There are candle holders, statues, cups, and of course, photos and paintings of cocks. His basement temple boasts a giant cock sculpture (made by the late famous gay artist Peter Flinsch) and is decorated with what is perhaps best described as penis paraphernalia.
Now, he says there are about 20 in the group, with five or six hardcore members showing up for each monthly meeting.
When Cassidy launched the temple in 1979, it was just he and two other members. Most of our members here are former Catholics, so that makes for different reference points." The group's namesake, Priapus himself, was a Greek God of fertility, son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, who "personified male procreative power," according to the temple's website. "We trace much of our phallus worship back to traditions in India. The temple borrows from many different faiths. The friendships he has made in the temple have brought him a great sense of meaning and connection.
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Having been brought up in a strict Catholic household in Quebec, he says he wasn't always sure how to connect with others who felt the same way he did. Now 72 and retired, Cassidy says the philosophy of the temple is really very basic, stressing a connection between sexuality and spirituality. He is now the high priest of the international temple, which has hundreds of members worldwide. Since initiating the temple and giving it a home in his basement, Cassidy has traveled to other cities to march in Pride parades and has helped others establish their own chapters. "They were very effective in that."īut the San Francisco chapter didn't last, and Cassidy was inspired to start a Montreal chapter. "They were doing important community outreach, like helping homeless gay youth," he told VICE. When Cassidy, then starting his career as a social worker, first encountered the Temple Priapus, he learned that they weren't just all about dicks.