What motivated me to write this was the ongoing discussions on one of Loki's many aspects being Queer. Also, the implied nature is that there's somehow an 'anti-queer' pronoun usage for Loki. Yet when you look at myths, the history of gender and sexuality, Loki in upg and in the old context. They can be Queer in any pronoun use.
Introduction
There’s no singular way to read and understand the myths. The Christian and often colonial concept of there being one truth doesn’t ring true (in myth, gender, sexuality and nature as a whole is more diverse than a binary view).
Despite many Lokeans knowing Loki shapeshifts and their spirit is ever-changing chaos. There’s resistance or hard rule against reading or understanding Loki as a Queer god out there.
Queer lokeans are welcomed in spaces, but we’re told to sew up our mouths if we have any thoughts on queerness in history or in spirituality with Loki. It implies what we say is unnatural unhistoric and not spiritual. It implies our existence and experiences are disgusting, shameful or threatening. It can be from Christian baggage as we’re not used to talking about queerness in same place as sacred and despite being inclusive not opened up fully and binded our queerness at the door of the temple.
As being Queer and talking about Queer representation in our spiritual experiences. By denying it is part of spirit space, nature of history. It is saying we are ourselves unnatural and unwelcome to you.
Politely or in a more in-your-face ‘gay panic’ mode, claiming gods cannot be seen as queer or myths having queer interpretations is queerphobic. They are implying that queerness is not natural and is a threat to their or their view of nature. Politely or in a ‘gay panic’ mode, responding to a queer lokeans queer interpretation like it is a lie, not true, laughable, unnatural, is not a ‘fair criticism’ or debate. They are actively trying to erase or nullify the entire Queer spiritual discussion from existing or evolving. Saying a god cannot be queer is not a neutral position. It’s claiming Queerness is wrong, misunderstanding nature of genderless or ace definitions. It is policing that there can only be one interpretation on gender and sexuality in nature, spirituality, and history (one that is cishet only). As we all know queerness is part of nature, not a threat. We belong everywhere as much as you do. If the concept of queer Loki makes someone scared, vomit, and disgusted, makes no sense to them. They may need to unpack how they feel about Queerness as a whole. If you say terms like ‘he is genderless spirit’ you might need to catch up with some queer theory on pronouns and gender. If you run an inclusive space that welcomes queer lokeans it’s important to understand the discussions that imply queerness is not natural or that our views on Queer Loki is something to be policed. So you can better represent and protect us. There is 'just asking questions' and there is being aggressive in not accepting someone else has a Queer experience and you don't and using your questions or 'nah' to bury them.
For me, when sharing queer upg or queer historic academia I find I need to bring out the fainting chairs for those unprepared to hear that these readings can exist equally and be one of many ways and truths about Loki and life. Queer Lokeans should be allowed to express themselves and queer spiritually openly without fear of having to over-explain ourselves to people who refuse to understand our pov. To people who change the goalposts on what makes Queer Loki or queer spirituality acceptable to them. We need allies to notice when we're be policed more so than other discussions since when it comes to gender, sexuality, and queerness there’s more to say and cite for Loki than cinnamon or foxes.
I see also other Queer Lokeans fear of ‘what ways can Queerphobes interpret Loki in a way that is designed to harm or erase mine’. We can also be used to hiding ourselves or not talking about queer spirituality in religious spaces. We need to learn what we are forced to erase in ourselves too by ourselves. We can’t forget most of the people who defended Loki the most vocally in heathen spaces or wrote books for Lokeans were themselves queer. We lifted Loki up only for others to push us down. Most of our arguments for Loki not being seen as unnatural or evil came from personal experiences of our own queerness being treated the same 'other'. We should celebrate our hard work for Loki and our perspectives rather than hide it sometimes.
So this is my gift to you. Here’s how you can interpret Loki as queer in any pronouns
He/him.
