The Language of Rape in Our Culture and Ill Mannered Warlocks: Christian Day

 Guess he's following the Harm All Who Question You Rede?

He and his followers are carefully scouring the internet for any peep on this issue.  We will not let you pretend that this did not happen and go back to business as usual Christian Day.  Be a man and own what you did.  If your apology is truly sincere, donate some time to a battered women's shelter, get some counseling on anger management, and allow people to openly discuss the issues at hand. Most importantly STOP THREATENING PEOPLE!!!  Lawyering up against those who should have the right to discuss what happens in our community does not look like you are really sorry for your mistakes.  Bragging about telling Z. Budapest off while "stroking your cock" just doesn't ring well with your 'heartfelt apology'    http://cowardlychristianday.tumblr.com/ Outing everyone's legal names and addresses, having their posts and accounts removed, these actions are a continuance of your bullying. Just stop it. You do not get to be both victim and bad ass attacker in the same breath. 

I have considered for a few days whether to post publicly on this topic or not.  Stirring the pot of a hyper emotional man known to threaten people with curses and attorneys and rapists... along with his rabid fan girl base have given me pause- do I want any trouble or not?  A few have already said something so should I express myself or not?  Well that is what abusive people count on.  That no one will say anything, take a stand, or want to be associated with something so distasteful as abuse.  The perpetrator knows the bystander will worry that they themselves might become a target if they speak up.  That everyone will go "but he is so funny and popular", it was a "mistake", it was "just one time", the girl "put herself in that situation", and my favorite "that's his mode of operation, everyone just knows how he is".  This is how cyber bullies, stalkers, and rapists hope we will react.  Really I don't want trouble.  I want the magickal community to be a safer place without predatory sexually based attacks, verbal or physical.  We must not tolerate this type of behavior.

It is possible that Christian Day was simply having a bad hair day, had diarrhea of the mouth when he made those threats, and is truly sorry. But as a public figure who writes books, teaches, organizes festivals, appears on tv and radio shows, and calls himself an Elder Warlock- he must know that he is accountable for what he says and will be held to a higher standard.  I personally am disgusted by this very public face of Paganism and Witchcraft. His behavior should in no way represent what our spiritual movement is.  Rape language directed at either male or female victims is abhorrent under any condition.  Practitioners should be able to have discussions and disagreements without digressing to threats of rape or other forms of violence. 

What did he do and say?

The infamous screen shot of his message sent to another Craft practitioner after having a disagreement with her online.  He decided to lash out by reporting that she was using an alias due to a past violent stalker situation. He outed her publicly online and then mocked her with the above message.

Where I first found out about the situation. http://amethystlashiec.tumblr.com/
The victim's own post.  http://amorellamoon.tumblr.com/post/96578428283/so-this-is-a-thing-that-happened-christian-day
And the continued bullshit she deals with from his loyal followers.  http://amorellamoon.tumblr.com/post/97685208353/ritual-coffee-getting-real-sick-of-this-shit-pagans

 

What are the responses?

I don't care what started the argument, whether the victim should have even been online or not since she has suffered from stalking, whether Mr. Day uses too much eyeliner, and all the other issues circling around the fiasco. His words and actions constituted a sexually based threat against another person.  This is intolerable. To say that he is an 'Elder' and therefore cannot be questioned is ridiculous. Only the Pope is infallible and I left the Catholic Church long ago.  Anyone's behavior can be questioned.

Even the Satanists spoke out on the idiocy.  http://satanicviews.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/christian-day-warlock-flushed-down-toilet/

Heathens speaking out against him.  http://fromthelabyrinth.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/beware-christian-day-pagan-predator/

Well known Pagan blog the Wildhunt did have a thoughtful article condemning hate speech and Christian Day's actions but it has since been taking down.  A search on the site for his name only pulls up past interviews and shows.  Disappointing. Does he have that much pull or did he zip off a cease and desist letter?
 http://wildhunt.org/2014/09/editorial-addressing-outings-and-community.html

Inciting a Riot blog asks if all of this was another one of Mr. Day's media grabbing stunts. Considering past behavior that's very possible.  http://www.incitingariot.com/2011/03/thanks-christian-day-and-screw-you-too.html

The Poison Apple radio show discussing "Pagans Behaving Badly" and using "outing" someone publicly as a tactic in arguments.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VVIWhWrK-A

Poison Apple's follow up show was focused less on the sexual threat aspect and more on the complaint that many Pagans and Witches have concerning Mr. Day's theatricality. That he is somehow hyping up and cheapening 'true' Witchcraft.  Folks, let's not lose site of the real issue: a sexually based verbal threat that followed an actual action which outed a single mother to her stalker.  That is the only issue. Not his hair, his makeup, or his sound bytes against Charlie Sheen.
 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/poisonappleradio/2014/09/14/pagans-behaving-badly-follow-up

Big Name Pagans behaving badly http://thehouseofvines.com/2014/09/03/another-day-another-bnp-behaving-badly/

