Socialist Action & Queer Liberation

Introduction: Socialist Action believes that the struggle for queer liberation challenges all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It challenges the narrow and discriminatory sexual and gender norms of capitalist society. In doing so it has revolutionary potential in the form of its challenge to the patriarchal structures that capitalism is partly based on. We support the building of an autonomous queer liberation movement, where gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people can come together and make their own demands and develop their own leadership and power.

We’ve set up this page to post articles on the GLBT movement, lessons from past struggles, and theoretical essays outlining the Marxist view on special oppression. We welcome your feedback on what we’ve posted!

Queer Liberation News & Views:

CA Court Upholds Same-Sex Ban: On May 26, a rally took place on steps of City Hall protesting the 136-page decision by the California Supreme Court decision to uphold the Nov. 2008 passage of Proposition 8, amending the state constitution banning same sex marriage. Over 18,000 same-sex marriages made prior to the passage of Prop. 8 will stand. The vote was 6-1. continued

Thousands Protest Prop 8: On Nov. 7 a march and rally took place in San Francisco to protest the passage of Proposition 8 on the California ballot, which sought to outlaw marriage equality for gays and lesbians. The march began at Civic Center during rush hour and worked its way to the Castro, the heart of San Francisco’s gay community, with a final rally at nearby Dolores Park. continued

Same-Sex Marriage Wins Again in Massachusetts: A proposed constitutional amendment, initiated by voter petition, would have defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, thereby overturning the 2004 law that legalized marriage regardless of sexual orientation. The amendment needed the support of at least 50 of the 200 state legislators in two back-to-back legislative sessions. This past January, 62 of them supported the ban. continued

Gay Liberation Before Stonewall: Many tend to think that the gay liberation movement did not begin in earnest until the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York – the now infamous event where when attacked by police, patrons of the gay & lesbian bar stood up and fought back. As important an event as Stonewall proved to be though, it was not the birth of the gay liberation movement. In fact authors John Lauritsen & David Thorstad, in their book “The Early Homosexual Rights Movement,” argue that Stonewall should be viewed rather at the 100th anniversary of the GLBT movement. Below is a synopsis of the forgotten chapter of GLBT history that they present in their book. continued

Supreme Court Strikes Down Anti-Sodomy Laws: The Supreme Court has struck down the state of Texas’s anti-gay “Homosexual Conduct Law.” This law, like many of the “anti-sodomy” laws still on the books in number of states, makes gay sex an illegal act. The Supreme Court’s decision came on the heels of a big campaign on the part of gay rights activist to overturn such laws, along with an anti-gay campaign by right wing elements. continued

Archived Articles:

Queer Liberation Movement:

The Early Gay Liberation Movement

Jerry Falwell: No fond farewell
Supreme Court Strikes Down Anti-Sodomy Laws
Gay-Straight Alliances Sweep the Country

The Murder of Sakia Gunn
Homophobia in the Schools
Anatomy of a Hate Crime: The Murder of Matthew Shepard
Two Examples of Anti-Gary Bigotry in the High Schools