also used for ...
,
Ceremonial magic Ceremonial magic (also known as magick, ritual magic, high magic or learned magic) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of Magic (supernatural), magic. The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories t ...
, and
Thelema Thelema () is a Western esotericism, Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial ma ...
.


General philosophical and theological analysis and critique


Gender dualism, essentialism, and sexual orientation

Ideological issues that affect LGBTQ perception and interaction within the modern pagan community often stem from a traditionally
dualistic cosmology Dualism or dualistic cosmology is the moral or belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. It is an umbrella term that covers a diversity of views from various religions, including both traditional religions and scri ...
, a view which focuses on two overarching and often oppositional categories. In modern paganism, this is traditionally seen surrounding
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, particularly
heterosexuality Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or ...
, based on a
gender binary The gender binary (also known as gender binarism) is the classification of gender into two distinct forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, Culture, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender binary, ...
which is assigned via genitalia at birth (in other words,
gender essentialism Gender essentialism is a theory which attributes distinct, intrinsic qualities to women and men. Based in essentialism, it holds that there are certain universal, innate, biologically (or psychologically) based features of gender that are at the ro ...
). Binary gender essentialism is highly present in neopagan communities and their respective theological/philosophical belief systems. Pagan sources themselves, such as the Pagan Federation of the U.K., express similar views. The basis of the difference is commonly reflected in discussion about
spiritual energy Proponents and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine refer to a variety of claimed experiences and phenomena as being due to "energy" or "force" that defy measurement or experimentation, and thus are d ...
, which is traditionally believed to be intrinsically masculine or feminine in type and inherently possessed by those born into either binary gender. A preeminent example of this belief is the
duotheistic Dualism or dualistic cosmology is the moral or belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. It is an umbrella term that covers a diversity of views from various religions, including both traditional religions and scri ...
veneration of a God-Goddess pairing, often the
Triple Goddess A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. The number three has a long history ...
and
Horned God The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism. The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretism, syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorp ...
, a pairing used by Wiccans. The Goddess (representing the
feminine Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and Gender roles, roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as Social construction of gender, socially constructed, and there is also s ...
) is traditionally seen as receptive, fertile, nurturing, and passive (cast as the
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
), while the God (representing the
masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some beh ...
) as impregnative, a hunter, and active/aggressive (cast as the
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
).
Janet Farrar Janet Farrar (born Janet Owen on 24 June 1950) is a British teacher and author of books on Wicca and Neopaganism. Along with her two husbands, Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone, she has published "some of the most influential books on modern Wit ...
, a notable Wiccan priestess and author, described this as an adoption of ''yin'' and ''yang'' in Western pagan practice. This dual-gender archetype is traditionally regarded in a heterosexual manner, a belief which is reflected in the theology of many neopagan belief systems as well as practices such as
magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
and spellcraft, which traditional sects require heterosexual-based dynamics to perform. This can be a struggle for LGBTQ pagans who find the exemplified duality not reflective of their own feelings and desires. The liturgy of the deity pair is often associated in essentialist ways. The Triple Goddess, in her three aspects Maiden, Mother, and Crone, is associated with the reproductive development and cessation of a fertile cisgender woman. Beginning life, the Maiden (young woman) represents virginal
preadolescence Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is ...
. Upon
menarche Menarche ( ; ) is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstruation, menstrual bleeding, in female humans. From both social and medical perspectives, it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fe ...
, the woman comes of age and transforms into the Mother (adult woman) aspect, now ostensibly capable of reproduction. Upon
menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...
, the woman loses her reproductive capacity she once carried, transforming into the Crone (mature woman) aspect. The Moon is believed to represent the
menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that makes pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eg ...
and many pagans believe the two are linked. Likewise, The Horned God is associated with the reproductive capability of cisgender men.
Phallic A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''. Any object that symbo ...
symbology, such as the eponymous horns, represent the
penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...
and the associated reproductive function.


