Witch ‘thrown off druid training course’ in trans row

[OhBuggerandArse]

This is a story with a bit of everything (not making light of it, sounds like Angela had the usual gruelling time in the face of typical TRA shenanigans, but the range of incidental detail is.... pretty extra).

https://archive.is/6goQB

Did anyone say "I put on my robe and wizard hat"?

(Google it)

Nothing says ‘mystique of the summer solstice at Stonehenge’ more than a robust pagan internal complaints procedure.

Run by Bureaucratix and his adjunct clerk, Appendix.

I had a look at the FB comments on the Pagan Fed post about 'trans'.

There were two very measured, sensible posts in support of being open to discussion (and even respectul of women, imagine!). They had received much support. Other comments had been removed when the posters were banned. (Comments have since been turned off).

Given that any views not toeing the party line were warned they'd likely to lead to banning, too, it seems likely that even more people would support the reasonable 'gc' views were there not a threat of censure/banning.

As we see mirrored in so many organisations. It's downright weird, actually. Gender ideology is almost always imposed top down, against the wishes/views of the majority.

Gender ideology is almost always imposed top down, against the wishes/views of the majority.

Yes, and especially it seems in smallish groups who already have a strong "be kind" self-image and an aversion to rules - until GII becomes the most important rule.

It's fascinating how this has panned out in certain religious/irreligious communities. There's almost an element of "we set out to take over Pride and the Green Party, and discovered we'd also acquired the Quakers, the Pagan Federation and the Humanist Association by accident."

Just to point out that the pagan federation went about removing any comments from people who asked questions, disagreed with them in any way and banned them, while smearing us all as bigots and transphobes. So the comments are skewed and looking at them now, you'd think no one disagreed at all really.

Why is it that so many groups that call themselves alternative and liberal and progressive are in fact intolerant of different viewpoints, authoritarian and male supremacist?

My own daughter wept on the bus on her way to work after the ruling was announced. She is one of the nicest, most sensitive, gentle souls I know and already has to negotiate other people’s ignorance and intolerance on a daily basis. She is, I should add, one of the ‘front-line workers’ we all cheered for at the height of the Covid pandemic. Now the UK legislature has made a ruling that effectively renders her a non-person in all public spaces.'

As I read this I couldn't help imagining the 'trans daughter' as someone like Dr Upton or 'Rose' in Darlington.

In which public spaces has this person's 'trans daughter' now become a 'non-person'? Women's changing rooms are not public spaces for men.

Yep, we've seen this happen in many organisations.

It works to silence people for a certain amount of time. But I'd say it also signals an organisation that is on shaky foundations and starting to crumble.

At best, people will lose interest and drift away. It will gradually become a shadow of itself, filled with the most hardcore 'activists' and extremists. They will recite the mantras, cling grimly to their newspeak rules, and crow about having defeated their enemies, while the group itself hollows out and quietly starts to collapse.

The process brings to mind that zombie ant fungus. A group becomes paralysed by the strictures and rules and inability to question or discuss freely. It may stumble on for a bit, but I'm afraid it doesn't bode well in the longterm. The WEP is a useful object lesson. Also Stonewall. Green Party EW is locked in a struggle with it right now.

I'm not sure yet whether it's a symptom of an unhealthy group dynamic that was there anyway, or a direct result of having been taken over by committed activists. Maybe both.

I recall a friend being booted from an endometriosis FB page by a trans moderator.

I wonder if this top down approach is a matter of TRAs deliberately placing themselves in these positions where few can question them?
It worked for catholic priests for a very long time.

I was involved with Pagans quite a lot in the 90s. There was always a culture of sex magick that drew people interested in alternative sexual practices, some of which lacked scrutiny around harm. It's exactly the kind of thing that draws spiritual Queer Theorists. Doesn't surprise me the Pagan Federation's been taken over.

A big giant FFS ! It's similar to the witch lit trend up in Scotland by pronoun heavy /TWAW female authors, writing historical tales of the burning of Scottish witches by the horrible nasty patriarchy.

Gender ideology is almost always imposed top down, against the wishes/views of the majority.

Astroturfing. It's an ideology which has been imposed top-down, but made to look like a grassroots movement.

Inauthentic Selves: The modern LGBTQ+ Movement Is Run By Philanthropic Astroturf And Based On Junk…

What's not clear to me, even after all this time, is why this particular ideology has gained such a firm grasp on so many organisations and governments all over the world in such a short space of time. Is it all down to misogyny or something else?

