Apoliticality strikes again. The “welcome” from the Kotleba supporters, the lack of counter-reaction and why make PRIDE more protest-oriented. We took part in the rainbow PRIDE Košice.
Pride as a political protest
Pride took place in Košice on Saturday, August 26th. It is an opportunity to celebrate the identity of all queer people, but at the same time to protest for the rights that are denied to these people. For example, the impossibility of entering into a civil partnership, which in turn further affects various areas of life (if one partner is hospitalised, the other partner cannot legally obtain information about his or her health).
PRIDE month, and many of the world’s PRIDE marches take place in June to commemorate the Stonewall protests. These protests were a rebellion by the queer population of New York City against raids by the NYPD. These raids were motivated by the homophobic attitudes of the establishment in the 1950s and 1960s. The Stonewall protests and the resulting rainbow PRIDE are thus a political process against oppression that is propagated by the violent and legal branches of the capitalist establishment.
We were even more surprised when the “apolitical” character of the festival was emphasised to us before the march. However, this concept of “apolitical” was to be countered in a few dozen minutes by reality itself.
The thin line between us and the Kotleba supporters was formed by… the police
We set off for the march quietly at two o’clock in the afternoon. When we arrived on the main street, we were already “welcomed” by the green flags of the Kotleba supporters. As soon as the marchers saw them, the shout of “Love, love!” took over. Only a few people shouted: “Death to fascism!”
We had mixed feelings about the shout about love. It made us think of the hippies who, for a time, protested the imperialist siege of Vietnam with the words, “All you need is love!” This protest proved to be impotent after a short while. Historical experience shows that evils like fascism and imperialism have never been defeated by cries of love. They were defeated by the solidarity of the collectives of working people and students who were not afraid to defend peace.
What was missing in our shouts was a confrontation with the people and ideas that threaten our existence. The irony was that the shared illusion of security among us and Kotleba supporters was the police, who have never (and will never) taken our side as the contradictions of capitalism escalate.
Our banner raised questions
Often during the march, we were stopped by passersby or members of the march to explain what our banner reading “For Democracy Against Capitalism” was about. In our discussions, we tried to explain that today’s gender-non-inclusive environment is the result of patriarchy. This institution originated in antiquity as a way of ensuring the transfer of private property from one generation to the next. Thus, unless capitalism, for whose existence private property is indispensable, is replaced, the oppression of gay people, whose very existence stands in direct opposition to the institution of patriarchy, will not disappear.
Conclusion – PRIDE needs to be led to the class struggle
In conclusion, as victims of multiple oppressions (class oppression and oppression of queer people), queer people constitute a mass that suffers from similar ills of capitalism as the rest of the working class. The lack of quality healthcare makes life difficult for both groups, whether they are trans people or the cis majority. Capitalists are cracking down on trade unionists, regardless of gender or sexual identity. Declining living standards affect us all. Activism for solutions that address the problems of as many working people as possible is an excellent way to cultivate solidarity between queer and non-queer people. Incorporating PRIDE into the class struggle and thus enriching the class struggle with alliances and educational and cultural activities about the cause of emancipation seems like an ideal step forward.
Queer rights are human rights!