Olly Alexander, lead singer of the pop group Years & Years and star of the upcoming HBO series It’s a Sin just made a public declaration: he wants the world to know he’s a witch.
“I identified as a Wiccan before I identified as gay,” Alexander told The Sun. “I’m into cemeteries – I like anything spooky. I’ve got so many decks of tarot cards.”
“I loved the craft so much,” he added. “My first ever job in the Forest of Dean was working at this shop called Moonstones. They sold spell books and gems and crystals and incense. So my flat is basically Moonstones.”
Related: Teaser for Russell T. Davies’ new AIDS-themed series ‘It’s a Sin’ has arrived
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Alexander also recently bewitched audiences in the UK with his leading performance in It’s a Sin. The show has already become a hit for Channel 4, and has earned rave reviews prior to its debut stateside. Alexander has also become a vocal proponent of HIV education as a result of playing his role, Ritchie Tozer, a man afflicted by AIDS.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwUzPJqBJN/
“There has been amazing progress in the fight against this virus thanks to the early activists who fought for research, for funding, for humanity,” Alexander said in a video posted to Instagram. Alexander posted the video as part of HIV Awareness Week, encouraging his followers to know their HIV status through testing.
“This means today we have PrEP, a pill that you can take to stop you contracting HIV,” he continued. “We have effective medication that stops you getting sick if you are HIV-positive, and stops you from passing it on to any partners. Charities like Terrence Higgins Trust [a UK-based HIV charity] are there to support you with whatever you need, whatever your result. So, let’s celebrate this amazing progress by taking a test and knowing our status.”
It’s a Sin debuts in the US February 18.
rural queer socialist
Apparently ‘wiccan’-mindedness – e.g.
“I like anything spooky. I’ve got so many decks of tarot cards.”
promotes un-scientific superstition, wasteful spending on entertainment, and emotional manipulation.
So an excellent encouragement for people to explore wicca … NOT!
Cam
Similar to him being Mormon, Evangelical, Scientologist, etc.
kevininbuffalo
His livelihood depends on”wasteful spending on entertainment.”
Donston
I don’t really see why he compared “Wiccan” to “gay”. That’s like saying “I identified as ‘Christian’ before ‘gay”. And it seems as if he sees Wiccan as more of an aesthetic than anything else. (“I like anything spooky”, come on). It reminds me of Tilda Swinton seeing herself as “queer” because she doesn’t feel like she’s “normal”. You realize that for a lot of people this identity stuff is mostly about ego, sociology, general psychology, how you want folks to perceive you rather than legit sense of self, practice, faith, where you are in the gender, romantic, sexual, affection, emotional investment, commitment spectrum. And I guess that is what it is. Honestly, I’m just over then “label” peddling and the constant validation seeking some “queers” indulge. But, do you. The “dark arts” have always been a thing for people who’ve felt oppressed, ostracized, “different”.
CurtisIsTheOne
No need to go negative on Olly. Belief in Wiccan is not destructive; maybe he likes the aesthetics of it. Maybe he is an actual practitioner. Who cares? Everyone is entitled to their beliefs if they’re not hurting anyone else. After all, millions of people believe in a Magic Sky God. I say let them HAVE their beliefs so long as they’re not using those beliefs to belittle or oppress anyone else. . He’s NO different than all the models here showing us their Instagram photos saying “Look at me” Olly is an amazing person using his status as a star to prevent and treat HIV, So cut him some slack.
Donston
Where in that post did I go at him for being Wiccan? It’s really annoying how some of y’all twist people’s posts because someone might criticize your favs. I said it was odd to relate “Wiccan” to “gay”. I also said that his “I’ve always been into spooky stuff” quote comes off a bit immature and near-sighted, especially considering he’s out of his 20s and has been a public figure for a while. Plenty of non Wiccan people are into “spooky” stuff and plenty of folks who consider themselves “Wiccan” don’t at all associate it with “spooky”.
Olly has said some silly, immature things in the past. But I don’t feel either way about him.
hansniemeijer
Go watch “It’s a sin”. Almost nobody cared when AIDS came into this world. What a difference with Covid-19.
Ken A.
They cared when it started to hit the straight population after they deemed it a gay only disease. COVID 19 hit everyone at the same time and it’s not an STI.
Joshua333
Who cares, he’s still gorgeous.
SFMike
Anything but Christian/Jew/Muslim is OK with me. The Abrahamic religions are more than toxic to happy human life.
Den
Sorry, but you really cannot compare Judaism to Christianity or Islam.
Christianity and Islam both feel they are the “one true religion”. Both believe that only following their religion gets one into “Heaven”, otherwise it is “hell”. Both are proselytizing religions, constantly seeking converts. Both seek to impose their religious law on everyone. Both revere martyrs and martyrdom
Judaism shares none of that. We don’t even have any dogma regarding afterlife. No “heaven”, no “hell”. We do not believe in martyrdom, if your life is at stake you are no longer bound by religious law. We certainly don’t believe we have “the one true religion”. There really are only two Abrahamic religions. Judaism and Islam (by dint of the relationship of both people originally to Abraham, though Islam takes a lot from Christianity), Christianity is absolutely different in its theology.
wikidBSTN
And I’m a fairy.
Yidan
As a gay man born in the 70’s and watching how this virus and Covid has affected the World. Just wanted to say thanks to this young man for keeping up the fight and promoting well being! Much love and keep strong!
AxelDC
If he doesn’t have magic powers, he’s not a witch.