by Kayley Whalen
People who are gender non-conforming and trans have built our own affirming spiritual practices that celebrate and honor the unique ways we experience the world. Music subcultures often provide ways for us to engage with gender and spirituality in more fulfilling ways than mainstream culture. Every August, over 5,000 people from around the world make a “”heathen pilgrimage”” to the Borre burial mounds in Norway to attend the Midgardsblot Metal Festival, a celebration of paganism, Norse mythology, folk cultures, neofolk music, and, of course, metal. I have spent the last 3 years interviewing women and nonbinary people at Midgardsblot and similar events in Northern Europe, in addition to people in the Los Angeles area, about how and why music and music subcultures are an important part of their spiritual beliefs and practices. In a world where gender non-conforming women and nonbinary people experience intense marginalization, music can facilitate experiencing a sense of transcendental belonging.
Photo Credit: Tveiten Fotografi