East London LGBT March on 24 Sep

[Queercommie Girl]

Yesterday (24 Sep) afternoon I participated in a march/demonstration organised by East London Pride and other organisations which took place in East London. This event is not a direct response to the recent London riots, but rather it is a response to the EDL march which was effectively countered by a leftist coalition a few weeks ago.

The main slogan of this demo is No to Homophobia! No to Transphobia! No to Islamophobia! No to Racism! and Gays and Muslims Unite! Unity against the fascists and right-wingers' attempt at "divide at rule".

Many left-wing organisations were present at this event. The two Marxist organisations that took part were SWP (ISO's British branch) and the Socialist Party (CWI). Main trade unions, such as Unite and NUT (National Union of Teachers), were also represented at the march. There were also quite a few Muslims at the demo. The general atmosphere is one of unity and solidarity.

Here are some photos for this event:

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/310198_266609766703107_100000622583066_939158_4114 06947_n.jpg

The main banner of the march

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294088_266609823369768_100000622583066_939160_1415 007195_n.jpg

Socialist Party (CWI) stall at the event

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/309286_266609856703098_100000622583066_939161_5212 15037_n.jpg

Socialist Worker's Party (SWP/ISO) stall at the event

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/321170_266609916703092_100000622583066_939163_3230 34610_n.jpg

Greg Randall, leading gay member in the Socialist Party (CWI)

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293541_266610113369739_100000622583066_939167_5639 18907_n.jpg

Peter Tatchell, very famous radical grassroots LGBT activist in Britain with the banner "Gays and Muslims Unite!" Peter Tatchell is not a revolutionary Marxist but he is (in his own words) generally "to the left of the Labour left"

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297355_266610220036395_100000622583066_939170_1712 417351_n.jpg

The march itself from Hackney Town Hall to Bethnal Green, in East London. The march lasted for about an hour from 2pm to 3pm.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/303821_266610426703041_100000622583066_939176_1733 888440_n.jpg

Performance by a drag queen after the main march

[Nox]

Looks awesome, the third picture definitely looks like an effective thing to do.


Gays and Muslims Unite!

I can't imagine that turning out well, how did it go?

[Queercommie Girl]

I can't imagine that turning out well, how did it go?


Actually this shows some implicit prejudice on your part. During the demo yesterday there were Muslims participating, and in the anti-EDL and anti-Islamophobia demo a few weeks ago organised by the SWP, the majority of Muslims who were there (there were many during that event) were at least not explicitly hostile to LGBT rights, and some were even openly supportive of it. (There were also, of course, a few Muslims who said bad things to LGBT activists like Peter Tatchell but these were in the minority)

To be frank, the average LGBT person in London is much more likely to be viciously attacked by a drunken EDL thug than by a homophobic Muslim. It's true that many Muslims have homophobic ideas, but most Muslims in London are also much more civilised and well-educated than the lumpen layers from which the likes of the EDL draw their membership from. Many Muslims may be homophobic on a personal level, but they would not simply go around beating gay people up. Only the semi-fascist hooligans of the EDL would do that.

It's like my parents (I'm Chinese) have many homophobic views (I'm still in the closet at home pretty much), but my mum said she would never express her homophobia outside our house, (because it's not polite to act otherwise) so that if a gay colleague comes to her workplace, she would be polite and non-discriminatory towards him/her. (Even though she doesn't fully tolerate homosexuality intrinsically she would act in a way that seems as if she does)

There is a fundamental difference between "people who are homophobic" and "people who are homophobic and who are also willing to beat the shit out of queer people and commit vicious hate crime".

[Nox]

Actually this shows some implicit prejudice on your part. During the demo yesterday there were Muslims participating, and in the anti-EDL and anti-Islamophobia demo a few weeks ago organised by the SWP, the majority of Muslims who were there (there were many during that event) were at least not explicitly hostile to LGBT rights, and some were even openly supportive of it. (There were also, of course, a few Muslims who said bad things to LGBT activists like Peter Tatchell but these were in the minority)

To be frank, the average LGBT person in London is much more likely to be viciously attacked by a drunken EDL thug than by a homophobic Muslim. It's true that many Muslims have homophobic ideas, but most Muslims in London are also much more civilised and well-educated than the lumpen layers from which the likes of the EDL draw their membership from. Many Muslims may be homophobic on a personal level, but they would not simply go around beating gay people up. Only the semi-fascist hooligans of the EDL would do that.

It's like my parents (I'm Chinese) have many homophobic views (I'm still in the closet at home pretty much), but my mum said she would never express her homophobia outside our house, (because it's not polite to act otherwise) so that if a gay colleague comes to her workplace, she would be polite and non-discriminatory towards him/her. (Even though she doesn't fully tolerate homosexuality intrinsically she would act in a way that seems as if she does)

There is a fundamental difference between "people who are homophobic" and "people who are homophobic and who are also willing to beat the shit out of queer people and commit vicious hate crime".

I didn't mean it like that...

It's great that two oppressed groups united against the oppessor, but I'm just wondering if there was any sense of awkwardness at all.

I would feel awkward protesting with a Capitalist who hates what I stand for, I'm just applying the same logic to this situation.

[Queercommie Girl]

I would feel awkward protesting with a Capitalist who hates what I stand for, I'm just applying the same logic to this situation.

But Islam and LGBT rights are not fundamentally opposed like socialism and capitalism is...

[Nox]

But Islam and LGBT rights are not fundamentally opposed like socialism and capitalism is...

Socialism and Capitalism are economically opposed, but they can be very similar in other ways e.g. anti-fascism, libertarianism

Just like Muslims and Gays are opposed on the issue of homosexuality, but are similar in other ways.

[Queercommie Girl]

Socialism and Capitalism are economically opposed, but they can be very similar in other ways e.g. anti-fascism, libertarianism

Just like Muslims and Gays are opposed on the issue of homosexuality, but are similar in other ways.


Every capitalist is, by definition, an anti-socialist economically speaking. But many Muslims are not homophobic. Not to mention that even political Islam tends to support limited transgender rights.

[Nox]

Islam tends to support limited transgender rights.

Just like many Capitalists support limited Socialist policies.

E.g. free education, free healthcare etc

[Queercommie Girl]

Just like many Capitalists support limited Socialist policies.

E.g. free education, free healthcare etc

Islam is not intrinsically opposed to LGBT rights, even though many Muslims today are.

It is theoretically possible to have a kind of Islam that is completely supportive of LGBT rights, but it is not in principle possible to have a kind of capitalism that is economically completely socialist.