AMONG THE SMALL minority in the Labour Party not swept the Kinnock-Hattersley leadership were many of those campaigning for bian and gay rights. The image tough, rugby-player, complete with his nuclear family, hardly one to reassure lesbians and gay men.
No indication was given that the new leaderextend shin was likely to minimal comending discrimination challenging the prejudice that afflicts esolans all!
save do alls respired te.
GOIDES inspired
Labour's reaction to the Beato uscy by-election reinforced by Kinnock-Hattersley image, have proven well-founded.
The left upsurge and the development of organisation the since alowed LIlprecidented openings for taking up lesbian and gay issues. Bodies like the Labour Campaign for Gay Rights (LCGR) started to make an impression at party conference.
grown by 150 per cent during 1983 These issues have been seriously raised Young rights Socialists for the first time. Again for the first time, have begun to organise through Labour Movement Lesbians. Significant support for lesbiar ana activists at NALGO's 1983 conthe most Terence was public sign of advances made in the unions.
and Peter Purton ruling elite handful of words on the subject in the evel DUl 1983 manifesto. Now the signs are that les bians and gays will find themselves unceremoni ousiy dumped if the Kinnock leadership is allowed a free hand. Neil Kinnock has given new credibility to the long-held party view that Labour has to abandon its public commitment to 'fringe' issues if it is to regain support among its traditional base.
This is defined as the white, male, heterosexual working class voter. The arguments now heard at Labour Party and union meetings are not only that 'lost voters' can be won back by ditching ally socialist policy of minority appeal, but Labour's base is so inherently conserwill be lost than gained by campaigning progressive policies! Unfortunately, these arguments are finding an echo even amongst those sections the Labour left who have been making the strongest running on gay rights Issues.
Council Even councils like the GLC and Islington who have the best records on lesbiar gay rights, have begun to draw back The GLC's 'Save London Charter', Instalice, silent on this issue.
Apart from the overall situation in the party, the otner reason lol leslanot has been naivete and lack of thought. You can't deal with deep prejudices proclaiming council supports gay rights from the steps of the Town Hall, without a vigorous campaign to explain why this is in the interest of the working don't make any progress if certainly Labour activists avoid the issue on the doorstep — in: stead of taking it up as they would, say, racism. has ever been won by deliberately keeping quiet about it with the people whose support we need to win. parties and must point out that lesbians and gay mer used invisible scapegoats •for sick capitalist society. The law, the courts, and the police tell us that - even if certain strictly limited forms of homosexual activity are now legal - - two gay people holding hands is an affront to public decency, or that lesbians wanting custody of their children are an intolerable abuse of the natural order.
Millions Lesbian gay teachers are, OI course, bound to corrupi or rapt their pupils. Lesbians and gays having a good time in a pub or a disco are likely to cause a breach of the By these argumin there these arguments, the state give cloak legitimacy for popular pre judice. industria tribunals will defend the sacking of a lesbian bus conductor because might offend the public, then the 'lads up town' on a Saturday aren't likely to think it a serious oftence queerbash the odd 'fairy For every open form of oppression, there are 100 hidden nightmares for les What would have pays. happened if you had taken a partner of the same sex to your works Christmas party? Or the : weekend situation where lesbians and gay men are not seen as abnormal? We believe the labour movement must openly challenge these pre judices We believe that the Labour Party can be rebuilt as a campaigning vehicle for policies only by understan ding it must base itself on the most oppressed sections of society, including lesbians and gays.
practice, this is far more likely to win back the missing millions than Kinnock's approach. Support encouragement lesbian gay self organisation the best raise these issues within the movement. The Labour left must start to defend giving rate-payers money to gay centres, and select openly gay vall didates in elections, establish discrimination policy which is carried through Understanding that the struggle to end lesbian and gay oppression is part of the struggle for socialism is how we can win the battle.
What you can do Raise lesbian and gay rights in your party and union branch.
Contact the following organisations.
Campaign for Gay Rights, Devonshire Pro menade, Lenton NGT (0602 780124), or Chip penham Rd, London (01-286 9692); Lesbian and Gay Young Socialists, London address Movement Lesbians, c/0 Woman's Place, Hungerford House, Victoria Embankment London WC2
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
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away in the euphoria surrounding