Recent historical views on sexuality and gender

In the mid-20th century dawn of Neopaganism, heterosexual dualism was most exemplified in the " Great Rite" of
British Traditional Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a modern pagan, syncretic, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esotericism, developed in England during the first hal ...
, one of the first notable neopagan ideological groups. In this Rite, a priest and priestess "were cast into rigidly gendered, heteronormative roles" in which the pairing performed a symbolic or literal representation of
heterosexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (also coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion of the erect male penis inside the female vagina and followed by thrusting motions for sexual pleasure, reproduction, or both.Sexual inter ...
which was considered vital for venerating supernatural entities and performing magic. It is notable that early neopagan views on sex were radical for their time in their sex positivity and tacit acceptance of
BDSM BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...
. Later in the 20th Century, as Wicca spread to North America, it incorporated
countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
,
second-wave feminist Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in the early 1960s and lasted roughly two decades, ending with the feminist sex wars in the early 1980s and being replaced by third-wave feminism in the early 1990s. It occurred t ...
, and
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
elements. The essentialist rigidity fluctuated under the influence of
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist who founded the school of analytical psychology. A prolific author of Carl Jung publications, over 20 books, illustrator, and corr ...
's notions of ''anima'' and ''animus'' and non-heterosexual orientations became more acceptable. By the 1980s and 1990s, figures like
Vivianne Crowley Vivianne Crowley is an English writer, university lecturer, psychologist, and a High Priestess and teacher of the Wiccan religion. Life Crowley was initiated into the London coven of Alex Sanders (founder of the Alexandrian tradition of Wicc ...
and
Starhawk Starhawk (born Miriam Simos on June 17, 1951) is an American feminist and writer. She is known as a theorist of feminist neopaganism and ecofeminism. In 2013, she was listed in Watkins' ''Mind Body Spirit'' magazine as one of the 100 Most Spir ...
continued the evolving beliefs. Crowley associated the Jungian binary with
classical element The classical elements typically refer to Earth (classical element), earth, Water (classical element), water, Air (classical element), air, Fire (classical element), fire, and (later) Aether (classical element), aether which were proposed to ...
s possessed by all—the feminine/''anima'' with water and the masculine/''animus'' with fire.
Starhawk Starhawk (born Miriam Simos on June 17, 1951) is an American feminist and writer. She is known as a theorist of feminist neopaganism and ecofeminism. In 2013, she was listed in Watkins' ''Mind Body Spirit'' magazine as one of the 100 Most Spir ...
, espousing views similar to Crowley in her 1979 edition of her seminal book ''
The Spiral Dance ''The Spiral Dance: a Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess'' is a book about Neopagan beliefs and practices written by Starhawk. It was first published in 1979, with a second edition in 1989 and a third edition in 1999. It is ...
'', began calling into question the masculine-feminine divisions entirely by the 1999 edition, and instead focusing on traits instead of gender archetypes. At the dawn of the 21st century,
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
neopagans and their sects began to assert themselves more publicly. These LGBTQ-aligned groups "challenged the gender essentialism remaining in the sexual polarity still practiced" which remained in certain Wicca and feminist neopagan enclaves. Greater exploration and acceptance of queer and transgender figures began not only for adherents but deities and mythological figures as well. In addition, sex positivity and BDSM were brought back into active exploration and acceptance.


LGBTQ concerns in specific sects, paths, and traditions


Wicca

Most
Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...
ns worship the
Triple Goddess A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. The number three has a long history ...
and
Horned God The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in Wicca and some related forms of Neopaganism. The term ''Horned God'' itself predates Wicca, and is an early 20th-century syncretism, syncretic term for a horned or antlered anthropomorp ...
. Prof. Melissa Harrington, writing about sexuality and Wicca, noted the Goddess and God themselves, along with the
Wheel of the Year The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, observed by a range of Modern paganism, modern pagans, marking the year's chief solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the midpoints between them. Modern pagan observances are ...
that venerates them, are a "predominantly heterosexual model", also specifying that sexual activity is typically sacramental to Wiccans.
Furthermore, a central part of Wiccan liturgy involves the Great Rite, an act of actual or symbolic ritual sexual intercourse between the two deities. This is traditionally carried out by a priest and priestess who have had the deities invoked upon them, and the conventional practice appears to be exclusively heterosexual. When performed 'in token' this involves the
athame An athame or athamé (, , , or ) is a ceremonial blade, generally with a black handle. It is the main ritual implement or Magical tools in Wicca, magical tool among several used in ceremonial magic traditions, and by other neopagan religions, neo ...
(representing the penis) descending into the
chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...
(representing the vagina). Gardnerian and Alexandrian groups typically form their covens from male-female pairs exclusively. Kraemer writes, "The
British Traditional Wicca Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a modern pagan, syncretic, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esotericism, developed in England during the first hal ...
of the 1950s and 1960s saw masculine and feminine energies as wholly distinct from each other, yet complementary. Although masculinity and femininity were to be valued equally, priestesses and priests were cast into rigidly gendered, heteronormative roles."


