Mainstreaming Satanism

Target sells pro-trans merch designed by devil worshiper. No, really

Design by queer artist Erik at AbprallenUK, whose work is now sold by Target

Hadn’t intended to post today, but readers sent in two related stories that are signs of the times. First, this sympathetic BBC profile of Satanists who met in Boston recently for a convention. Excerpts:

A newly launched children's book, titled Goodnight Baphomet, draws coos from bystanders.

The Satanic Temple's code of guiding principles - the Seven Tenets - prioritises empathy, control over one's own body, and respect for other people's freedoms, including the freedom to offend.

Translate that into a kids' book, and it includes rhymes like: "Respect everyone's right to be, especially when they disagree. If their words make you mad, set them free - don't be sad!"

Baphomet is the androgynous, goat-headed deity seen as a symbol of devil-worship. More:

Araceli Rojas, who flew from California to be here, finds the tenets relatable and easy to apply.

"I feel like I've always been quote-unquote a Satanist, I just didn't know it."

She says she first learned about TST through TikTok in 2020. "At that point I looked into it. A little scared, I think, like most would be. And I really wanted to make sure that they weren't sacrificing babies! Then I started getting into the culture, and the scene, and I started to join meetings… and eventually I realised no, they're not, it's just a symbol that they use and it's genuinely really good people."

Chatting around the merch stalls, many people say their intro to The Satanic Temple came from the 2019 documentary Hail Satan?, directed by Penny Lane, which explores the Temple's principles and early activism.

TST says it boosted membership from perhaps 10,000 in 2019, to more than 700,000 today.

Those gathered in Boston include local government staff, medics, engineers, artists, people in finance, a social worker, a therapist, and a circus performer. Many belong to the LGBTQ community. Plenty are married to Christians - or at least to non-Satanists.

The BBC presents these people as fun, freedom-loving folks who get a bad rap from the squares.

Meanwhile, the mainstream retailer Target has started carrying a few products by Abprallen UK, run by Erik, a self-described queer designer. From Abprallen’s site:

As a gay trans man it can be hard to find a place in this world that suits you, so I carved out my own and learned just how many people out there are like me. I get to speak with people all over the world, from so many unique and beautiful backgrounds, and I hope I incorporate some of our stories into my work.

Here’s Erik:

Here’s the Abprallen stuff Target is retailing:

Here, from Abprallen’s Instagram, sheds some light on Erik’s philosophy:

Here’s the design she’s talking about, on a t-shirt and pins you can buy:

Says Erik:

Aww, that’s sweet. More exciting Satanic/occult trans merch from Erik:

Here’s one advocating guillotining her enemies:

You can thank Target for bringing this sick, twisted woman’s trans-Satanic art to the American mainstream. Is there anything Woke Capitalism can’t accomplish?