Criticizes Mr. Day's brief blanket apology that didn't even mentioning the victim herself. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stalkybananas/2014/09/04/big-name-paganbig-pile-of-shit

Gangleri's Grove questioning his claim to 'Eldership' in the magickal community as well as his misogyny.   http://krasskova.weebly.com/blog/appalling-offensive-and-intolerable

A Stand Against Abuse by Polytheist.com  http://polytheist.com/a-stand-against-abuse/

The Reddit Thread fall out from the threats http://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/2fbt1g/christian_day_rape_threat/

And Rev. Ronald French vowing to keep the issue visible so this Warlock cannot just go along his merry way as if nothing happened. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZJDEWvcrR4&list=UU_vpR3WcBzSSzU3wfBHXP_A

Rev. Ronald French's follow up is interesting after the initial song.  Mr. Day actually called him and continued threats against uninvolved 4th parties. Threats seem to be his mode of magic.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_4E_H98iIw&list=UU_vpR3WcBzSSzU3wfBHXP_A

Has he apologized?

At this point I'm thinking why didn't Mr. Day apologize directly to her?  Why does he claim it was simply words at the heat of the moment because the threatening words came AFTER his ACTIONS of reporting her alias? Then he follows up his less than heart felt apology with this bit:

To get a taste of the extreme responses by his followers and his own thread of comments visit Cowardly Christian, a blog by a disillusioned fan.  I cannot believe people in our community think it is ok to speak to one another in this fashion.  http://cowardlychristianday.tumblr.com/

Has he threatened anyone in the past?

It's also come out that he had his fortune telling license revoked in Salem for making threats against other businesses. He finally gave Salem a break and left but poor NOLA got him. Throwing threats then crying like the victim are part of this guy's "mode of operation". http://www.salemnews.com/.../article_fe531c5d-ab39-532f...

The issue of "outing" someone online.

Is this a viable and respectable tactic that "Elders" and public figures should be allowed to use against those who question, argue, or otherwise displease them? Absolutely not.  We must respect each one another's Craft names as part of respecting the basic tenents of Witchcraft, of being members of this often maligned community.  It used to be punishable by death for one Witch to name another publicly or give up another to the authorities. We might not have to suffer being burned on the stake now days but family issues, loss of jobs, child custody issues, treatment by neighbors, attacks by conservative religious groups, and stalkers are all dangers any online Pagan or Witch potentially faces.  No Witch that is "out" should force another to be as well.  To have done just this is itself a terrible offense.

Supporting your freedom to choose the name you use on social networks and other online services.
http://mynameisme.org/

Google understands online dangers and has rethought it's "Real Name Policy".  Facebook should also reconsider their own online identity policies. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/07/17/google_plus_finally_ditches_its_ineffective_dangerous_real_name_policy.html

Performers and public personas onlne. http://sfist.com/2014/09/11/drag_queens_other_performers_outrag.php

Is he tacky and is that the issue?

Yes to the first, no to the second question.  As for allegations that he is a fraud in the Craft, that is between him and the Spirits.

Why would anyone defend him?

Someone posed this question to me.  Mostly he is known in Wiccan circles.  I'm not Wiccan, being interested in other forms of Witchcraft, as are most of my friends who hadn't even heard of him.  Still, he's a face on tv and that is part of the problem.  Our society craves confrontation, competition, and flipping tables. We pay stupid beautiful people to bitch at each other on 'reality' tv.  The same peeps that like him are probably watching the Kardashians.  It's noise that most intelligent people I know tune out.  He has a lot of very loyal fans and they are circling their wagons right now, outing anyone who speaks his name or posts about what he did. I and at least 4 other people I know on facebook had our accounts turned in because we used an 'alias', exactly the tactic he used that started all the shenanigans.  Funny, my Craft name is my real name.  I am Rowntree. Whether I use my real first name Jana or my nickname Grim doesn't matter. I own what I say.

The issue of "rape culture" and "rape language" in our society.

The 4 of Wands  http://4ofwands.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/never-advocate-rape/

What is rape culture? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_culture

What is rape language? http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/rape003.htm

It took a lot of pressure on facebook to have rape joke pages banned. Although Mr. Day certainly wasn't joking.  FB actually removed the posts by some of my friends discussing Mr. Day's threat and the screen shot of his note to the victim.  As someone making these threats and placing someone in actual danger to her stalker, he should have been removed from the social site I think.  Instead he and his followers have been trolling around that HE is the victim of "lies, gossip, and slander".  I think he's just worried about how well his next book will sell after the public backlash.  Thanx facebook for keeping your community of users so safe.
http://www.alternet.org/story/153305/when_is_it_ok_to_tell_rape_jokes

What is associated with Christian Day?

If you wish to boycott Christian Day do not go to:

Hex: Old World Witchery in Salem, MA
Hex: Old World Witchery in New Orleans, LA
OMEN in Salem, MA
Or attend any of the Festival of the Dead festivities throughout October in Salem, MA, including the Psychic Faire.
Don't buy his books or listen to his podcasts.