Pagan Pride

[too2sweet]

This is part rant and part serious question. The rant of course come first (so please excuse me for a minute or two blaugh )

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So...my family and I went to our local Pagan Pride Day the other day. I was left wondering if my standards and/or expectations of other Pagans are a bit too high.

I realize that there is a whole group of people who categorize themselves as Pagans, who are simply "wannabes". What gets me though, is it was these particular people who seem to be showing up in droves to the PPD event. Maybe they thought that since it was a gathering of other Pagans, then it was ok to let loose, but I still have to question...why? Why break out the fairy wings and renaissance wear - the Harry Potter gear, and Goth wear. We shout Pagan Pride and expect others to take us seriously, and yet if we go out in public like this, can we really expect for anyone to take us seriously and give us the respect we deserve.

There are many people who have chosen a Paganism because they are seriously seeking a religion or a spiritual path that they have not been able to find elsewhere. As one of those people, I find that I resent the "intrusion" of these "wannabes". I am sick of wading through endless amounts of fluff, to find one small shred of valid truth. Just once, I'd like to go to a Pagan gathering and come away feeling like I learned something valuable, not like I've been violated. If I wanted to go to the a carnival or Ren Faire, then that is where I would go. As I said in the beginning, maybe my standards are too high - but if we are ever to be taken seriously, then maybe it is time that others raised their standards as well

.

On to the question part... Am I just crazy, or do you think there maybe there is an issue that needs to be addressed within the Pagan community? Even if your particular tradition calls for certain garb during ritual (robes, cloaks, staffs, jewelry, etc...) - is it appropriate to wear it out to an event that is open to the general public or other occasions besides rituals?  

[moe majesty]

--- « soul's resonance »

• -snickers- Harry Potter outfits... Pagan Pride Day... no, it just doesn't work.

I would think ritual garb would be okay (as in, it's more appropriate in public for that, but it is ritual clothing, so it may not be good to wear in public to you.), but the other stuff you mentioned - fairy wings, Renaissance clothes, Harry Potter outfits, etc?

Lawl no. Talk about your 'GTFO n00b' moment. •

« can you hear it now? » ---

 

[Jernni]

as a fairly newbish person to Paganism, I would never show up to something dressed in a corset and wings and glitter. That's not appropriate. And it has NOTHING to do with being pagan. I may wear my pentacle ring, a comfy dress and bring my tarot deck with me, but that would be the extent.

I think its hard whenever you take something seriously to see people treat it like a ren fair... or worse, a joke.

If i may diverge for a moment, I have another group in which this happens. I am a (united states) civil war reenactor. As part of a reenacting group, we strive to constantly better ourselves, our personas and our reenacting. We work together to sew period correct clothing. We research, we teach, we learn we share. We have period correct down to our cups, our tents (yes camping in canvas and wood tents!) and our underwear. We work our asses off and spend extra money to get it right, because it MEANS something to us. Its important to us.

Now imagine how we feel when we come to a reenactment, and find the reenactor version of fluffly bunnies running around. They in their "pioneer" skirts they bought at walmart, their big straw hats and tennis shoes "reenacting." Its incredibly frustrating for us. Especially since they usually get on the news etc.

It's not bad that they are interested in history or reenacting, but its hurtful and frustrating to those of us who put the work into being correct.

Back to paganism, I think its fair to be upset with these people who don't do the work, but seem to be the face of pagans in your area.

/wall of text.

I agree with you fully.  

[too2sweet]

Re-enactments are hard work. Kudos to you!!!

If it had just been me, I could have just ignored it, but I finally got hubby to agree to come and see that pagans aren't so bad - and that his what he got to see. gonk Now he thinks we are just one big joke.  

[The gypsy Queen]

itt is annoying sometimes,
i hear many at my school who claim too be pagan (wiccan mostly) who go arownd in goth, masion, upsidedown crosses and such.
and others who walk arownd claiming to control the weather at a wave of their hand...
stare  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Well, as a goth I would go to a Pagan Pride Day dressed gothy, because wearing other clothing makes me feel uncomfortable wink

But on the whole I agree. The "fairy wing" set makes my teeth itch. Some Asatruar are into the whole costume thing, and I don't mind that sort of thing too much with the recons because a) it makes them easy to spot, and b) being the scholarly type, you'd hope they'd get the costumes right, which in turn is educational for yours truly.

