Gender variance in spirituality: Difference between revisions

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 LGBT 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.<ref>Huneault, Robert.''Homosexuality and Wicca''. Pagan Federation/Fédération Païenne Canada website, accessed 11 May 2007. [http://www.pfpc.ca/info/wiccan/wicca/homo.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229050605/http://www.pfpc.ca/info/wiccan/wicca/homo.html|date=29 December 2007}}</ref>

Gerald Gardner, the founder of Gardnerian Wicca in the 1950s and 60s, emphasized heterosexual approaches to Wicca. As Jan Van Cleve, former practitioner of traditional Wicca, wrote, "Much of Gardnerian magic is based on this notion that physical interaction between male and female is not only desirable, but also necessary."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?id=12197|title=Gender and Paganism|last=Van Cleve|first=Janice|date=27 January 2008|website=WitchVox|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124020359/http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?id=12197|archive-date=24 January 2020|access-date=11 September 2019}}{{Self-published source|date=June 2020}}</ref> Gardner said that a witch could only be initiated by one of the other gender, with exceptions for parents initiating children, and otherwise would be cursed by the Goddess.<ref name=":9">[[Gerald Gardner (Wiccan)|Gardner, Gerald]]. ''Witchcraft Today'' (1954) London: Rider. p. 69</ref> According to Lois Bourne, one of the High Priestesses of the Bricket Wood coven, Gardner said that all witches had to be heterosexual men and women.<ref>Bourne, Lois ''Dancing with Witches''. (2006) London: Robert Hale. {{ISBN|0-7090-8074-3}}. p.38. (Hardback edition first published 1998).</ref>  

Alex Sanders, the co-founder of Gardnerian offshoot Alexandrian Wicca, came out as [[bisexual]] 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 who is well known to emphasize the concept of male-female polarity and the fact that Alexandrian Wicca is a fertility 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."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZrmRkpRTiw On the Blackchair Podcast, Special Edition Series #3 - Tea With Maxine - On Initiation]</ref>

[[File:Triple-Goddess-Pentagram.svg|thumb|194x194px|The symbol of Dianic Wicca — a circumscribed pentacle combined with the Triple Goddess symbol.|alt=A green pentagram circumscribed in black in center with a waxing crescent moon on the left and waning crescent moon on the right.]]

Dianic Wicca has become notable for the female-focus and anti-transgender stances of its founder, Zsuzsanna Budapest, and many members. This female-only, radical feminist variant of Wicca allows [[cisgender]] [[lesbian]]s but not [[transgender women]] in Dianic covens. This is due to Dianic belief in [[gender essentialism]], specifically, "you have to have sometimes [sic] in your life a womb, and ovaries and moon bleed [menstruate] and not die," according to Budapest. This belief and the way it is expressed is often denounced as [[transphobia]] and [[TERF|transgender-exclusionary radical feminism]]. Budapest was vocal in her opposition to trans women.{{r|ObolerGE}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2011/03/transgender-issues-in-pagan-religions/|title=Transgender Issues in Pagan Religions|last=PANTHEON|date=2011-03-01|work=PANTHEON|access-date=2018-05-01|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525163404/https://www.patheos.com/blogs/pantheon/2011/03/transgender-issues-in-pagan-religions/|archive-date=25 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-dianic-wicca-2562908|title=What is the Dianic Wiccan Tradition?|work=ThoughtCo|access-date=2018-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415020853/https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-dianic-wicca-2562908|archive-date=15 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2011/mar/08/pagans-trans-women-religions|title=Why won't pagans accept trans women? {{!}} Roz Kaveney|last=Kaveney|first=Roz|date=2011-03-08|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-06-15|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212114306/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2011/mar/08/pagans-trans-women-religions|archive-date=12 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>