Gardnerian

Gerald Gardner Gerald Brosseau Gardner (13 June 1884 – 12 February 1964), also known by the craft name Scire, was an English Wiccan, author, and amateur anthropology, anthropologist and archaeology, archaeologist. He was instrumental in bringing the Moder ...
, the eponymous founder of Gardnerian Wicca, particularly stressed heterosexual approaches to Wicca. This practice may stem from Gardner's text (ostensibly quoting a witch, but perhaps in his own words): Gardner was accused of homophobia by
Lois Bourne Lois Bourne (10 April 1928 – 22 December 2017) who also went under the craft name Tanith, was an influential figure in the Neopagan religion of Wicca, having been involved in it from the early 1960s, and wrote a number of books on the subjec ...
, one of the High Priestesses of the
Bricket Wood coven The Bricket Wood coven, or Hertfordshire coven Page 289 is a coven of Gardnerian witches founded in the 1940s by Gerald Gardner. It is notable for being the first coven in the Gardnerian line, though having its supposed origins in the pre-Gardne ...
: However, the legitimacy of Gardner's rumored homophobia isn't definitive. Gardner showed evidence of an open and accepting attitude about practices in his writing which would not be characterized by the hatred or phobia which was common in the 1950s:
"Also, though the witch ideal is to form perfect couples of people ideally suited to each other, nowadays this is not always possible; the right couples go together and the rest go singly and do as they can. Witchcraft today is largely a case of 'make do'."


Alexandrian

Alex Sanders, the co-founder of Gardnerian offshoot Alexandrian Wicca, came out as
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
later in life and created new rituals in which sexual orientation was irrelevant. However, a significant portion of Alexandrian belief is regarding heterosexual reproduction, best expressed by his wife and co-founder
Maxine Sanders Maxine Sanders (born ''Arline Maxine Morris''; 30 December 1946, in Cheshire) is a key figure in the development of modern pagan witchcraft and Wicca and, along with her late husband, Alex Sanders, the co-founder of Alexandrian Wicca. Witchcraf ...
who is well known to emphasize the concept of male-female polarity and the fact that Alexandrian Wicca is a
fertility Fertility in colloquial terms refers the ability to have offspring. In demographic contexts, fertility refers to the actual production of offspring, rather than the physical capability to reproduce, which is termed fecundity. The fertility rate ...
religion. She also expressed concern about a proper functionality of transgender people (referred to as "transvestites") within coven practices, saying it best to look at other traditions that suit them more. "These people", as she is noted to have said, "they're not happy people."