I find people see he/him mean Loki is heterosexual and cis. Like saying Loki is either Loki as masc, male or him is somehow anti-queer. There is some flicker of homophobia in there where people see Queerness as feminine only. But I don't think that is the case that he/him loki would be anti-queer loki stance. In the old sources, Loki is known as the ‘queer god that gave birth’ in kennings of his name. It was used as a slur, but as a queer person having my normal life be turned into a Queer slur is part of what my life is. I find with Loki this to be very relatable.
Áss ragr (sá hefr börn borit): The queer God (who has born children)
Rög vættr: Queer being
In this context, Loki was the god who is seen as masc and referred to as he/him by old writers but takes on stereotypes of what they decided were femme roles in sex and fertility at the time. Giving birth and being referred to as him was seen as Queer at the time. Using different terms but the meaning and translation remains is best described as Queer. In a Queer reading, Loki doesn’t only break boundaries but reveals that these boundaries are much larger than some can comprehend. A him can give birth, breastfeed and transform with hawk dresses. When it comes to gender we boundary that only women and femmes with certain body types can give birth. So in this case, Loki expands this further to masc and male experiences. Not only is it part of nature, but a man giving birth can be divine spiritualism when gods do it. These days (due to the slowness of dismantling of queerphobia) we have better established this as trans masc experience. Today there are many birth fathers among Trans men. Loki was shamed as being the bottom bit, can become empowering he is the power bottom that gets pregnant. The masc spirit that shows us a womb or giving birth isn’t exclusive to femininity and teaches through their story boundaries of gender and sex are more expansive than we are told by the church and others. Not just for humans but all animals and in spirit too. That our gender or sexuality is not defined solely by our organs. That biology does not create gender destiny. In some cases, Loki doesn’t even have sex to get pregnant but by eating a woman’s heart. For past Christian authors this creates monsters. For Lokeans, this creates family or found family. So when using or seeing he/him pronouns for Loki don’t fear. It’s very inclusive.
She/her.
If you read the above on he/him it could imply switching to she/her when Loki had a womb and gaves birth. Then switching back after is more offensive or regressive. However, this can also be queer. Genderqueer, genderfluid experiences of being able to transition to mtf is still part of the queer tapestry. Even if described ‘as his job’ as an attempt to separate the queerness and gender shapeshifting. It cannot be denied that this is seen as queer now and in history. Even when cismen or women cross dress it is often seen as a threat to society as we see the rise of anti-drag laws targeting what genders are allowed to wear. Or where cis women with short hair are harassed in bathrooms. Transitioning and redefining who you are from ‘gender norms’ is the body anatomy queerness promotes and Loki constantly presents to the world by being our true selves and variety to being ourselves. Loki gives birth many times and now queer people have been given the opportunity to define ourselves better than we could centuries ago. You could also see Loki eating woman’s heart and giving birth in one myth (if we refer to Loki as she and femme) as a lesbian or trans lesbian experience. The other half of the paternity can both be a masc or femme in myth so a bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual experience of world and nature.
They/them. She/they he/them. Any. Genderless
Even within the Christian faith, there is talk of angels or god being genderless. Using they them pronouns suiting more than gendered. Being both or neither to the point beyond our comprehension of gender where it no longer matters or there are so many variables it becomes all. Once you dig into the concept of the spiritual infinity and chaos with Loki. You find while it can help to limit our understanding to a binary explanation, there is in fact a non-binary infinity that continues to grow new parts constantly. While for many it’s comforting to see the world with two genders, there are in fact infinite possibilities and amounts out there. Like the mushroom and its hundreds of sexes. Or the yew tree that can transition after hundreds of years. When you remove the physical and remember infinity in spirituality and creation. Non-binary from fluid to genderless, including both and neither. Fits like a glove. So even if we say ‘spirits have no gender they are beyond’ as a non-binary person im like ‘I know, we can be too’ (always funny I often see this sentence posted as ‘he has no gender’ that gets a chuckle)
Intersex
Possibly one of the fascinating ways to view Loki. They are not an outlier as being an intersex or hermaphrodite god. The whole beginning of Norse mythology started with Ymir and many intersex gods and giants. This is not only a phenomenon in Norse mythology. Many others have intersex gods or first god is intersex. These are myths from history written by people with some connection to our gods. What does this say about all the gods? What does this say about the worldview of the past and gender. An understanding of normal and natural places intersex people have. The complex nature of nature and its beauty. The spiritual understanding of the Rebis and great work too. Involving either and both intersex and non binary existence within the divine and nature. While we have differing pronouns to Loki as intersex Loki can have whatever biological or spiritual means to create new life or not of their choosing. They can have whatever biological explanations in the myths or our perspective but self id however they please. As intersex to be born with both sets of genitals (womb when giving birth and balls with the goat story) but to define their gender to themselves in their own individuality. To present themselves as Loki and define their own gender beyond biology.
