With only 16 more days until the departure of this wild and epic journey, I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve already learned in simply doing the research required to locate different activist groups, people, and cultures around the U.S. Outwardly, I’ve been working my desk job at the campus library for 8 hours a day and been perusing the internet maniacally during most of that time (probably much to the concern of most of my coworkers). But amidst this often mind numbing day job of mine, I’ve been uncovering secret gems of activists and alternative bubbles that have proved incredibly fascinating and inspiring- even shocking at times. In doing this research, I have often felt like some kind of anarchist driven detective unpacking the many untold stories and histories of radical people around the country. I can’t even imagine what more is in store once we’re finally on the road! Here’s one of the best finds of my research so far (with more to come soon hopefully…):
The Radical Faeries
The Radical Faeries are a countercultural, global movement seeking to “redefine queer consciousness through spirituality” (wikipedia.com). Beginning as a movement in the 1970s, Faeries arose through the sexual revolution of gay men in the U.S and more widely, the burgeoning push towards sexual liberation for all during the hippie era(wikipedia.com). As described on radfae.org, Radical Faeries “tend to be gay men who look for a spiritual dimension to our sexuality.” Faeries often practice Paganism or a form of natured based spirituality, and uphold beliefs rooted in principles of feminism, environmentalism, and anarchism. They’re known for their retreats held at “faerie sanctuaries” not just in the U.S but worldwide, where they commune with one another and conduct “heart circles” or spaces where they open up emotionally.
I found the Faeries to be one of most endearing and bizarre groups of people I had the fortune of being exposed to during my research. As a movement started by gay activists in an attempt to push back against assimilationist gay culture, they’re an incredibly and inherently radical. Despite this, for most of their existence, Faerie groups have tended to be comprised of what seems like cisgender, white gay men. Nevertheless, it appeared like the sanctuaries I found more recently were attempting to broaden their demographic to embody people of different genders, sexual orientations, and identities. That being said, I don’t think this movement is without other flaws such as the culturally appropriative garb which seems to drape many faeries during gatherings or the appropriation of indigenous spirituality that’s widely practiced. Even so, the Radical Faeries represent an interesting subsect of queer activism, one which is pushing to stay weird and eccentric- all the while grounding themselves spiritually in nature and community. One of my favorite descriptions I found of the Faeries on the Nomenus Sanctuary site reads:
“We join together with each other in mutual aid and love for play, work, self-discovery, and nurturing. To be a Faerie is an act of self-definition. Without dogma, Faeries share and celebrate common visions, including a belief in the sacredness of nature and the Earth; honoring the interconnectedness of spirit, sex, politics, and culture; and understanding that each has their own path(s) that lead to the Garden of Being.”
The site then goes on to list typical Faerie activities as: “make ritual, create community, do drag, dance naked, honor our dead, overthrow oppressions, commit heresies, cover each other with mud, exchange frocks and makeup tips, attempt anarchy, and play.” If that doesn’t describe everything I want to be doing at any given moment, I don’t know what does.
The RMP Collective is planning to visit at least one Radical Faerie sanctuary during our travels so stay tuned for what new findings are to come:) If you’d like to learn more about the Radical Faeries, check out their website here!