London
Jay Coward, South East London
The usual crowds took the streets in colourful celebration of how far the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation has come throughout history. However, a lot hung in the air.
There are attacks on LGBTQ+ people worldwide. In the US, with Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders dismantling healthcare, legal recognition, and protection from discrimination.
And attacks in the UK too. April’s Supreme Court ruling against trans people’s rights, put through by five Oxbridge educated judges.
Over a quarter of LGBTQ+ people in the UK are disabled, affected by Keir Starmer’s assault on disability benefits.
All of this adds to an ever-growing anger at the establishment, and a ravenous hunger for an alternative. So there was a more than understandable air of enthusiasm about Zarah Sultana’s announcement of a new party with Jeremy Corbyn coming soon (see pages 2-3).
A group of Socialist Party members headed to Pride together to do what we do best – help people draw conclusions, link struggles, and raise consciousness of the need for mass working-class mobilisation and organisation.
This was taken well by young LGBTQ+ people we spoke to, on board that Labour no longer holds the working class in its interests, and enthusiastic about a new party. But they also had reservations, hoping that a party like that would actually serves their needs.
What entity can assure that the working class won’t be cheated out of benefits? Out of our jobs? Services? Housing? To not be discriminated against, and be protected when they are? That entity has to come from the working class itself.
Nuneaton
Christopher Gamble, Nuneaton Socialist Party
We are fortunate that Nuneaton Socialist Party is growing, so we were able to send members to Pride in Nuneaton and the National Shop Stewards Network conference in London (see pages 8-9).
We set up in Nuneaton with a petition demanding the right to self-identity, leaflets for joining the Socialist Party and the youth walkout against Trump, as well as homemade badges to raise fighting fund.
In the face of recent news about book bans, exclusion of trans people from spaces, and rhetoric spewed about ‘harmful LGBT ideology’, discussions with the people at Pride showed that the need for change is felt more sharply now that establishment institutions are even less willing to deliver the change LGBTQ+ people need. The LGBTQ+ rights won within the framework of the capitalist system are purely provisional, to be sacrificed when it suits the bosses.
The petition for self-identity was incredibly well-received. It fostered good conversations about showing solidarity and uniting to fight for all of our liberation.
I am really glad that we got to meet several activists who embody the fact that Pride is foremost a political movement. Only by keeping it a political movement can we progress the rights of LGBTQ+ folk, workers, and disabled people.
Pride has a political history. Often today, official Pride events are used by private companies as a shield to hide behind when they attack the pay and conditions of all workers. The struggles against social and class oppression cannot be separated.
Our biggest success was getting in contact with many more people who share our core values than we typically do at our regular campaign stalls. We invited them all to join us at our weekly meetings, and receive information about who we are and how to join our party.
Many expressed frustrations about the lack of progress in society, and enthusiasm to get involved. We look forward to speaking with them more in the weeks ahead.
A personal highlight for me was speaking to some young queer folk about building a community that stands together in the face of social regression, and about how they could get involved with the Trump youth walkout.
We were received warmly by the organisers of Nuneaton Pride. They have invited us to participate in the event itself next year.
