Radical Faeries

Founders of the Radical Faeries (from left) John Burnside, Don Kilhefner, Mitch Walker, and Harry Hay, were influenced by the legacy of 1960s counterculture.

Radical Faeries are a loosely affiliated worldwide network and countercultural movement blending queer consciousness and secular spirituality.[1] Sharing various aspects with neopaganism, the movement also adopts elements from anarchism and environmentalism. Rejecting hetero-imitation, the Radical Faerie movement began during the 1970s sexual revolution among gay men in the United States.[2] Gay activists Harry Hay, Mitch Walker, Don Kilhefner, and John Burnside[3] organized the first Spiritual Conference for Radical Faeries in September 1979.[4]

The network subsequently evolved alongside queer rights expansions, engaging with eclectic constructs and rituals while challenging commercialized and patriarchal aspects of modern LGBTQ+ life.[5] Faeries tend to be fiercely independent, anti-establishment, and community-focused.[5] Contemporary Radical Faeries embody a wide range of genders, sexual orientations, and identities.

  1. ^ Carroll, Rory; Holpuch, Amanda (28 June 2015). "Hold the applause for Facebook's rainbow-colored profiles, activists say". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  2. ^ Thompson, Mark (21 January 2003), "Remembering Harry", The Advocate, Here Publishing, retrieved 2008-10-17
  3. ^ Timmons 1990, p. 257.
  4. ^ Timmons 1990, pp. 265–268.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference OIPRLG was invoked but never defined (see the help page).