Why do people only experience one or the other Loki.
Simply it could be up to Loki and what they prefer to share with you. If you’re Queer and more open to the vastness of gender and sexuality. Loki might have more room and choice in how they present themselves to you because they’re running off what’s already in the boundaries of your imagination. In some cases, they could still present themselves as queer and vastness of gender expression but people unfamiliar with this can still perceive it to themselves differently. I have definitely seen people post very queer-coded Loki experiences but not interpret it this way themselves but I pin this down to their blind spot.
Someone who strongly see's Loki as a She/her doesn't always have to see Loki in a dress, a she/her loki could have a big beard and wear trousers. A trans woman doesn't need to transition to become a woman they were always a women. As one Loki lesson, I have learned the boundary line is not removed or chnaged it was just bigger than you thought.
How do I handle Queerphobia in Lokean spaces
Are you out and is it safe for you to have these arguments with malicious strangers? They cannot un-queer loki but some nasty people can try to hurt you.
Decide if you have the energy to argue. That doesn't mean you have to say nothing, you can always make your point, defend it and not be forced to over-explain again and again.
Are you confident the mods/admins understand the implications of people claiming Queer gods is not 'natural and historic' is Queerphobic. Is this space actually safe? You can educate them or leave. You can always say 'that space was not safe for me' and leave it at that for others.
Are there safer spaces you can own or go to? If you're not looking to argue.
The Academic bit
Want to learn more from experts on the subject? Get to see the old myth stories and how they fit in with Queer gods, history and myth? Check out the below
Loki’s gender fluidity and bisexuality in Norse mythology and in modern adaptations https://thesis.unipd.it/retrieve/fa373957-0103-4549-a738-196796a63402/Martinelli_Alice_tesi_completa.pdf
Loki’s gender fluidity and bisexuality in Norse mythology and in modern adaptations https://thesis.unipd.it/retrieve/fa373957-0103-4549-a738-196796a63402/Martinelli_Alice_tesi_completa.pdf
Queer Themes In Old Norse Myth (MLitt Dissertation https://www.academia.edu/45184164/Queer_Themes_In_Old_Norse_Myth_MLitt_Dissertation_
The Marriage of Þorr: Violence and Transformation Queer Disrupt: Mystical Transformations - Gender in Mythology and the Occult https://www.academia.edu/94228190/The_Marriage_of_%C3%9Eorr_Violence_and_Trans_formation_Queer_Disrupt_Mystical_Transformations_Gender_in_Mythology_and_the_Occult_25_October_2021_
Bury Your Gays: queer readings of Viking Age material culture https://www.academia.edu/45632577/Bury_Your_Gays_queer_readings_of_Viking_Age_material_culture
Intersex Conditions in the Viking Age http://media.oiisverige.se/2020/03/Intersex-Conditions-in-the-Viking-Age.pdf
Gender Bending In Viking, Ancient Greek, And Egyptian mythology https://medium.com/exploring-history/gender-bending-in-viking-ancient-greek-and-egyptian-mythology-c58645fd50dc
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