Feminist/Goddess Wicca

In the 1970s,
second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in the early 1960s and lasted roughly two decades, ending with the feminist sex wars in the early 1980s and being replaced by third-wave feminism in the early 1990s. It occurred ...
and modern paganism surged forth simultaneously. Wicca paths which spawned in this time period are most notably the
Reclaiming In linguistics, reappropriation, reclamation, or resignification is the cultural process by which a group reclaims words or artifacts that were previously used in a way disparaging of that group. It is a specific form of a semantic change (i. ...
and
Dianic Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft, and, to some also as "Dianism," "Dianic Feminist Witchcraft," or simply "Feminist Witchcraft"' is a modern pagan goddess tradition focused on female experience and empowerment. Leadership is by wom ...
traditions.
Zsuzsanna Budapest Zsuzsanna Emese Mokcsay (born 1940) is a Hungarian-American writer, activist, playwright and songwriter living in America who writes about feminist spirituality and Dianic Wicca under the pen name Zsuzsanna Budapest or Z. Budapest. She is the ...
, creator of Dianic Wicca, founded the path as a female-only,
Goddess A goddess is a female deity. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hinduism, Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all re ...
veneration tradition, while modern derivative sects may not exclude based on gender. During this time, heterosexual and lesbian feminists got into conflicts as well. Incompatibilities between Z Budapest Dianic tradition and transgender pagans most notably reverberated across the US pagan community following the PantheaCon 2011 incident, of which there are accounts which vary depending on ideological and theological faction, in which two Dianic covens held rituals (a
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
-healing ritual focusing on
Lilith Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...
led by the Amazon Priestess Tribe and a skyclad ritual for
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
victims to heal from their trauma hosted by the Come-As-You-Are (CAYA) Coven) in which trans women were allegedly excluded, removed, or ostracized. Following the incident, Budapest and other notable Dianics spoke out in support of trans exclusion; Budapest notably said "you have to have in your life a womb, and and enstruateand not die" regarding women, while overall, Dianic practitioners defended trans exclusion while LGBTQ individuals and their allies said exclusion was
transphobic Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender or transsexual people, or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social ...
, a form of exclusionary feminism. In 2012, the year after the event, the Amazon Priestess Tribe "retired" itself from specifically Z Budapest Dianic tradition, the CAYA Coven began hosting inclusive rituals and began ordaining Priests (men) and Priestxs (non-binary), and PantheaCon itself began mandating concurrent inclusive rituals for any exclusive ones. Maintaining her position, Budapest has since fallen from grace for much of the US pagan community, and modern trans-accepting Dianics (not following Budapest's traditional liturgy) struggle to escape the shadow of the tradition's founder. Dianics as a whole are often now viewed as trans exclusionary radical feminists where they used to be considered progressive.


Heathenry

Heathenry, neopaganism drawing from historical Scandinavian (Norse) and Germanic pagan beliefs, typically is more ideologically conservative than most neopagan traditions when it comes to gender roles. Certain heathen organizations, such as
The Troth The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an American-based international heathen organization.On its mai ...
and Declaration 127, have specifically denounced many of these views. A 2015 survey revealed a greater number of heathens subscribed to universalist ideas than ethnicity-based ones.


Norse-specific

The practice of
seiðr In Old Norse, (sometimes anglicized as ''seidhr'', ''seidh'', ''seidr'', ''seithr'', ''seith'', or ''seid'') was a type of Magic (paranormal), magic which was practiced in Vikings, Norse society during the Iron Age Scandinavia, Late Scandinavian ...
, a Norse type of shamanic sorcery, is traditionally regarded as a women-only magical practice, requiring an openness that draws parallels to the sexually receptive feminine role found in other neopagan beliefs. Non-female practitioners are sometimes targeted with homophobic or
effeminate Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated wi ...
harassment, specifically an accusation of
ergi (noun) and (adjective) are two Old Norse terms of insult, denoting effeminacy or other unmanly behaviour. ' (also ') is "unmanly" and ''ergi'' is "unmanliness"; the terms have cognates in other Germanic languages such as ', ', ''arag'', or ''ar ...
, a weak or emasculate state A notable non-female example of seiðr can be found in the
Icelandic sagas The sagas of Icelanders (, ), also known as family sagas, are a subgenre, or text group, of Icelandic sagas. They are prose narratives primarily based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth, tenth, and early elev ...
, by the patriarch-god
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
. In the ''Ynglinga saga'' (c.1225), written by Icelandic poet
Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of th ...
, it is stated that ''seiðr'' had originally been a practice among the
Vanir In Norse mythology, the Vanir (; Old Norse:, singular Vanr) are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods (the other being the Æsir) and are the namesake of the ...
, but that Freyja introduced it to the
Æsir Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods i ...
when she joined them. Based on this, universalist practitioners consider gender-based limitations on seiðr a prejudicial practice which subverts aspects of Norse liturgy.


