Pagan Theories on Why There are LBGTI People
During my compilation of information for the 2006 Come Together Kentucky conference, I encountered several explanations for why LBGTI people exist. Below are some of the theories!
The simplest answer is that the earth is overpopulated, and this is Mother Nature’s way of slowing down growth. We certainly don’t die off like we used to, but we're still breeding like crazy. Abstinence is not Nature's way, so homosexuality would seem to be a practical solution.
Others view homosexuality as part of the variety of sexual expression out there, and since sex is good, it’s good too. This theory is a bit vaguer on the ‘why’, but we’re only now getting an explanation for why men have nipples. Sexual preferences are pretty inexplicable in any case.
One of the most interesting theories is the existence of a ‘third gender’ – that there are certain sacred people “between the genders”. These people serve their community in some priestly or spiritual capacity. Examples given include the ‘two-spirit’ shamans in some Native American traditions, the hijras of India (men dressed as women who bless newborns, among other things), or the Galli, the ancient priests of Cybele.
Some New Age theories include an ancient androgynous people – sometimes considered to be the ‘first’ human race or the people of ancient Atlantis. Other New Age theories believe that as the human race evolves, androgynous people will begin to (re)appear. For example, in the misnamed Aura Color system ("Temperament Color" would be more accurate), Indigos are supposed to be a ‘new’ type of human coming into the world these days, and many of them appear visually androgynous. Perhaps this is connected to the recognition of intersexed people as a discrete group, adding an ‘I’ to the end of queer acronyms everywhere.
Got a better/different explanation? Feel free to post it in the 'Comments' section.
Sarah G
posted by Sarah Glenn @ 12:57 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
While I have tended more toward the opinion that it was an example of variance in nature, not a planned measure. A nature's way, not a nature's why. Interesting theories you threw out, and I may dig deeper into this subject myself.
Just to throw out the one other suggestion I have heard, which someone latches onto the intersexed question, is the concept of gender changes in re-incarnation. Some gay friends of mine have espoused this theory and I have seen it elsewhere. A number of other friends get angry by the insinuation. (I.E. Being a lesbian has nothing to do with wanting to be a man, and vice versa.) Perhaps the internal division on this particular suggestion is why there are less people throwing it around.
Personally, while it is an interesting course of study, I suspect it will ultimately yield little of value. Kind of like those who try and figure out why we have different races. Maybe someday science will be able to say conclusively "This is why this man is black and this man is white." At which point we will all pat the scientist on the head and go back to our normal, unchanged lives.
Ultimately, many of us say, "It occurs in nature, it occurs in humans. Some men like redheaded women. Some men like blonde guys. It is just the way of things."
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