Ostara 1997 Newsletter Coming Out of the Broom Closet

Having never been in the broom closet, and having never faced a Christina or other denomination family to tell them that I am not one of their flock, my views on coming out of the closet may well appear to some as being out of ignorance. But it is ignorance which is the source of the prejudice of witches, and other Pagans, and if one contributes to the ignorance with silence and secrecy, then one contributes to the prejudice. Secrecy breeds ignorance; ignorance breeds fear; and fear breeds prejudice and intolerance.

Wearing the symbols of your religious path with the same pride a Christian wears their Cross or other symbol, tells even the prejudiced, that you feel there is nothing wrong with being Pagan. That you feel proud to be associated with the Pagan path to spirituality. It also gives you comfort to your fellow Pagans, as they pass you in the street, that they are not alone - thousand of Australians are Pagan. If Pagans did not hide so much, we would know the exact number.

When you fill out forms, including registering your children at school, put Paganism as your religion. If you get the "Satanist" reaction, politely point out that Paganism is the first religion practised by humankind, and pre-dates Christianity mythology by thousands of years - therefore cannot have any association with the dark side of the Christian religion, the creature they call "Satan".

Never tolerate religious bigotry. Politely explain that as we live in a multi-cultural society, such behaviour is rude and unacceptable. Remember, never lower yourself to the level of the religious bigot. Always be polite, but firm. One of the lines I use on aggressive Christian is - how impressed do you think Jesus would be with your behaviour right now?

If you are afraid of losing friends by telling them the truth, perhaps you should give a little thought to whether they really are your friends, or the friends of the person that you pretend to be.

A couple of years ago, a woman with three children moved into the house a few doors down from mine. My son came home one day with the news, "the lady who just moved in is a WITCH, her kids told me.". Later when my son introduced his new friends, I asked them to confirm what my son had told me. "Yes, our mummy is a witch.". I said, "That's nice dear, but how about you give mum a chance to settle in, before telling the entire neighbourhood, and tell mum the lady on the corner would like to pop in for a cup of tea.". Yes, mummy was a real live witch, and she was the woman who told me of the existence of the Pagan Alliance. Had her children not been "in the closet", I might not be writing this article, as the woman admitted she tried to keep a low profile because of the discrimination against witches, and the impact it might have on her children. She has just moved north, hopefully she will find a new Pagan neighbour.

The Human Rights Commissioner might make things a little easier when his report "Free to Believe" is accepted by the Attorney-General. A change in the law will only affect the law, it will not change people's attitudes. Only Pagan themselves can change those attitudes, by being out there for people to see that Pagans are not the "boogie man", they are the victim of unacceptable discrimination.

By coming out of the broom closet, you can help yourself, your Pagan friends, Pagan children and the Pagan community as a whole.

By Morgan

This article is designed to make you think about coming out of the broom closet, but to not make a judgement on whether you do or you don't - no one but yourself can decide if it is the right thing to do. For myself, it was the best thing I could have possible done. Like Morgan it has allowed me to connect with like minded people and I feel as though I am no longer living a "double life" so to speak. I felt that I wasted a lot of energy trying to hide my true feelings, and this was disheartening. Since declaring my path honestly to those who ask, I have found out that many of my existing friends were curious about Paganism and have started to learn more. So hopefully, that's a few more misconceptions gone out the window! By being open in my beliefs I am able to dispell a few myths and answer questions that people have. Remember, this is my opinion only, and I hope that if you have something to contribute to this debate, be it for or against, or something to share about why you choose to stay in "the closet", then let us know, by writing a short piece to include here.

Through open, honest debate we will all learn to be tolerant of others ideas and practices. Remember our motto: "Strength through diversity".