Pride, prejudice, fightback and hypocrisy

PRIDE STARTED 40 years ago as a political demonstration for gay rights. London Pride 2010 on 3 July was a carnival, with politics only at the fringes. The gay establishment claim that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have "arrived" after legal reforms, such as civil partnerships and equalisation of the age of consent, left nothing to fight for.

Greg Randall

Welcome as law reforms are, they do not give LGBT people liberation. Laws against racial and sexual discrimination have been around for 40 years but racism and sexism have not disappeared.

Both anecdotal evidence and police figures show an upward trend in homophobic attacks, bullying in schools is still rife and in many communities being gay is still something that it's safer to keep quiet.

The Tories claim to be converted to supporting gay rights, yet they are in alliance with homophobic right wing nationalists in the European parliament.

The voting record of many cabinet ministers on gay rights issues has been abysmal and several Tory backbenchers share the US Christian right's vicious ideology.

Whenever cuts are introduced capitalist politicians go for services relied on by minority groups, perceiving them as easy targets.

The ruling class hope to avoid blame for such attacks by finding scapegoats and creating division in society.

The homophobic "section 28" law was used to cover up attacks on council services in the same act of parliament.

The Socialist Party LGBT Group was at London Pride campaigning against the Con-Dem cuts programme with a stall and petitions at the start of the parade.

While our warning was well received, and we sold many copies of the Socialist, the cuts' effects have not yet been widely felt.

Many people obviously hope against hope that the cuts won't have much impact.

Of course some few are looking forward to the cuts. One Tory councillor, out walking his dog, told us that workers are "stupid" and "obese", showing how the Tories see ordinary people.

And given his own ample girth, it shows they haven't given up on hypocrisy - or dinners.

We assured him that we will carry on fighting for LGBT liberation, which involves getting rid of his band of upper class wreckers from government and taking away their control over society.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.