The Problems With Wicca

In case anybody doesn't know, I happen to be Wiccan. Wiccan as in card-carrying, spell-casting witch. I take my faith seriously and I have often been involved in debates about the way my faith is portrayed. Basically, they all break down to "it's my life and I can do what I want" arguments. My point is and always has been, that at the current state of Wiccan acceptance, you have to look at the bigger picture and if it means sacrificing your "freedoms" a bit, isn't your faith worth that?

A recent debate with a well-known figure was a prime example of this. My point was simply that we as a whole, have a responsibility to the Wiccan Community as a whole to help bring our faith to the mainstream.
I tried explaining that the greater majority of Wiccans cannot dress in ritual clothes as a daily choice, cannot practice their faith in public and cannot even tell others what their faith is.
I tried explaining that many Wiccans are still under the threat of losing their job, losing their homes, losing their children...all because of the fear America holds still. Fear that isn't diminished at all when one of our own appear on television drinking from a skull, rattling bones and generally looking every inch the Halloween witch.
Appearance is everything. There are a ton of religious figures that are 100% bat-shit crazy, but since they dress normally, they are accepted. Even when their ignorance and viciousness are made public, their religion is still accepted.
That is the point of everything. Wicca is not accepted yet and as part of this faith, it falls to all of us to help the image of Wicca. I'm not saying don't appear on television in ritual robes, but try to be a little cognoscente of how you'll be portrayed. Think about the show you'll be on and think about why they want you. Are you prepared to screw over hundreds of thousands of your fellow Wiccans who can't express themselves the way you can?

If you say the word discrimination in America today, the first thing that comes to mind is racial discrimination. Then, gender discrimination or sexual discrimination. Religious discrimination is almost never thought of here.
The truth of the matter is, that Wicca was not even recognized as a religion by the U.S. Government until 1985. The pentagram, the symbol of our faith, was not allowed in military graveyards until 2007. Once a symbol is submitted, it generally takes a few months for the V.A. to approve. In the case of the pentagram, a symbol of a "recognized" religion, it took 10 years and a damned lawsuit.
Take a look at Carole Smith, a TSA worker that was fired for her faith. Her record was spotless until her religion came out. How about Gina Uberti, an employee of Bath and Body Works. Gina had been employed for 8 years. For the last 6 years, she would take the week of Samhain off to go to Salem. She would have her time approved a year in advance. Then a new manager came to her store and pressed her for the reason she took that particular week off. When she told him why she got this response; “Well, you will need a new career in your new year” and “I will be damned if I have a devil-worshipper on my team.” 

 Several Wiccans have had their religion become a major factor in child-custody cases. While religion cannot be material in custody cases, the "harmful" ritual and coven association is called in and judges must address these issues.
There have been cases of grandparents bringing their children to court for pagan and Wiccan affiliations. There is a case in Indiana of a Judge Cale Bradford that put a stipulation in a divorce decree keeping the parents from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals." Both parents are Wiccan.
Clearly, there is still a ton of prejudice and discrimination about Wicca and those who practice it. Wicca needs much more "good press" and no more practitioners that pander to sensationalism. The country has to see Wiccans as people that contribute to their community, not those that are out there making blood sacrifices, people that are positive and strong in their faith, not those that are willing to sell out themselves and their faith.
Wicca does not have a central figure or group that controls it. Who we are and what we are becomes the responsibility of each and every member. Some of us came out and everything worked out fine. The world around us didn't turn its back on us. Some of us are still afraid that will happen so they stay in the closet. None of us chose Wicca as a way to make money. If that was the reason, you're just another con artist and karma will have some words for you eventually.

The majority of Wiccans are the normal, everyday people in mainstream America. They are truck drivers, doctors, nurses, writers, waitresses, carpenters...any occupation you can think of. Very few of the rising population of Wiccans are shop owners in Salem, a community that is founded on a tragedy and fed by tourists dollars to keep Halloween-town up and running.
Mind me, I have nothing against Salem. I've been there several times. I'm just practical and understand that the people there have a certain image to maintain in order to keep their livelihood steady. But can any of these characters claim to represent the average witch?
The answer is a resounding no, and yet that is where the news goes when they want a Wiccan point of view. It's where TV goes when they want a Wiccan in their show. It's where the entire country looks when anyone speaks about witches. That's great for business, not so great for those trying to bring our faith away from harmful stereotypes.
There are those of us who have empathy for the number still imprisoned in their faith. Rather the lack of respect or the out-and-out fear the rest of America has for Wicca that keeps them imprisoned. Imagine the outcry if a Christian or Jewish woman in Florida that wrote children's books became a target for her faith. Imagine if her home was vandalized by having windows shot out or exploding bottles thrown at the home with as yet, unidentified liquids. Then imagine if the attacks were accompanied by the attackers yelling out "Fucking Jesus-freak" or "Fucking Jew".
The outcry would be international! The news would rush to community religious leaders for their statements on what happened and what should be done. Those things happened to Kyrja Withers, a pagan. There was no outcry from the so-called Pagan leaders. The news didn't run to Salem to gather thoughts from those that claim to be among Pagan and Wiccan hierarchy. Any guesses why? OK, I'll tell you why then.
The simple truth is, the news doesn't think anybody is important enough to talk about anything other than Halloween tales and de-hexing baseball teams. The incidents happened within sight of the police station and the investigation is "stalled" despite eye-witness accounts and descriptions of the car. So obviously, the law doesn't think that much of helping the Pagan community.

With the law unwilling to help, with people that claim themselves to be the "voice of the Pagan community" more interested in sales , then who is supposed to look out for us? Who does the job of making the country look at our faith as being legitimate fall to?
It falls to every practitioner. It falls to common sense when speaking of it to outsiders. Think about this; would the Gay Community have all the breakthroughs and success they've achieved (and Goddess knows they're still far off from total acceptance) if the people who spoke on their behalf epitomized the fear that mainstream America had of them? If the people that spoke before congress and on television were dressed as Las Vegas showgirls or looked like stereotypical and derogatory images of gay people, how much credibility do you think they would have gotten? Yes, it sounds terrible to hear it put that way, but the truth is that you are not going to ease fear...and that's all any hateful feelings are...by ramming the more flamboyant aspects down America's throat. Just like we will not advance towards acceptance by ramming our more flamboyant practitioners down America's throat.
It falls to each of us to present Wicca for what it is. A religion. Plain and simple, a religion. Nobody questions how the church carries out their mass or how the synagogs carry out their services. If a religion is accepted, those things are secondary and non-issues. Those should not be addressed unless it's to correct a fallacy like human or animal sacrifices.
It falls to the common among us to answer questions honestly. Without a business to support, that should be easy. It falls to the people who are questioned to let go of their wallets and start telling the media how it really is. It falls to them to either help the Pagan and Wiccan community or stop acting like they care.
It falls to those who have come out, to help and support those that can't. It falls on the Pagan community to become a little more united and start throwing our numbers around. It falls on us to be a little bolder and tell that political system that we vote against them en mass unless they start to support and protect our community.
It falls to us to do all of these things and to stick to them. Yes, if I see bullshit I call it. If that ostracizes me from the community, who cares. My Goddess knows what I did and why I did it. I have nothing to apologize for.