Fighting for LGBT rights in the USA
FRUSTRATED BY the inaction of the Obama
administration and unwilling to continue to accept their second-class
status, gay rights activists have called a national march for equality
in Washington, DC, on 11 October. This coincides with National Coming
Out Day, and is 30 years after the first national march on Washington
for gay and lesbian rights. The march has one simple demand: full
equality under the law for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
people in all 50 states.
Despite advances over the past 40 years, LGBT people
continue to face tremendous oppression. Yet recent months have witnessed
an upsurge in confidence among LGBT rights activists, alongside growing
impatience with the political establishment’s refusal to grant equal
rights. Many were emboldened by the massive, spontaneous outpouring of
support for gay rights on 15 November 2008, when 130,000 people in 200
plus cities demonstrated against the passage of Proposition 8 in
California banning same-sex marriage. Since then, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Maine, and Iowa have legalised same-sex marriage, making it
legal in six states – Connecticut and Massachusetts are the others.
Obama’s election raised hopes. Many LGBT activists
enthusiastically supported his campaign. While saying he opposed
same-sex marriage, Obama made a number of important promises: to repeal
the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
policy in the armed forces, passing federal hate crimes legislation and
the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. Yet, since taking office, his
administration has taken little action.
In June, Obama’s Justice Department even issued a
brief supporting DOMA, which allows states to refuse to recognise gay
marriages from other states and prohibits recognition by the federal
government. This brief compared same-sex marriage to incest and
paedophilia. It claimed that DOMA does not discriminate against gays
because they can still enter ‘traditional marriages’ (but not marry the
person they love). Feeling pressure from the firestorm of outrage, Obama
extended some federal benefits to same-sex partners of LGBT federal
employees, but excluded healthcare. The response among many activists
was that this was nowhere near enough.
There is a growing acceptance of LGBT people in
society, particularly among youth. As CNN reported of a recent poll,
"49% of those questioned say they have a family member or close friend
who is gay. That’s up eight points from 1998 and up 17 points from 1992.
Fifty-eight percent of those aged 18 to 34 say they have a family member
or close friend who’s gay". Further: 44% of Americans now say same-sex
marriage should be legal (up from 21% in November 2004). This includes
58% of those aged 18-34. (4 May)
There is a widespread willingness to struggle within
the LGBT community and the refusal to continue to accept second-class
status. There is a growing recognition that winning equal rights will
require massive pressure on the political establishment.
This is the context for the call to march on
Washington. Just like the massive demonstrations against Proposition 8
last November, the march was initiated from the grassroots,
bypassing the moderate establishment leaders of the mainstream gay
rights organisations with their ties to the Democratic Party leadership.
As leading gay rights activist Cleve Jones (one of the initiators of the
march) put it: "We need a new strategy… We’re tired of this
state-by-state, county-by-county, city-by-city struggle for fractions of
equality. There is no fraction of equality. You are an equal people, or
you are not". (Democracy Now! 19 June)
The march will attempt to link up the local
struggles, and demand federal recognition of equal rights, which should
be guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, which prohibits states from
denying "the equal protection of the laws" to anyone. There is the
potential for 11 October to be one of the largest demonstrations for
LGBT rights in US history if a bold lead is given. Such a demonstration
would strike a blow against homophobia and discrimination. By showing
the collective support that exists for equal rights, it would raise the
confidence of millions of LGBT people and allies across the country,
forcing discussion on the issues and bringing real pressure to bear.
To build the most effective movement, activists
should not concern themselves with the supposed needs of ‘friendly’
Democratic politicians, but start from the standpoint of the needs of
LGBT people. Leading Democratic politicians have shown again and again
that, rather than take a principled stand, they are willing to sell out
the interests of LGBT people for narrow electoral gains – just as they
have refused to take a principled stand on war, workers’ rights, etc.
While winning legal equality is a crucial step, the
struggle must be taken further to transforming the social conditions
faced by LGBT people. This includes fighting for more resources for LGBT
youth, against homophobic bullying in schools, and for decent,
guaranteed healthcare and jobs for all. This will require linking the
struggle of LGBT people with the struggles of all workers and oppressed
peoples.
Socialists wholeheartedly support the national
demonstration and see it as part of the struggle to build a better
world, free from oppression and exploitation. We link the struggle for
equal rights for LGBT people to the need to replace the capitalist
system, which gives rise not only to economic crises and wars, but also
feeds off sexism, racism, and homophobia. We stand for a new, socialist
world in which people are able to define their own relationships and
sexuality, free from economic constraints and discriminatory laws.
Dan DiMaggio,
Some facts on LGBT oppression
ON THE 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots
marking the birth of the modern gay liberation movement, police brutally
raided several gay bars in Fort Worth, Texas, leaving one man severely
hurt with a brain injury.
Over one in four LGBT youth who come out to their
parents are told they must leave home. Between 20-40% of the estimated
1.6 million homeless youth in the US identify as LGBT. They often suffer
violence, discrimination, and psychological abuse at shelters. (National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2006)
In schools, bullying is still a horrific problem.
According to a survey by the Gay and Lesbian Student Education Network,
"nearly nine out of ten LGBT students experienced harassment at school
in the past year, three-fifths felt unsafe at school because of their
sexual orientation, and about a third skipped a day off school in the
past month because of feeling unsafe". Further: "44% reported being
physically harassed and 22% reported being physically assaulted at
school in the past year because of their sexual orientation". (National
School Climate Survey, 2007) These statistics are even worse for
transgender youth.
Suicide rates for LGBT youth are estimated to be up
to four times higher than their heterosexual peers.
Same-sex marriage is still prohibited in 44 states.
It is legal to fire someone on the basis of sexual
orientation in 30 states.
It is legal to fire someone for being transgender in
38 states.
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