Racial paganism

Germanic occultism and neopaganism emerged in the early 20th Century and became influential, with beliefs such as
Ariosophy Ariosophy and Armanism are esoteric ideological systems that were largely developed by Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels and Guido von List, respectively, in Austria between 1890 and 1930. The term 'Ariosophy', which translates to ''wisdom of the Arya ...
, combining with the far-right
Völkisch movement The ''Völkisch'' movement ( , , also called Völkism) was a Pan-Germanism, Pan-German Ethnic nationalism, ethno-nationalist movement active from the late 19th century through the dissolution of the Nazi Germany, Third Reich in 1945, with remn ...
which eventually culminated in
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
. Post-WWII continuations of similar beliefs have given rise to the
Wotansvolk Wotansvolk (English: "Odin's Folk") promulgates a white nationalist variant of Neo-Paganism—founded in the early 1990s by Ron McVan, Katja Lane and David Lane (1938–2007) while Lane was serving a 190-year prison sentence for his actions in ...
, a white nationalist neopagan movement, in the late 20th Century. Modern
white supremacism White supremacy is the belief that white people are Supremacism, superior to those of other Race (human classification), races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and political), power and White privilege, privi ...
and
Neo-Nazism Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
with all the racist, antisemitic, and
anti-LGBTQ The following outline offers an overview and guide to topics about LGBTQ people. ''LGBTQ'' is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer". It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual, non-heteroromantic ...
beliefs of those ideologies have either continued, infiltrated, and co-opted many Germanic and Norse Heathen traditions such as
Ásatrú Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a Modern paganism, modern pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the ea ...
(sometimes called Odinism). These groups believe that these Norse-Germanic beliefs form the true Caucasian-European ethnoreligious group. In his 1997 manifesto ''Vargsmål'', Norwegian metal musician and racial pagan
Varg Vikernes Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (), is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later for his crimes. His first five records, released under the name Bu ...
, claimed homosexuality a type of "spiritual " that results from men "develop ngwomanly instincts" and women "who think they are men", but regarded female bisexuality as "natural" provided it doesn't reject attraction to men. In 2005, Vikernes claimed on his personal website that "you cannot be Pagan and homosexual or even tolerate homosexuality."


LGBTQ-inclusive sects, paths, and traditions


Wicca

Wiccan traditions hold a wide range of differing beliefs about
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
and
gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
. However, Wicca is regarded by many practitioners as a fertility religion. Starhawk wrote in her 1982 book ''Dreaming the Dark'', "Sexuality was a sacrament in the Old Religion; it was (and is) viewed as a powerful force through which the healing, fructifying love of the immanent Goddess was directly known, and could be drawn down to nourish the world, to quicken fertility in human beings and in nature". Newer Wiccan traditions often avoid or disregard the historical aversion to
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
individuals. Oboler notes the change in neopagan culture thus, "Although the symbolic bedrock of Wicca and modern Paganism is strongly gender-essentialist, the Pagan community, like the culture as a whole, has been moving away from that position." These traditions sometimes cite the Wiccan ''
Charge of the Goddess The Charge of the Goddess (or Charge of the Star Goddess) is an inspirational text often used in the neopagan religion of Wicca. The Charge of the Goddess is recited during most rituals in which the Wiccan priest/priestess is expected to represent, ...
'' . Gardner, Gerald. ''Witchcraft and the Book of Shadows'' (2004) Edited by A.R.Naylor. Thame, Oxfordshire: I-H-O Books, p.70. Professor Melissa Harrington wrote that despite traditional Wicca showing
heterosexism Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of heterosexuality and heterosexual relationships. According to Elizabeth Cramer, it can include the belief that all people are or should be heterosexual and that hetero ...
"as Wicca has grown and attracted gay practitioners they have begun to work out ways in which Wiccan rites can become more meaningful to them". According to professor and Wicca author Ann-Marie Gallagher, "There is a moralistic doctrine or dogma other than the advice offered in the
Wiccan Rede The Wiccan Rede is a statement that provides the key moral system in the new religious movement of Wicca and certain other related witchcraft-based faiths. A common form of the Rede is "An ye harm none, do what ye will" which was taken from a ...
... The only 'law' here is love... It matters that we are gay, straight, bisexual or transgender– the physical world is sacred, and e arecelebrating our physicality, sexuality, human nature and celebrating the Goddess, Giver of ALL life and soul of ALL nature." The Pagan Federation of Canada stated, "Over the last few decades, many people have thought that the emphasis on male/female polarity in Wicca excludes homosexuals." However, the Federation goes on to make the case for the validity of LGBTQ orientations even within traditional Wicca, suggesting that gay men and lesbians are likely to be particularly alive to the interplay of the masculine and feminine principles in the Universe. The adoption of horn symbology by non-men shown at certain pagan events, such as Mary Jo Neitz witnessed at Dragonfest in the 1990s, may have indicated increasing acceptance of gender fluidity and sexual diversity developing during that time period.


