spot Campaigns

spot Organisations

triangle Arguments for socialism

All Arguments for socialism subcategories:

* Arguments for socialism

Capitalism

Globalisation Anticapitalism

Marxism

Arguments for socialism keywords:

Banking crisis (15)

Banks (291)

Clause 4 (1)

Clause four (6)

Consciousness (11)

Democracy (190)

Minimum wage (312)

Nationalisation (205)

New workers parrty (6)

Northern Rock (34)

Party funding (1)

Photographs (4)

Planning (86)

Podcasts (5)

Socialism 2007 (17)

Socialism 2008 (13)

Solidarity Scotland (1)

Solidarity (383)

The Socialist (1175)

Them & Us (25)

Trade union organisation (7)

Vaccine (13)

What we saw (38)

Workers (1873)

Workers press (1)

Working class (852)

Solidarity

Highlight keywords |Print this article

From: The Socialist issue 946, 26 April 2017: Kick out the Tories! Fight the bosses' establishment

Search site for keywords: Chechnya - Solidarity - LGBT - Socialist - Socialist Party - Gay - Russia - Leeds - Birmingham - Discrimination - Asylum

Protests in solidarity with LGBT+ people facing persecution in Chechnya

Fight homophobic and transphobic attacks, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

Around 400 people gathered in Leeds on 22 April to rally in solidarity with LGBT+ people facing violence and imprisonment in Chechnya, Russia.

Recently reports have circulated of imprisonment, torture and killing of gay men along with other groups of people deemed as 'threats' by the Chechen government.

The rally called for support for those campaigning in Russia and Chechnya to support LGBT+ people trying to flee the violence. It also called for demanding our government take action to support those trying to leave Chechnya.

But the rally also raised that the LGBT+ community in the UK must fight back against the Conservative government here; opposing their treatment of LGBT+ asylum seekers who have been deported back to countries where they face violence and death for reading LGBT+ magazines for example. We must also oppose the huge impact of the Conservatives' austerity agenda.

The rally focused on the fact that the LGBT+ community gained rights by fighting for them and we need to continue that legacy to oppose not only the treatment of LGBT+ people in Chechnya, but to fight for an end to discrimination against LGBT+ people everywhere.

Michael Johnson, Leeds Socialist Party

Over 150 people marched through Birmingham city centre against the current repression of the LGBT+ community in Chechnya.

Reports say that gay men and women have been arrested due to their sexuality, with beatings and extra-judicial killings carried out. Chillingly, the Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov, has pledged to "eliminate the gay community by the start of Ramadan."

Socialist Party members joined in to show our disgust at the persecution suffered by LGBT+ people in Chechnya and throughout the world. We also took the chance to point out that the fight for LGBT+ rights isn't over in this country.

Prime Minister Theresa May has voted in parliament against LGBT+ rights on multiple occasions. On 8 June we have the chance to kick her out - let's take it!

A young LGBT+ Socialist Party member addressed the rally, mentioning the fact that 100 years ago the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia following the October revolution, and it became one of the first countries in the world to legalise same-sex relationships.

Nick Hart, Birmingham Socialist Party

Donate to the Socialist Party

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.