However, I don't see how ritual garb is appropriate at a fete. Ritual garb is for ritual. (I am willing to drop this requirement for Wiccans. twisted )

It's times like this when you realise that there are many stupid people in the Pagan community.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Sanguina-chan

It's times like this when you realise that there are many stupid people in the Pagan community.

I second this.
Reading your experience at PPD reminds me of something I read in M&R: "For Pagans, Hell is other Pagans."

Honestly, if I were to go to a gathering like that and see that kind of costuming with Harry Potter and faerie wings, I would've turned around and left, or faced the possibility of my head exploding in the midst of all the stupid.

I agree that ritual dress is for ritual times. Sort of like how children aren't allowed to wear their Sunday-best to go play in the woods with their buddies, ya know?

So no, I don't think you were over-reacting at all. It's insane for Pagans to b***h and moan about not being taken seriously and then treat a Pagan Pride Day as a costume ball scream scream scream  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

It is ironic that Pagan Pride Day can fill a Pagan with shame that she shares a religious umbrella with these people.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Esselean

Are you saying that just because people wear fairy wings they arent true pagans? Maybe they just want to let loose and have some fun occasionally especially when they feel like they are in an environment where they wont be judged (or so they think)
I say dress however you want to and be yourself.
Personally i dress in whatever i feel comfortable in or feel like wearing and if others dont like it then thats their problem.

Yeah, but the issue is that they don't do this all the time. They don't wear fairy wings as a matter of course. They're not a part of this person's normal style of dress. The implication is that this is how they think Pagans are meant to look.

I really don't see what medieval dress or sparkly Victorian inventions have to do with Paganism. confused  

[Nattfodd]

Well, you often have these fluff authors promoting thier books at pagan pride days as well. :/

I don't really mind. People who are true to finding their path in life should look hard. The type of people who come to these events strike me as the people who didn't look very hard -- they just found something they liked and picked it the same way you'd buy an attractive apple from the supermarket.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Esselean

Are you saying that just because people wear fairy wings they arent true pagans?

No.
What I'm suggesting at least (I won't speak for anyone else here) is that these are usually the Pagans who whine and b***h about being taken seriously as Pagans. So, what does a Pagan do to gain his/herself some respect? Why, it certainly isn't slapping on a pair of faerie wings or a Griffindor scarf to attend a PPD, that's for damn sure.

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Maybe they just want to let loose and have some fun occasionally especially when they feel like they are in an environment where they wont be judged (or so they think)

Great. Good for them.
I don't understand how they can not understand that they might be judged when going to an event that is public and out in the open.

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I say dress however you want to and be yourself.

Agreed. However, one should also take into consideration things like first impressions, and the fact that most people make snap judgments. Can someone wear faerie wings if they like? Sure. But they should also expect to be given as much serious consideration as a five-year-old sitting in the White House.

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Personally i dress in whatever i feel comfortable in or feel like wearing and if others don't like it then that's their problem.

As I said above, sure wear what you want, but understand that there are repercussions and the like that come with wearing certain things. It's really not my problem if someone doesn't know how to dress and act in a way that earns them respect and being treated like an equal.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Nattfodd

The type of people who come to these events strike me as the people who didn't look very hard -- they just found something they liked and picked it the same way you'd buy an attractive apple from the supermarket.

I wouldn't quite say that. In Sweet's case it seemed the majority there attended to make a spectacle, while there were probably at least a few who went with earnest, genuine intentions to find and connect with other, serious Pagans who don't treat their path like a fashion accessory. I went to a Pagan gathering before and it sucked (just not on the scale that this one did), but I did not go just because I didn't want to look hard at my path.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Yeah... and I guess mostly it's just really disappointing. You go to a PPD or a meetup hoping to connect with someone who follows a religion similar to yours, and it's incredibly disheartening and depressing to meet people who don't care a jot for their deities and have never had a serious thought in their pretty little heads their whole lives - which is even more depressing when you consider that many of these people are over 40.

I mean, gods forbid anyone be genuine about their religion. There's far too much "I'm a witch, teehee! I know I'm a witch even though I've never done magic my entire life, because I worship the Gawdess like they did in the Old Religion before the mean Christians burned them all!"

I don't like people in general, so I feel no obligation to be generous to these people. If you're stupid, it's a fair bet I'm not going to like you. I have limited tolerance.

Fairy wings can be done right. I just, honestly, do not see the connection here. Why would you think you can get away with that sort of thing any more than you would in a supermarket? Sure, if you wear fairy wings at the supermarket... if you do, my respect for you goes through the roof. If you're just wearing them to a PPD because hey, you're a pagan, yay fairies...