Amid the many celebrations of Pride this summer across Canada, the growing dangers of war, environmental catastrophe and social injustice are also on everyone’s mind. While public support remains strongly in favour of full equality rights, the “culture war” launched by fascist and fundamentalist groups continues to target transgender rights in particular, but aimed at the entire 2S/LGBTiQ+ (Two-Spirit / Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender / Intersex / Queer) community.
The Communist Party of Canada is calling for a broad, coordinated mobilization by progressive movements against the upsurge of transphobic attacks against SOGI 123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) policies and other initiatives to promote diversity and to extend solidarity for 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
As the annual summer of Pride events begins, there is good news… and very frightening news. On the positive side, public support remains solidly in favour of full equality rights for the entire 2S/LGBTiQ+ community (Two-Spirit / Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender / Intersex / Queer). But a small minority of far-right groups have escalated their “culture war”, focused on transgender people in particular. Physical assaults, violent threats and book bannings are on the rise. Their broader goal is to roll back generations of hard-won gains towards social and economic justice, reproductive rights, gender equality and diversity.
A Pride 2021 statement by the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Canada, and the CPC Pride Commission
The Pride Commission, made up of queer comrades from across the country, is an advisory body in the CPC.
Pride is again happening during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Under the conditions of capitalism, the pandemic is imposing harsher conditions on queer people. The Communist Party of Canada stands with the Two-Spirit / Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender / Intersex / Queer + (2S/LGBTiQ+) community as it resists attacks from rightwing forces. In Canada, many in the growing and diverse 2S/LGBTiQ+ community face impoverishment, homelessness, unemployment and poverty, in a harsh capitalist reality. A small privileged section of the queer community are being assimilated into the mainstream of capitalist society, at the price of less privileged 2S/LGBTiQ+ people and other exploited and oppressed people.
‘Rainbow Capitalism’ is not the answer
This year, Pride events and mobilizations across the country take place in profoundly difficult conditions, marked by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and deep economic crisis. The twin threats of the economic crisis and the pandemic are seriously weakening and destroying the social relationships and institutions of communities: the social spaces that bring the community together are closing, sometimes permanently. A recent country-wide survey indicated that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on 2S/LGBTiQ+ people. We have also seen the evaporation of services and supports, painstakingly built up over decades by dedicated community activists.
Fifty years after the historic Stonewall uprising of June 1969, the struggle for Two Spirit and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer & Questioning (2S/LGBTIQ) rights is far from over.
Pride 2019 takes place in an increasingly dangerous environment for 2S/LGBTIQ people. The backlash against inclusion, diversity and queer rights includes a deadly escalation of murders of trans women. The recent report of the Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls noted the persistent violence against two-spirit Indigenous people. Conservative provincial governments are working to undermine and roll back the equality gains achieved through decades of struggle. Neoliberal austerity policies imposed by Liberal and Conservative governments are accelerating cuts to public services, disproportionately harming 2S/LGBTIQ and other marginalized people.
It’s becoming clearer by the day. Communists believe that securing full social equality rights for LGBTIQ2S communities in Canada is part of a wider global movement to advance human rights by building socialism.
Pride 2017 Statement from the Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League
In 2017, Pride events across Canada take place in a much different context than one short year ago. The election of Donald Trump has encouraged fascists and other reactionaries to emerge from their dark corners and to openly promote hatred in the form of homophobia and transphobia, as well as Islamophobia, racism, misogyny and sexism – all of which are intended to roll-back the hard-won rights of oppressed peoples, including the LGBTQ2SIA community. Signs of this appeared last summer, when the shootings at the Pulse gay club in Florida seemed to galvanize the Pride season, and focused attention on the backlash against the gains made by the LGBTQ2SIA movement in the USA, where reactionary forces have been resisting the extension of civil rights for LGBTQ2SIA people, and actively attempting to roll-back rights already won. In this context, it is necessary to remember that Pride is not only a celebration of the rainbow community, but also a reminder that our gains are the result of a political defense of our community and a political struggle for our rights.
The 38th Central Convention of our Party follows a major political upheaval in the recent federal election, and a new escalation of the global economic crisis which emerged in 2007-08. Initially, the Canadian economy was buffered to some degree by exports of fossil fuels and other natural resources, and because Canada’s megabanks were somewhat less exposed to the collapse in value of leveraged (re-packaged) debt. Now, the dramatic collapse in energy prices and the Canadian dollar are causing new job losses and rapid increases in the cost of imported products. The working class is paying a heavy cost for the turmoil of the capitalist system.
An Injury to One is an Injury to All!
Pride 2016 Statement from the Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League
The massacre in Orlando at the Pulse gay night club makes it clear that the struggle for the rights of LGBTQ2SI people is far from over. (Note: In this statement, the acronym “LGBTQ2SI” and the term “Queer” refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender variant, two-spirited, queer, questioning, intersex and others.) In the Queer community, a gay-bar is often the one place Queer folk feel safe and able to be ourselves. Pride marks the anniversary of a riot of resistance -Stonewall- defending gay-bars from police attacks. Pride marches and events have grown into global movement to assert human rights. Pride’s political significance cannot be forgotten.
The Orlando shootings, the victims of which were mainly Latinx and Black members of the LGBTQ2SI community, must be seen within the context of the well-organized backlash by, in particular fundamentalist Christian, right wing groups against the gains made by the Queer movement. In the USA, reactionary laws are being passed to abolish the civil rights LGBTQ2SI people have won, and in particular attack trans rights.