As some people know, I'm a costumer of sorts. I don't do things like victorian corsets and gowns, but I've made several screen-accurate Jedi outfits for myself and friends, as well as a Sekhmet costume, a beautiful winter solstice coat, and most recently a skyscraper costume. Needless to say, I love Halloween, and the time surrounding it. It's fun to get dressed up without needing an excuse, and I can dress in outfits even more "out there" and exotic than normal.
But lately, I've begun to wonder if there's much of place for my handiwork in the local Pagan community.
Every year, we have halloween events, complete with costume contests. I remember the year I wore the Sekhmet costume- we had a great contest then. It was well judged, with lots of great stuff being given prizes. Sadly, this has not been the case since. It seems practically every contest since then has turned into a sleaze-fest.
The next year, I showed up in a hand-sewn Jedi kit, hand built lightsaber (that actually lit up) and full makeup job.
I may as well not have bothered, since the format of the contest was switched to audience voting. Whoever gets the most applause wins. Sound fair? It is, until people start dropping their pants, or showing maximum skin to get a reaction. And then it seems the slutty and revealing are all that get anything. And myself, and many others with great stuff got nothing.
And at another costume event, the judges riled up the contestants to get them to do stupid things. All I could (and was willing to do) was belly dance a bit. Chinese imperial robes are not conducive to flashing under any circumstance. But the other ladies were pulling their bras out from under their outfits, and one lady flashed her boobs at the audience, and won a prize for this. Even after she was warned not to do so, on grounds that the bar could get in trouble.
Recently, I discussed my frustration with a Pagan friend of mine, and she said that most pagans are all in favour of honouring sexuality.
But are celibacy and modesty not also part of the human sexual spectrum? Some of us choose not to partake, or not to flaunt, even if we do partake.
It's getting to the point where dressing up causes me frustration- I love to costume, but I don't do slutty costumes or acts. Not in public, in any case. But I'm beginning to feel like there is little place for me or the work I do- If I'm not in favour of breast flashing, or cry foul when a guy in a lousy costume takes the prize because he removed part of said costume, then I am branded a prude.
In the name of honouring sexuality, or escaping Christian sexual prudery, is the Pagan community at risk of alienating those of us who choose a celibate or chaste path?
Is it just some poor planning on the part of event organizers, or is all this a sign of a deeper problem?
I decided to post this here, I figured the denizens of this forum would understand- how marginalized a person can feel when every fun event turns into "sex, sex, sex!"
PS- I'm not saying that sexy outfits should be censored or banned..But surely there's a balance that can be reached.
But lately, I've begun to wonder if there's much of place for my handiwork in the local Pagan community.
Every year, we have halloween events, complete with costume contests. I remember the year I wore the Sekhmet costume- we had a great contest then. It was well judged, with lots of great stuff being given prizes. Sadly, this has not been the case since. It seems practically every contest since then has turned into a sleaze-fest.
The next year, I showed up in a hand-sewn Jedi kit, hand built lightsaber (that actually lit up) and full makeup job.
I may as well not have bothered, since the format of the contest was switched to audience voting. Whoever gets the most applause wins. Sound fair? It is, until people start dropping their pants, or showing maximum skin to get a reaction. And then it seems the slutty and revealing are all that get anything. And myself, and many others with great stuff got nothing.
And at another costume event, the judges riled up the contestants to get them to do stupid things. All I could (and was willing to do) was belly dance a bit. Chinese imperial robes are not conducive to flashing under any circumstance. But the other ladies were pulling their bras out from under their outfits, and one lady flashed her boobs at the audience, and won a prize for this. Even after she was warned not to do so, on grounds that the bar could get in trouble.
Recently, I discussed my frustration with a Pagan friend of mine, and she said that most pagans are all in favour of honouring sexuality.
But are celibacy and modesty not also part of the human sexual spectrum? Some of us choose not to partake, or not to flaunt, even if we do partake.
It's getting to the point where dressing up causes me frustration- I love to costume, but I don't do slutty costumes or acts. Not in public, in any case. But I'm beginning to feel like there is little place for me or the work I do- If I'm not in favour of breast flashing, or cry foul when a guy in a lousy costume takes the prize because he removed part of said costume, then I am branded a prude.
In the name of honouring sexuality, or escaping Christian sexual prudery, is the Pagan community at risk of alienating those of us who choose a celibate or chaste path?
Is it just some poor planning on the part of event organizers, or is all this a sign of a deeper problem?
I decided to post this here, I figured the denizens of this forum would understand- how marginalized a person can feel when every fun event turns into "sex, sex, sex!"
PS- I'm not saying that sexy outfits should be censored or banned..But surely there's a balance that can be reached.