Unitarian Universalism

The
Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Ch ...
(UUA) states "we not only open our doors to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, we value diversity of sexuality and gender and see it as a spiritual gift". The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS), the pagan-aligned affiliate of the UUA, echoes those beliefs with bylaws that state covenant membership "shall be open, without regard to race, color, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, gender expression, physical disability, national origin, or social condition."


Queer-specific paths


Feri

The Feri Tradition, a modern form of
traditional witchcraft Witchcraft has a wide range of meanings in anthropological, folkloric, mythological, and religious contexts. Witchcraft may otherwise refer to: * Neopagan witchcraft, umbrella term for syncretic earth-centered religious movements ** Wicca, influ ...
has provided a home for many neopagan LGBTQ individuals. The Tradition is very open to non-heterosexual orientations and queer identities. Feri practitioner Storm Faerywolf writes:
"As any Queer practitioner can attest, there is a definite shortage of Queer-specific models that encourage the strengthening of ourselves as whole beings. In many Neo-Pagan Witchcraft traditions, we are told simply to adopt the pre-existing (and heterosexist) magickal modalities of polarity and fertility. In the Feri tradition we are given certain tools that enable us to have healthier relationships with our Divine natures, devoid of any such baggage."


Minoan

Two Minoan traditions were founded in New York City in the 1970s. Minoan initiations and elevations are all conducted in single-gender circles. Both traditions continue to this day as oath-bound, initiatory mystery religions using a ritual framework descended from Gardnerian Wicca. *Minoan Brotherhood founded in 1975 by Edmund Buczynski, an elder in the Gardnerian, WICA, and New York Welsh Traditions, to create a tradition for gay and bisexual men—one that would celebrate and explore the distinctive mysteries unique to men who love men. *Minoan Sisterhood founded in 1976 by Lady Rhea and Lady Miw-Sekhmet, in collaboration with Buczynski, as the women's counterpart to the Brotherhood.


Phoenix

The Fellowship of the Phoenix (originally "Brotherhood") was founded in the summer of 2004 by seven gay men from diverse traditions such as
ceremonial magic Ceremonial magic (also known as magick, ritual magic, high magic or learned magic) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of Magic (supernatural), magic. The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories t ...
,
shamanism Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
, and pre- Gardnerian witchcraft to create an ecumenical neopagan tradition which serves the community of men who love men. The maxim of the Fellowship is "Find the Divine within your own experience." In 2017, the Seattle Temple began a reformation within the group to expand the tradition to be "open to all queer/LBGTQIA adults" which has been accepted throughout. Fellowship theology has been modified to fit an expanded, inclusive model.


Radical Faeries

The Radical Faeries began in the 1970s as a predominantly gay male-oriented movement. The Faeries today are a loosely affiliated worldwide
network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...
and
countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
movement seeking to redefine
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, an ...
through secular spirituality; the movement also adopts elements from
anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
and environmentalism. Certain events may be focused on gay male spirituality, while others are open to all genders and orientations.


See also

* Haitian Vodou and sexual orientation *
Homosexuality and religion The relationship between religion and homosexuality has varied greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and denominations, with regard to different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. The present-day doctrines ...
*
LGBTQ themes in mythology LGBTQ themes in mythology occur in mythologies and religious narratives that include stories of romantic affection or sexuality between figures of the same sex or that feature divine actions that result in changes in gender. These myths are con ...
*
Religion and LGBTQ people The relationship between religion and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality, bisexua ...
*
Religion and sexuality The views of the various different religions and religious believers regarding human sexuality range widely among and within them, from giving sex and sexuality a rather negative connotation to believing that sex is the highest expression of the ...
* Transgender people and religion


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


References


External links


Divinity Beyond the Gender Binary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Modern Pagan views on LGBT people Modern pagan beliefs and practices Modern paganism and society Religion and LGBTQ people Wicca