When conflicts that arise between the various identities in the LGBTIQ+ spectrum it suits the patriarchal control system well — divide and rule has long been its way. How about we blast away that old pattern, and seek for the deeper reason that we find ourselves walking under one rainbow.
I have been sickened recently seeing posts from the LGB Alliance crowing about their exclusionary conference coming up in London, and videos from the likes of Julie Burchill still pushing a hateful, twisted view of trans people. These queers — or non-queers more like as they rarely appreciate ‘queer’ as an umbrella term for our alphabet community — need a reality check. The persecution of gay men, women and gender-fluid/trans/nb people has gone hand in hand for 2000 years. It is only the relative social and legal freedom, so recently gained, that has made possible this highly visible emergence of queerness in all its diversity. Pride has always been about celebrating each other — because it is about celebrating LIFE itself, and claiming the freedom to be who we are. The rainbow is the perfect symbol for that.
Mythologically, the rainbow was the bridge to Asgard, the realm of the Gods, to the Norse people. For the Greeks, Iris was the rainbow messenger connecting the worlds. Oxumare is the intersex rainbow serpent God in Yoruba religion. Ancient Japanese myth saw the rainbow as the path ancestors took to visit the planet. The Irish have long sought the pot of gold, guarded by a leprechaun, at the rainbow’s end. Bulgarians believed that walking under the rainbow would change your internal gender. For the Buddhists rainbow consciousness is the highest state attainable. In the Bible the rainbow is God’s sign to humanity that all shall be well.
The role of myth is to remind us of the potential in the human soul. From whatever culture we view it, the rainbow has long been seen as a reminder that we are part of a bigger picture. Call it spirit, consciousness or nature — the rainbow reminds us we are all part of the picture.
“As Native Americans, we believe the Rainbow is a sign from the Spirit in all things. It is a sign of the union of all people, like one big family. The unity of all humanity, many tribes and peoples, is essential,” Late Thomas Banyacya, Spokesman, Hopi traditional elders
There are two rainbow movements in the world today. One of them is the global movement for LGBTQ+ rights, the other is an ongoing development of the counter-culture effort to give birth to a new human consciousness that began in the 1960s, and takes the form of ‘neo-pagan’ rainbow gatherings around the world. Both movements have the rainbow as their symbol because both are serve the ultimate liberation of human consciousness from oppressive belief structures. The two movements have the potential to learn a lot from and share with each other.
The Rainbow has seven colours that merge and dissolve into each other — reflecting the nature of the peoples of the earth, who do the same. Rainbow Consciousness sees all humans as part of the rich and diverse, colourful and creative manifestation of Spirit on planet Earth. We live at the time of destiny — as expanded networks of information and communication make the world one, long established institutions and systems of control are breaking down. How we engage with each other, with the planet, and with the spiritual dimensions is going through a profound shift, a shift of the ages. The breaking down of barriers around faith, gender and sexuality are producing new experiments in human community, where some are learning to live from a place of expanding awareness, heart centred communication and openness to the many planes of consciousness. All over the world people who believe in peace, in the unity of humankind, in non-dual awareness, who see love as the way forward for the species, are growing in numbers and confidence. Independent thinkers whose free spirit wakes up those around them.
The increasing visibility and acceptance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in recent decades is part of a fundamental shift in human attitudes. Natural human traits that were long suppressed by patriarchal religious attitudes are finding their way back. It shows that patriarchal systems of control are starting to break down. This development challenges religions to live up to their philosophies of love or be exposed for their hypocrisy. It shows how societies are evolving, and exposes those that are not. A brighter world of peace and tolerance, creativity and love, will only arrive when enough people want it.
The LGBT movement uses the Rainbow Flag as its banner. Some in the other Rainbow movement are confused by this but the underlying point is that we’re all seeking freedom to be ourselves to live in harmony with our deepest nature. Eventually perhaps all labels around sexuality will fall away, but for now the labels help some of us to advance on the path of self discovery.
Prominent spiritual feminist Zsuzsanna Budapest, in her 1991 book Grandmother Moon, wrote: “One of nature’s most pleasant ways of coping with overpopulation is to increase the number of homosexuals in the community. Rather than producing children, gays provide support for those in the community who do have children. The gay uncles and aunts are the legendary fun relatives we remember as adults. Their productivity is directed into other areas. They have enriched our culture with outstanding works in the arts-theater, dance, music, and so on. They are the emotional and cultural caretakers of the population.”
The RAINBOW TRIBE “is a loose, international affiliation of individuals who have a stated goal of trying to achieve peace and love on Earth. Participants make the claim that they are the “largest non-organization of non-members in the world.” In addition to referring to itself as a non-organization, the group’s “non-members” also even playfully call the group a “disorganization.” There are no official leaders or structure, no official spokespersons, and no formalized membership. Strictly speaking, the only goals are set by each individual, as no individual can claim to represent all Rainbows in word or deed. Also contained within the philosophy are the ideals of creating an intentional community, embodying spirituality and conscious evolution, and practicing non-commercialism.” (Wikipedia)
This sounds a lot like Radical Faeries (a nature and community focused counter-culture to the gay commercial mainstream that’s been going since 1979 and I been part of since 2001) to me. Much of it could actually apply to the global LGBTQ community too — loose, international affiliations, non organisation, no official leaders, no membership. The global Queer community could, however, embrace much more intentionality, explore its spiritual history and even become a beacon of conscious evolution. The other Rainbow tribe could help us get there. Spirituality is the big area of life that has, via some religions, been used to beat queer people down, and it is the big area that the LGBTQ movement has not worked out how to address. The clue to that however is in the rainbow — and visible in the Rainbow Tribe’s spiritual reclamation of pre-Christian, pagan practices that unite people with each other and spirit, that open up the inner universe of consciousness, and their openness to wisdom teachings from Native Americans, Hinduism, Buddhism.
The Rainbow reminds us that all colours and kinds of humanity all come from one unified source.
rainbow messenger 