Reactionary forces oppose the LGBTQIA+ community

Ashley Walker

As a Reform council withdraws funding to the local LGBTQIA+ community, and as others refuse to fly the flag symbolising LGBTQIA+ inclusion during Pride month, we are reminded about the importance of working-class solidarity.

A Reform led council cut £2,500 funding to the Durham Pride event, out of a total budget of £1.5 billion, because a large section of their support base hold conservative and reactionary views about LGBTQIA+ people and Reform’s active opposition to diversity. Durham council deputy leader, Darren Grimes, a gay man, admits he opposes trans people’s rights saying, “they will not get a single penny from this council”. He also falsely asserts that many people in the gay community agree with him, which is incorrect as the vast majority of the broader LGBTQIA+ community consider trans inclusion fundamental to LGBTQIA+ rights.

Other Reform councils across the country, as in Sunderland, Durham and Havering, are refusing to fly a Pride flag during Pride month (June).

Pride events provide an immense benefit to the mental health and well-being of people in the LGBTQIA+ community and in championing their rights, the majority of whom are working class and with Pride being one of the largest community events in most areas.

There is increasing hostility towards LGBTQIA+ people and Britian’s position has drastically declined in terms of European LGBTQIA+ rights. The present attacks are the largest on trans rights in decades with last year’s anti-trans Supreme Court ruling and this year’s subsequent guidance from a watchdog, calling for the severe restriction of trans people’s access to single-sex spaces. There is a continued failure of successive governments to fulfil a decade old promise to ban conversion therapy, in addition to a decade long refusal of the government to properly recognise and protect the rights of non-binary people.

Many capitalist companies and funders, especially American companies in the age of Trump, have drastically scaled back support for the large Pride events they used to support, amidst a global rise in reactionary sentiment towards LGBTQIA+ communities. This is creating an acute funding crisis leading to the cancellation of events over recent years, exposing weaknesses in sections of the LGBTQIA+ community, in particular the larger corporate events that are reliant on capitalist sponsorship and support.

Rally for Trans Rights Manchester

Solidarity is the way forwards

However, in Durham the local trade union movement stepped in and raised, together with public fundraising, £25,000! The Pride event went ahead and was a great success, with many unions including the Durham Miners Association in attendance.

Solidarity between the LGBTQIA+ movements and workers could be seen at a recent trans rights demo in Manchester with both Unison (with over 1 million women) and the UCU expressing their full support. The Unison speaker said they were spearheading a campaign to push-back against the attacks on trans people’s rights and access to single sex spaces, despite anti-trans groups using women’s rights to oppose transgender rights. Most women support trans people and transgender rights and do not see them as a threat.

The British Medical Association, strongly opposed the Supreme Court ruling defining ‘woman’ under the Equality Act by biological sex, arguing it to be “scientifically illiterate” and “biologically nonsensical,” and raised concerns over threats to the healthcare of trans communities.

Solidarity must be mutual and be strengthened

LGBTQIA+ people need to combine and organise active solidarity with the workers movement, with contingents of LGBTQIA+ people on every trade union march and picket line. Working class people must always seek to deepen the links between them.

An important lesson comes from British workers and LGBTQIA+ history.  A legendary act of solidarity by Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, who recognised a shared struggle against police harassment and raised money and support for the South Wales miners at the height of the 1984/85 miner’s strike. This contributed to a sea change in trade unionists’ attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ people. The memory of that mutual solidarity is so strong that it was cited as a contributing factor to the Durham trade union movement, a former mining town, coming together with such strong support for the local LGBTQIA+ community, nigh on 40 years after it happened!

Solidarity forever! Together the working class is strong!
This Pride month trade unionists and LGBTQIA+ people – unite and fight for a better future!