So, I have been thinking about the number of men and women who have touched or kissed me without my consent at Pagan events. A few even after I made it clear the attention was unwanted . The idea seems to be that we are an affectionate and huggy crowd and that not wanting that attention reveals a defect in your Pagan-ness. I have absolutely had to work on overcoming my personal inclinations to hug people I actually like. Why should I be made to feel guilty for not wanting physical contact from Pagans I do not know well? The fact that there is a level of permissiveness in which it is considered okay to kiss someone on the lips without their consent should make it no wonder that predators can slide under the radar in our communities. Every time I hear the tired trope that in our culture we are starving for human touch used as an excuse, it makes me furious. My family touches me with my consent. My lover touches me with my consent. But the fact that in much of Paganism I am made to feel an outsider for not granting that consent to all comers is ridiculous. This is not an issue related to one person or one incident. This is not an incident related confined to one hot story of the week. This is a problem pervasive in our communities.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 01:10:06 +0000