What's not clear to me, even after all this time, is why this particular ideology has gained such a firm grasp on so many organisations and governments all over the world in such a short space of time. Is it all down to misogyny or something else?

I’ve often thought it’s because it’s a very simple and inexpensive way to prove how progressive and inclusive they are.

Anyone can change their logo for a month and introduce pronouns, but making real changes to be truly inclusive of disabilities, or introducing flexible work that better suits (for eg) mothers of young children, autistic or adhd people, would necessitate real changes, so they go along with fawning over the TQ+ for the cost of a flag.

@SwordOfOmens I am so sorry this has happened to you. They dabble and invade every part of women's activities, culture, histories and strengths and try and make it their own and they FAIL. You are so bloody brave and strong !!!

Yep. Those in power see it as a cost free way to signal virtue. They think it's about flying a progress rainbow flag and won't have any impact or downsides. The misogyny comes in because they can't see the impact on women as being important.

I don't really know much about paganism. I'm Christian, so we're like chalk and cheese!

I just wanted to say I'd admire you for standing up for what you believe in over sex based rights, and I'm with you 🌷

Phillip is the founder and leader of the British Druid Order since the 70s and has a trans identifying son, so he has a personal agenda that he's using the BDO to further. He once argued with me that something like 97% of "trans women" in prison are housed with males and are at risk of abuse and rape. Rape should never be weaponised and I said as much to him. But what I wasn't allowed to say (because I got banned shortly after) was that two thirds of those inmates are in for sex offences against women, children and animals and that I'm deeply concerned of the whereabouts of the men who are being housed with women.

Also that Phillip's son is a frontline NHS worker and wondering if at any time when a woman has requested a female nurse, they have sent him to perform an intimate examination, or that he uses female dressing rooms.

Also, the day that my journalist contacted the BDO for comments, he actually announced he was stepping down and retiring. Quite a coincidence after around 50 years as high Druid! However his replacement, Amanda Foale-Hart, was the one who revoked my membership as a student bard, on the say so of a member of the pagan federation

There are Christian witches within paganism and I've enjoyed talks by women who have opened up some really interesting theories about Mary Magdalen. A good friend of mine published a book about her being the wife of Jesus, and that she was a priestess of the goddess Isis!

This explains so much. He lied to his son and has to continue the lie the rest of his life. Lies build like snowballs and he could bring down the organisation he created if enough people walk away and start a fair group or groups.

Who in turn are overseen by Performancemetrix.

Critical Social Justice emphasises having its agenda imposed top down, because the bigoted masses won't agree to it, but when they see how great it is in practice, they'll be converted. That this is not going very well just shows the masses are more bigoted than could ever have been imagined.

I knew Paganism had been heavily infiltrated when I found out Starhawk had fallen for the queer/trans narrative….

Oh it's the 'British Druid Order', is it?
I can't open the archived araticle in the OP but I'm getting the drift...

Being very interested in Celtic culture, in particular the Druids, I looked into the BDO in detail some years ago.

I was quickly turned off by the mishmash of things they had shoved into a box marked 'Druidry.' It seemed to have bits of New Age, wicca, Norse paganism, even Christianity thrown into a blender, and a label 'Druid' stuck on. And lots of dressing up and rituals, of course.

I thought it was an unacceptable appropriation of a Celtic culture that they clearly knew very little about, or cared very little about.

In the end, I followed my own path, finding echoes of Druidism in the only places where Celtic culture continued to flourish without being crushed by Romanization.

The BDO obviously acquire anything and everything that makes their order seem edgy and interesting, so their adherence to genderwoo doesn't surprise me.

I'm sorry for what you experienced SwordOfOmens, and hope you find a better path, or make your own

If you seek druidism, look elsewhere.

Why do they always "weep" rather than just cry?

I am a member of OBOD which seems to have steered a bit more clear of this stuff, I'm sure there's a multiplicity of opinions within it.

Bit annoyed by some of the comments on this thread, "pagan" doesn't mean we should spend all our time dancing savagely on the moors (only some of it) we are still people in the real world, our organisations should still have boundaries and yes, gasp, even complaints procedures. I don't know what makes people who wouldn't be shitty about any other religion or philosophy turn so snide and giggly when paganism is involved.