Keywords

Transgender experiences; Pagan community; Wicca; LGBTQ+ acceptance; Ethnographic study

Abstract

This thesis analyzes Transgender experience and dynamics in the Pagan community of Central Florida. Religion plays an important role as part of social structure for many people in the United States. It can also be a source of strife and conflict between culture groups and within cultures. In the US, predominant religious traditions stem from monotheistic Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam); however, Wicca, a Neo-Pagan polytheistic religion, is practiced by a small but growing number of people. Based on nearly one year of ethnographic engagement with the Central Florida Wiccan community, this study presents an analysis of participants experiences in Wicca, especially as it refers to the experiences of Trans Wiccan practitioners and their religious communities. I argue that the theology underlying Pagan religious beliefs and practices, alongside shared experiences of othering and liminality, encourages the maintenance of an open, accepting and encouraging atmosphere towards LGBTQ+, and particularly Trans, Wicca practitioners.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2021

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Reyes-Foster, Beatriz

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Degree Program

Anthropology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0008552; DP0024228

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0024228

Language

English

Release Date

May 2021

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Gender identity--Religious aspects--Neopaganism; Transsexualism--Religious aspects; Neopaganism--Social aspects; Religious life--Neopaganism; Activism--Religious aspects--Neopaganism

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