WORD International Women's Day Forum

  1. soso17
    soso17
    Yesterday the Chicago branch of Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD) and the PSL held a forum for International Women's Day. We had several speakers, and a discussion period. I was asked to speak on the women's struggle and the fight for LGBT rights, and I wanted to post my talk on here.

    Here is the text of my talk:

    The struggle for women's rights and equality is intimately related to the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights.

    We have in common our greatest enemy-patriarchy.

    Patriarchy tries to tell us that women are inferior, and that the role of women in marriage is that of property. Patriarchy tells us that sex is only for procreation, and that any and all pregnancies are gifts from God. Patriarchy tells us that marriage is between "one man and one woman". Patriarchy says that same sex relationships are inferior, unnatural, and downright sinful. Patriarchy insists on strict gender roles, and anyone straying from their supposed norm is labeled a freak or a danger. And the patriarchy seems to be getting louder and louder lately.

    All this noise is the death throes of their moribund belief system.

    What are they so afraid of? They use words like effeminate, manly, tomboy, sissy, to try to degrade us. We don't buy into their hate speech, and it is this bold, principled stance scares the hell out of our enemies. They are the ones grasping at straws, looking for a way to stop us.

    Attempts to redefine rape, restrict women's rights over their own bodies, and deny them birth control are only the latest in a long history of reaction and overreaction from our oppressors. The recent escalation of right-wing attacks on any non-procreative sex repudiates the very concept of the validity of same-sex relationships.

    Same-sex marriage flies in the face of these "traditional" definitions of marriage, gender roles, and even property relations.

    The reactionaries are trying to drag the world back to a semi-imaginary past where they rule and we hide, captitulate, or both. That past is gone, and they know it. They are scared, and it is becoming more obvious by the day.

    Humanity marches onward, as we march forward, proud, loud, and unrelenting.

    We will not cease to fight until true equality for all is won.

    Our actions are bold. Our struggle is unstoppable. And progress is on our side.

    Right now, my husband and I, along with thousands of other LGBT people and our allies, are waiting to see if the politicians of the State of Illinois will recognize our civil union for what it is: a marriage in the truest and fullest sense of the word. The State Senate passed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act bill on Valentine's day of 2013 by a vote of 34 to 21. On Febrary 27 the bill was approved in a House Special Committee vote. The full house is expected to vote in mid-March, and by no means is it a done deal. If the bill passes, Illinois will become only the tenth state to have full recognition of same-sex marriages.

    Think about that. Ten states out of fifty. 20%. And the elephant in the same-sex marriage room is the Federal Government, which not only does not recognize marriage equality but has yet to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, a homophobic piece of legislation if there ever was one.

    The United States Supreme court is set to hear arguments on this law, which bars any nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage, and Prop 8, a California law enacted by a ballot initiative meant to strike down a California Supreme Court Ruling in favor of marriage equality and recognition. The disturbing part is that, even if the court rules against these , a strict understanding of these cases on the part of the court will not necessarily declare all such laws unconstitutional. History will record whether this court stands for justice, or wants to shore up the "traditionalist" bigots.

    Second-class citizenship-seperate, but definitely not equal-is not, and never has been acceptible, appropriate, or just, whether the people in question are women, LGBT individuals, or any other oppressed group.

    Contrary to all the grandstanding by politicians, special interest groups and all of their ilk, politics as usual never just "hand" us rights out of the kindness of their hearts. Every single gain that women and the LGBT community have received has been won through struggle. Organizing and action are the only path to change on such a scale. Women and LGBT people must continue to work together, for a victory for one is a victory for all. As long as one is oppressed, we are all oppressed.

    We will not cower, we will not take one step back, and we will never, ever be silenced again.

    --soso
  2. Rusty Shackleford
    Rusty Shackleford
    Excellent!