Groucho Marxism

In recent times, right-wing parties have attempted to whip up transphobia as a way to create division amongst ordinary people. However oppression, harassment, and bullying of LGBTQ+ people are nothing new. LGBTQ+ people have faced persecution for centuries; but they also have a proud history of standing up against such persecution. This has led to victories in this country such as the equalization of the age of consent and marriage, and the implementation of other laws that have improved LGBTQ+ rights. But no gain is permanent under a capitalist system that is perpetually in crisis. Right-wing parties inevitably resort to the politics of division as a way of deflecting from their inability to deal with issues such as low pay and crumbling public services.

Life can still be extremely difficult for LGBTQ+ people in this country. Surveys show that two-thirds LGBTQ+ people are afraid of being open about their sexuality for fear of a negative reaction. LGBTQ+ people face harassment on a daily basis, the majority of which goes unreported due to the belief that nothing will happen as a result. Well-publicized findings of institutionalized homophobia in the police, such as the Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police, also deter LGBTQ+ people from reporting the harassment they face. And this is after all the gains that have been won in recent times. In Britain today, austerity is threatening to roll back these gains. LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately likely to experience mental ill-health or homelessness, issues that are exacerbated by cuts to public services.

Sadly, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people – particularly trans people – appears to be on the rise again. This is largely as a result of right-wing propaganda which attempts to blame trans people for the oppression of women, rather than the lack of services, rights, and support being offered to them. It is important to understand that capitalism is a system that requires division amongst workers to function. In Britain and across the world, a tiny group of people own and controls the means of production – industry and technology – and uses this to amass great fortunes. It is in the interest of this group of people to keep us divided as that weakens our ability to fight back. All too often it is LGBTQ+ people who are at the sharp end of this divide-and-rule strategy.

Many LGBTQ+ people face bullying and harassment at work and are often forced to put up with this because the alternative means poverty and eviction. We therefore need a trade union movement that fights against discrimination in the workplace, and which has oversight of the recruitment and promotion process. LGBTQ+ people are also forced to deal with the effect of the capitalist class’s divide-and-rule strategy in the education system, not only through bullying but also through an unrepresentative curriculum. Student and education unions must organize and campaign against bullying of LGBTQ+ people, and the curriculum should be updated to include more on LGBTQ+ history. We also need to increase funding in LGBTQ+ healthcare and ensure that this is accessible to all.

Sixteen years of austerity has stripped LGBTQ+ services to the bone. This has been exacerbated by right-wing parties turning on LGBTQ+ (particularly trans) people to whip up hate and division as part of their ‘culture war’ agenda, which has led to funding being diverted away from LGBTQ+ services. Labour is proving to be no more of an ally to the LGBTQ+ community than the Tories were when they were in power. It is important therefore that we not only protect existing LGBTQ+ services but that we also provide additional services to meet the needs of the community. We must also build more shelters for LGBTQ+ people fleeing homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic families or partners, and other abusive living situations.

The working class is the force that can get rid of capitalism. Strike waves and other collective action demonstrate how much power the working class has when it us united. To fully harness the power of the working class, however, it is necessary to build a worker’s party with a programme for fighting for jobs, homes, services, and rights for all. The LGBTQ+ community has a huge and vital role to play here. We must encourage LGBTQ+ campaigners to stand alongside workers in local and general elections on a common platform against cuts and for the public services we need. What is required is a movement with a democratic and accountable leadership that will fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Unfortunately, Pride events have become increasingly corporatized and have moved further and further away from their radical roots. It is time that Pride organizers reclaimed the movement for ordinary LGBTQ+ people.