We will not stop dancing.
We will not stop loving.
We will not stop making love.
Let the haters hate us.
Let them do their worst.
We've seen it all before.
PaganSquare is a community blog space where Pagans can discuss topics relevant to the life and spiritual practice of all Pagans.
I am going to delay the next article in the series "Blurring the Lines of Community" for an obvious reason.
The LGBT community has been deeply wounded. That community has been the inspiration of many of the things we have been trying to do over the years in the Pagan Community. I have often held up the LGBT Community as an example of what can be accomplished by a repressed, suppressed, and marginalized community. Same sex marriage is now the law of the land. Battles over equal rights continue, but the LGBT Community has done an amazing job over the last few decades of moving the discussion from one of pure hate and complete lack of understanding to an emerging view in America that their members are simply other members of the larger community. There is still far to go, but the LGBT inspiration has had a massive impact on the Pagan Community and how we are now attempting to become more accepted by the legal system and American society as a whole. There would be no "Pagan Pride Day" if it weren't for the LGBT Community blazing a trail for us.
This year I was invited to present my work, Priest of the Goddess at the 2015 Coph Nia festival. To quote their website Coph Nia is, “a 5 day outdoor alternative spirituality festival for gay, bi, queer and questioning men. Held at an interfaith sanctuary in Artemas, PA, Coph Nia is open to long-time practitioners and new seekers of a wide range of spiritual paths including Wicca, Paganism, Heathenry, Druidism, Shamanism, Thelema, Ceremonial Magick and more. Sponsored by the Ordo Aeternus Vovin, an initiatory Thelemic order for gay and bisexual men, Coph Nia features vendors, concerts, rituals, workshops, nightly bonfires, dancing, drumming, chanting, signing and many social events including our annual Masked Ball & Sensual Feast.”
...In today's Faithful Friday, we include a new study of American religious values; inspiring ritual photos; Afro-Brazilian religions face discrimination in Brazil; Mormons and LGBT rights; "living gods" in Tibetan Buddhism.
This in-depth report on American religion has some surprises, for example: in what 13 states are the "spiritual but not religious" the largest religious group?
...Happy Faith-Filled Friday -- and 4th of July!
Today we are concentrating on stories of how faith -- Pagan and otherwise -- influences our daily life.
How should "sincerely held religious belief" influence the law? HuffPo religious editor argues against the recent SCOTUS decisions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/sincerely-held-religious-beliefs-and-the-fraying-of-america_b_4847018.html?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000055
Is Paganism in a critical phase of defining itself? John Beckett compares today's Pagan battles to the deliberations of 3rd century CE Christianity and points out that "s/he who shows up, wins."
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2014/07/showing-up.html
That most American of music -- jazz -- has a connection with modern Paganism: freemasonry.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/02/secret-jazz-freemason-history-duke-ellington-sun-ra?CMP=fb_gu
Is Heathenism naturally multi-racial?
http://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2014/asgard-as-a-multi-racial-society/
How can traditional Wicca work outside of standard gender models?
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/2014/07/queer-of-swords-oh-what-a-great-rite/