How "Out" is Out of the Broom Closet?
On the other hand, I don’t advocate being completely publicly open unless you’re willing to deal with the attention that brings, especially if you have children. There are still a lot of misconceptions about Paganism. Witchcraft, especially, continues to be misunderstood and vilified by Conservative Christian groups. Are you willing to risk losing your job or your spouse or partner’s job because you’re on the news talking about the truth about Samhain? Are you willing to risk having your children mercilessly teased at school? These are all potential consequences that have happened to folks before.
As I said earlier, most Pagans sit somewhere in the middle of the two extremes described above. They’re out to their closest loved ones and friends, and perhaps understanding members of their family. They may network online and in the local pagan community, either under their real name or an alias. One of the reasons people use an alias is so they can be a little more public without being completely open. There are other reasons, of course. But, if you’re concerned that someone from your office will wander across your Pagan writings on the Internet, publishing them under a magical name as opposed to your real name affords you a buffer of privacy. You can be open about what you do without being vocal about it. If someone asks me if I’m Pagan, or if it comes up in conversation, I’ll talk about being Wiccan. Many of my co-workers know about my faith. We’re a fairly diverse and casual office.
Which brings me to a special case of being out of the broom closet: being out at work or at school. This is a potential minefield for a lot of people. I honestly think it’s worse for teens in high school than anyone else, due to the hypersensitivity of school administrators to violence. Seeking to keep students in line, they often ban anything THEY feel is subversive, including Goth clothing, non-mainstream religious jewelry, non-mainstream reading material, and certain types of after school clubs. Plus, there’s the issue of peer pressure and popularity.
I don’t advocate being totally out in a hostile environment, but I’ve run across students who are willing to stand up for their religious freedom and attempt to change the system, which is a noble goal, but again, there are going to be consequences. If you aren’t willing to risk a fight with the Administration that could
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