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From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.wicca
Subject: Re: Out of the broom closet?
Date: 6 Jan 1996 06:54:48 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 28
Message-ID: <4cl6bo$n4n@nntp4.u.washington.edu>
References: <4cd5h1$avf@ixnews8.ix.netcom.com> <4ce7nn$sjp@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: phylo.genetics.washington.edu

My family knows I'm pagan, and so do my co-workers and employer.  This
helps, actually, because it means no one can threaten to expose me.
I'm listed as a contact person on our group's fliers--no address, but it
wouldn't be hard to find me.  So far this has not been a problem.
Seattle is a very tolerant city.  I wear a small pentagram openly, 
and have not had any hostile comments (though I've noticed that
non-pagans seem not to see it).

I can do this because my family and co-workers are tolerant people, and
there's nothing in my life situation to make me vulnerable.  I
appreciate that not everyone is so lucky.  If I had to deal with child
custody, or a difficult landlord or employer, or hostile relatives, I
would probably be more secretive, so I can't criticize those who prefer
to remain in the closet.

The best approach, I've found, is to be calm, matter-of-fact, and avoid
going on the defensive.  Acting as though you need to justify yourself
makes people assume you're guilty of something.  My employer asked why I
wanted Litha off:  I told him, and that was that.  "I'm a neo-pagan, and
I'm leading a celebration of the summer solstice that day."  "Okay, see
you Monday."

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu
-- 
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