History

The radical faerie movement traces its name to a Labor Day 1979 Weekend "Spiritual Conference for Radical Faeries" held at the site of Sri Ram Ashram in Arizona, called by Harry Hay, John Burnside, Don Kilhefner and Mitch Walker with over two hundred men attending. This gathering concentrated and named a movement rising since the late 1960's. Since then, the movement has spread internationally, evolving many flavors, spaces, clans, ways, and communities along the way.

 

Also involved in the early Faerie consciousness movement was Mitch Walker, Will Roscoe, Mark Thompson, Don Kilhefner and Hay's partner/lover John Burnside and countless others.

 

Hay called on the crowd to "throw off the ugly green frogskin of hetero-imitation to find the shining Faerie prince beneath." Many of the men saw themselves as free spirits rites, certain ritual practices, inspired by Wiccan and communing with each other and with Nature; like Faeries, they were dancing, feasting, and creating spectacle in a natural setting.

 

 

 

Why the name 'radical faerie'?

We take RADICAL from its original meaning- 'from the root'. radical politics, primarily of an anarchistic, communitarian nature, as well as a casting off of inauthentic identities and a psychic return to the root of one's being

 

FAERIE shows our being 'between the worlds'. Additional, it is an attempt to transform or reclaim a term used to denigrate gay and transgender men into a term by which to celebrate.

 

So, RADICAL FAERIES strive toward non-hierarchical relationships, because we view others in this world as co-equals. Because we believe in a non-hierarchical way of living Faeries break cultural and institutional taboos left, right, and all around. This gives us Faeries a different view of the world than other people.