Pride is a campaign, not a business opportunity

Socialist Party members at Loughborough university pride (Click to enlarge)

London Trans+ Pride

Thousands of trans and non-binary people, and supporters, marched in London on 26 June at Trans+ Pride. The mood was determined and militant, with anti-Tory chants to the fore.

Ten years of austerity have included vicious cuts to services for trans and non-binary people. As soon as he became PM, Johnson dropped proposed reforms for self-certification of gender to replace the expensive, bureaucratic and medicalised gender recognition certificate process.

The Tories are using the lives of trans+ people as part of their reactionary 'culture war' agenda. Disgracefully, this has been given misguided support by some who claim to be on the left. Starmer's Labour has not put up any opposition. The Tories seek to divide workers to cut across a united fightback, so the struggle of LGBTQ+ communities is an issue for the whole class.

Fighting together for liberation is empowering and inspiring. Trans+ Pride was utterly unlike depoliticised and demoralising Pride parades which are controlled by big business 'allies', falsely offering up individual consumption as an escape from oppression.

Socialist Party members at Trans+ Pride got a good response to our ideas. Mass struggle for LGBTQ+ liberation is needed to oppose attacks and build a world without discrimination and prejudice, replacing capitalism with a socialist society. We will be building for the Reclaim Pride demo called for 24 July in London.

Greg Randall

Loughborough

The LGBT+ groups for Loughborough University staff and students held their annual Pride rally and march around campus. 70 people marched, mainly students with some staff.

The event focuses on issues facing LGBTQ+ people, and highlights the progress that has been made since 1970, which is being pushed back, as shown by the recent homophobic attacks in Liverpool, and the backlash against trans rights.

Loughborough Socialist Party was the only political group on the march. We handed out leaflets with a programme for working-class unity to fight discrimination and the class oppression of capitalism, and for socialism.

When talking with young activists, we brought up the discrimination trans people face when looking for employment, and the alarming rates of homelessness among LGBTQ+ people. People were interested in the link between class and LGBTQ+ oppression, that is underrepresented in the narrow and legalistic interpretation of LGBTQ+ rights.

It was fantastic to talk to so many passionate young people about the struggles ahead, and the Socialist Party's platform to secure economic and social justice.

Damian Cosgrove

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
We must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.