Duality and Diversity: Gender at Pantheacon

March 04, 2011 by T. Thorn Coyle

Continued from Page 2

But theologically there is more, and I apologize for it taking me so long to frame this point: from the Void, from the Stillness, from the All, stems multiplicity. I often preach that the cosmosphere, like a biosphere, needs diversity to remain healthy. Therefore, homogeneity should not be our goal. It should be clear by now that I have no interest in attending these rituals, and might even have trouble with some of their tenets, but I am not attacking the Dianics who want ciswomen only space within a larger, welcoming whole. I want there to be room among us for Gay Male Mysteries, for Women's Moon Blood rituals, Heterosexual Basket Weaving, Queer Gods rites, Heathen Blots, and our scholarly talks, workshops, and concerts. I want to walk the groves and halls with Thelemites, Heathens, Dianics, Hermeticists, and Wiccans and be able to share space even while sometimes vehemently disagreeing. This sort of interaction makes us stronger. We are not all the same, but in order to make a viable movement, and to grow as humans, we need interchange. We need to work together, even when we sometimes ask for separate space. That said, I do wonder what I would be feeling if this issue was about a different construct: race, rather than gender.

You see, the larger, welcoming whole is important. We need to interact from a base of respect. We need to be clear what our boundaries and beliefs are and why. And there needs to be a place for us all. It was not clear from the description of the ritual in question that only cisgendered women were welcome.

This was the cause of much pain. I hope that we treat each other with honor and present our intentions with greater clarity in the future, as CAYA has pledged to do. We need to work together, and therefore, cannot afford to hold too many assumptions. Should a public event like PantheaCon host any exclusive rites? That is still up for debate.

Let us fight with open hands and open hearts, and embrace each other as we will, whatever we call ourselves, however we express ourselves, whomever we may be, or are becoming.

Page: 3 of 3

3/4/2011 5:00:00 AM

Pagan

Numinous and Concrete

GLBT

gender

PantheaCon

Ritual

Sexuality

Transgender

Women

Paganism

more at patheos

Beyond Blind Submission: Building a True Partnership

Benjamin Raven Pressley

Revive a hymn: How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

Adrian Warnock

How Not Establishing Religion Helped Churches Thrive

Gene Veith

Book Review: Dreamweavers, Minstrels and Nervous Shakespeare

Mark Wilson

About T. Thorn Coyle

T. Thorn Coyle is an internationally respected visionary and teacher of the magical and esoteric arts. The author of Make Magic of Your Life, Kissing the Limitless, and Evolutionary Witchcraft, she hosts the Elemental Castings podcast series, writes the blog Know Thyself, and has produced several CDs of sacred music. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos