A lot of people, including some GLBT teens, are drawn to religion. Gay teens may follow traditional religions like Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Or they may feel more comfortable with an alternative religion like Wicca or paganism.

Paganism is an umbrella term that can include many alternative religious beliefs and practices. Wicca, on the other hand, is a religion that some pagans practice. According to About's guide to Paganism / Wicca,

"Wicca acknowledges the polarity of the Divine, which means that both the male and female deities are often honored. A Wiccan may honor simply a non-specific god and goddess, or they may choose to worship specific deities of their tradition, whether it be Isis and Osiris, Cerridwen and Herne, or Apollo and Athena. In Gardnerian Wicca, the true names of the gods are revealed only to initiated members, and are kept secret from anyone outside the tradition...Wicca does not embrace the concepts of sin, heaven or hell, the evils of sex or nudity, confession, Satanism, animal sacrifice, or the inferiority of women. Wicca is not a fashion statement, and you do not have to dress a certain way to be a "real Wiccan."

One of the great things about paganism and Wicca is that they tend to be really accepting of GLBT individuals.

For example, a bisexual teen named, Nya, says being Wiccan has insulated her from the anti-gay feelings of her deeply Christian family.

"In my family the only people that know i'm bi are my sisters, and one constantly sits and tells me im going to hell for going against our religion.

I am a Wiccan so I don't really care, but my sister always threatens to tell my mother who doesn't accept gays in any shape or form."

Paganism and Wicca can also help a teen feel comfortable with his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. A gay teen named Askr explains that being Wiccan has helped him during the coming out process.

"I'm not Christian. I'm, what I guess you could call pagan. Not like Wiccan witchcraft pagan, but just like, a small religion. I developed my faith at the same time as I was coming to terms (well, not coming to terms, as I've never had a problem with being gay, but more of figuring out) my sexuality, so I've never had conflicts between my faith and my sexuality. I have had problems with others' beliefs however. My grandmother is a devout Baptist, and since I told her I was gay about 3 months ago, I've only spoken to her once about it, and that was to find out if she'd gotten my letter. She had told me that she accepts it, but she doesn't agree."

Of course, being a GLBT teen who is also Wiccan or pagan can present some challenges, and teens may face double persecution if they encounter people who are hostile to both their sexual orientation and their religious beliefs. Still for plenty of pagan or Wiccan gay teens, this is a price worth paying to be a part of a religion that means so much to them.