Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Paganism

Declaring that all acts of love and pleasure are the rituals of the Goddess, contemporary Pagans widely affirm the sacredness of the body and of sexuality. Much of this belief stems from the erotic theology that entered Paganism through British Wicca, in which celebrants use symbolic or literal sexual ritual to participate in the ongoing creation of the universe. Pagans tend to be relatively accepting of same-sex relationships, BDSM, polyamory, transgender, and other expressions of gender and sexuality that are marginalized by mainstream society. Accordingly, sexual minorities have flocked to the movement and have begun to articulate a distinctively queer Pagan spirituality. Pagans continue to struggle with essentialist notions of gender, however, which has caused conflicts around how and whether to include transgender individuals in single-gender groups. Additionally, in some more politically conservative Pagan traditions, gender transgression continues to draw homophobic harassment. Although sexuality and gender are central theological concerns for many Pagans, more scholarship that moves beyond descriptive approaches is needed, as are more scholarly treatments of the alternative sexualities that garner so much attention in Pagan circles. Christian and Jewish feminist theologians have already found Paganism to be a valuable dialogue partner; as queer theologies increasingly challenge mainstream religions' notions of gender and sexuality, Paganism has much to add to the discussion.