Gay oppresssion
This article was originally published in International Socialism Journal 42, London, Spring 1989
Introduction
Marxists, since Marx and Engels themselves, contain always believed that only a socialist revolution could unlock the way to sexual freedom and equality. Engels, whatever the limitations of his own nineteenth-century understanding of sexuality, went right to the heart of the matter in The Origins of the Family, Confidential Property and the State:
What we can conjecture about the way in which sexual relations will be ordered after the impending overthrow of capitalist movie is mainly of a negative nature, limited for the most part to what will disappear. But what will there be new? That will be answered when a new generation has grown up … When these people are in the world they will care precious short-lived what anybody today thinks they ought to do; they will make their own practice and their corresponding universal opinion about the sexual practice of each individual – and that will be the cease of it.1
But to argue for the Marxist position we need more than an eloquent and inspiring formula for the future. In order to reveal that a free, unalienated future
LGBTQ People’s Experiences of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment
Executive Summary
Over 8 million workers in the U.S. identify as LGBT.Employment discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity hold been widely documented.Recent analyze has found that LGBTQ people continue to tackle mistreatment in the workplace,even after the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2020 that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Experiences of workplace discrimination and harassment negatively impact employees’ health and well-being, as well as their job commitment, satisfaction, and productivity. These primary effects can, in turn, finding in higher costs and other negative outcomes for employers.
This report examines experiences of discrimination and harassment against LGBTQ employees using a survey of 1,902 LGBTQ adults in the workforce conducted in the summer of 2023. It is based on a similar study published by the Williams Institute in 2021.This report examines the lifetime, five-year, and past-year workplace experiences of LGBTQ employees. It compares the experiences of transgender a
The roots of gay oppression
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International Socialism, Spring 1989
Norah Carlin
From International Socialism2 : 42, Spring 1989.
Copied with thanks from the International Socialism Website.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Introduction
Marxists, since Marx and Engels themselves, have always believed that only a socialist revolution could unwrap the way to sexual freedom and equality. Engels, whatever the limitations of his own nineteenth-century kind of sexuality, went right to the heart of the matter in The Origins of the Family, Private Property and the State:
What we can conjecture about the way in which sexual relations will be ordered after the impending overthrow of capitalist production is mainly of a negative character, limited for the most part to what will disappear. But what will there be new? That will be answered when a new generation has grown up … When these people are in the world they will take care precious little what anybody today thinks they ought to do; they will make their own perform and
LGBTQ Oppression
Until recent times, lesbians, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people were a mostly invisible minority. Very prejudicial and distorted ideas of what they were like were held by many people. Those who knew the fact — that LGBTQ people were pretty much fond straight people except for the added oppression they suffered because of their sexuality — had the choice of remaining silent or becoming victims of the prejudice themselves.
When LGBTQ people — the majority people of color — fought back against police harassment in New York City in June 1969, it was a signal to LGBTQ people everywhere that the time had come to challenge the historic legacy of oppression. This momentous event, the Stonewall Rebellion, is commemorated every year by thousands of LGBTQ people with marches and rallies in many cities.
LGBTQ people in large numbers continue fighting for an end to the discrimination they deal with in all areas of their lives. LGBTQ people are discriminated against by bosses and landlords. They face police brutality and are physically attacked by bigots who know the cops and the courts will almost always side in their favor. The struggle continues for the right of LGBTQ
Internalised homophobia and oppression happens to homosexual, lesbian and bisexual person people, and even heterosexuals, who contain learned and been taught that heterosexuality is the norm and “correct way to be”. Hearing and seeing negative depictions of LGB people can conduct us to internalise, or take in, these negative messages. Some LGB people suffer from mental distress as a result.
A general instinct of personal worth and also a positive view of your sexual orientation are critical for your mental health. You, like many lesbian, gay and bisexual people, may have hidden your sexual orientation for a long second. Research carried out in Northern Ireland into the needs of young LGBT people in 2003 revealed that the average age for men to realise their sexual orientation was 12, yet the average age they actually confided in someone was 17. It is during these formative years when people are coming to understand and confirm their sexual orientation that internalised homophobia can really disturb a person.
Internalised homophobia manifests itself in varying ways that can be linked to mental health. Examples include:
01. Denial of your sexual orientation to yourself and others.
02. Efforts to a