From: kumagic@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Stephen R. Figgins)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Scummy behavior of pagan males
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:23:07 GMT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

Some examples within and without the community.

A prominent pagan couple announced their divorce this year.  Reasons
given, their relationship for the last few years had become physically
abusive, arguments culminating with him beating up her. 

Around that same time, a pagan woman well known to me tells me in
confidence that her relationship has been abusive for a while.  She
shows me her bruises, and tells me she thinks she has a cracked rib,
it hurts when she breathes.  She lacks strength to leave him, and
believes he may be her last chance of finding someone to love.  

When she finally came out on this, to friends at a local pagan
festival, she found two other women who had been in relationships with
abusive pagan men.

I spoke to one of the men involved, somewhat briefly, as it is kind of
a touchy subject.  He doesn't understand why he did it.  Something she
will say, or the way he hears her say it sets him off, and the next
thing he knows he is beating on her.  It has never happened with
anyone before her, he says. He says he loves her very much.  He makes
a kind of half-hearted attempt to seek counseling, then refuses to
continue, after she leaves him.  He avoids other men in the community
and drops out of sight. 

Too obvious maybe?  How about the subtle.

A Heartland Pagan Fesitval's posters consistently picture naked busty
women and half-clothed men.  Why this standard?  Heartland also had
problems last year with the behavior of several drunken men, including
the sexual harassment of one participant.  In previous years the
Skyclad area of the festival consisted half of skyclad participants
and half of male gawkers who would set out chairs and stare at the
women who passed by. 

The Green Egg for the longest time consisted of illustrations of
pin-up style women as goddesses with unrealistic figures.  I've
noticed an occaisional Willendorf figure since the complaint was made
that by embracing this look of the air-brushed pin-up they were
promoting an unrealistic and unhealthy body image for women.  Although
this glossy look may be common in popular culture, pagans should be a
bit more enlightened and socially responsible.

Outside of the community,

Where I work, a new "Customer Service" award was announced, and the
first winner for outstanding customer service, a woman who only worked
weekends and whose most notable accomplishments were looking cute,
acting stupid and wearing very short cutoffs, against standard dress
code.   The second winner, a woman whose contact with the public is
limited, but wears really short skirts and tight dresses, and talks
in a little girl voice. 

I know they will run out of cute leg showing women soon, because there
are not that many who work there, but I do find it irritating.  And it
shows part of what it takes to survive in patriarch's world if you are
a woman. 

I can think of plenty more, these just leapt to mind as examples of
men's scummy behavior both within and without our community.  I would
be interested in hearing others examples of men's scummy behavior
within the pagan community.   Or am I the only one who notices this
stuff?  It has been said that men within the pagan community were
different than men outside the community in their relations to women.
I have said this is not very true.  What do others think?

BTW I am not interested in argument as to the scumminess of the
described behavior.  I realize some will find these examples valid and
others will not.  Some might yell "Politically Correct" but let's save
that argument for another day.
 
-- 
___________________________________________________________________________

Stephen R. Figgins           |  There was an old woman
kumagic@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu   |  Who lived under the hill 
PO Box 1244                  |  And if she's not gone 
Lawrence, KS 66044	     |  She lives there still
___________________________________________________________________________
 
Newsgroups: alt.pagan