Gay Pagans, Gay Witches...?

"Is there a place for Gay men or Lesbians in the Craft?"

"Can I be a witch if I'm Gay? Most of the books I've read/Covens I've spoken to say I can't."

"Does Gender or Sexuality really matter to the Gods?"

For ten years We have thought about these questions. We drew from our joint background in Qabalah and Taoism; we read, we discussed, we did ritual, and we meditated. Everything within us, everything that drove us, told us:

We found a way for us to take what we had learned, and make it grow. We have been working as a couple for over 10 years: learning and growing, following the Spiral of the Sabbats, exploring the Shining Paths together, Striving for Truth. And we haven't been alone: through those years we've run a successful Coven, and helped many people in their own Quest.

Several years ago, we started this 'Web site. Within days we had e-mails asking those same questions again. And over the last two years, we've had people asking us to write more about how we do what we do...

Finally, we've given into pressure! Not that we are the only Gay Witches with a 'Web site: there are several other people from whom we've gathered strength and support. But you can never have too much information - not that the following pages are only for Gay people interested in the Craft either: the Goddess is for everyone, and we hope our ideas will be relevant regardless of a persons Gender or Sexuality.

So, what is on this part of our Site?

• First there is this poetic discussion on archetype and Myth. In it we try to express a little of the confusion one can at first feel as a Gay person dealing with the concepts of God and Goddess as they are traditionally represented.
  
• A further, more formal piece "Gay Pagans, gay witches...Gay witchcraft?" is also now here. (We are also pleased to announce that this piece recently won a Pinklinks "Best of the Web" award).
• The second part to this, on Gay sex in ritual, has now also been posted.
• Next, there is a very good article (reaped from the Cauldrons and Broomsticks Beltain 1997 edition). Although we don't agree with everything Aurelon says, it's still a very thought provoking piece... We would also recommend that you read some of the articles by Lynna in the Temple Library of her home site "Wild ideas.."
• Then there's a letter first published in the Vermont "Monitor" from the mother of a gay son - it's not on paganism, but it is included here because it is an excellent and heartfelt protest against the hypocrisy and prejudice that all gay people face at some time in their lives.

Just before Samhein 2003 we were contacted by Bryony Weaver - a Journalist for the Gay Times who wanted to do an interview with us for the Oct/Nov issue. It was an excellent interview and a wonderful article - and we are proud to present an electronic version of it here (Copyright kindly provided by both Bryony and James, and the GayTimes)

On the back of the Gay Times article we were asked to give a talk on Traditional Wicca from a Gay perspective at the GLBT Moot at the Fountain Inn, Birmingham - we provide a copy of the talk we gave here. (N.B. - This is a long document! - but we have split it into 3 sections, to make it easier to read on-line).

We also were then asked to give a similar talk at the 2005 Pagan Association Conference - a PDF version of the text of which is now available here