reprinted article from Urban75
At Marxism, Lindsey German claims gay and lesbian rights should not be a "shibboleth"
Marxism was similar to last year in that it was down on numbers from previous years and really lacking in terms of young people and a racial mix.
Nonetheless there were still busy sessions and it was still the biggest event on the left by quite a way. Some interesting sessions but the usual over the top happy clappy stuff, and being asked to join 100s of time over the day.
However a few things really disturbed me and they revolved around the upcoming Peace and Justice Alliance which will by all accounts be a popular front.
At the Galloway session it was just nauseating. Galloway, Andrew Murray (who went out of his way to say how great it was that Charles Kennedy was part of STW)) and Lindsey German literally fawned over each other. At one point Galloway even cracked a joke about nothing inappropriate going on between him and Lindsey German when they stayed in hotels up and down the country. I mean what the fuck?! Not a nice image, and more to the point a comment that Lindsey German would not have appreciated off men in general but laughed out loud when "Gorgeous" George waxed his stuff....I nearly puked up
They all said how great the other people on the platform were and even made jokey references to the session being like an Oscar ceremony, and they weren't wrong!
I mean I totally support the unconditional defence of Galloway in the face of media attacks on the STW movement and also appreciate his anti-imperialist stance, but TWO standing ovations for a man who is at the end of the day a Stalinist is just totally over the top. A defence of Galloway is one thing, idolising him another.
But far more disturbing than the sycophantic on goings on the platform was the SWPs evident lurch to the right. When questioned from the floor (in a different session) about the danger of the Peace and Justice being a popular front Lindsey German side stepped with remarks about Islamophobia - and it was a Workers Power member speaking so she knows we're not like the AWL and therefore it was just a cheap way to get out of it. Indeed the speaker stressed how good the united front with Muslim groups in the STWC had been, but pointed out a popular front was a very different thing.
But then it got even worse. Another WP speaker asked about the danger to gay and lesbian rights with a united front with religious groups. Lindsey German replied that while she supported gay and lesbian rights in full, it shouldn't be a "shibboleth" to stopping socialists making links with other groups in society. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! Gay and lesbian rights a shibboleth!!! It was outrageous. Then she went on to say how the SWP wouldn't question a Christian about their views on gay and lesbian rights if they wanted to join the SWP so why was it any different with Muslims. I mean this is just unbelievable. Are the SWP seriously saying they wouldn't bother to find out if a religious person was homophobic if they wanted to join the SWP and were from a religion which is known to be homophobic?!?!?!
All I can say is that Marxism (on the back of the disgusting behaviour of the SWP in Birmingham) confirmed many growing fears I have about the Peace and Justice Alliance. What do SWPers on here have to say?! I distinctly remember cliffite saying he'd think about leaving if this kinda thing happened. Well what now? Join anti-capitalist and do the right thing…..
At Marxism, Lindsey German claims gay and lesbian rights should not be a "shibboleth"
Marxism was similar to last year in that it was down on numbers from previous years and really lacking in terms of young people and a racial mix.
Nonetheless there were still busy sessions and it was still the biggest event on the left by quite a way. Some interesting sessions but the usual over the top happy clappy stuff, and being asked to join 100s of time over the day.
However a few things really disturbed me and they revolved around the upcoming Peace and Justice Alliance which will by all accounts be a popular front.
At the Galloway session it was just nauseating. Galloway, Andrew Murray (who went out of his way to say how great it was that Charles Kennedy was part of STW)) and Lindsey German literally fawned over each other. At one point Galloway even cracked a joke about nothing inappropriate going on between him and Lindsey German when they stayed in hotels up and down the country. I mean what the fuck?! Not a nice image, and more to the point a comment that Lindsey German would not have appreciated off men in general but laughed out loud when "Gorgeous" George waxed his stuff....I nearly puked up
They all said how great the other people on the platform were and even made jokey references to the session being like an Oscar ceremony, and they weren't wrong!
I mean I totally support the unconditional defence of Galloway in the face of media attacks on the STW movement and also appreciate his anti-imperialist stance, but TWO standing ovations for a man who is at the end of the day a Stalinist is just totally over the top. A defence of Galloway is one thing, idolising him another.
But far more disturbing than the sycophantic on goings on the platform was the SWPs evident lurch to the right. When questioned from the floor (in a different session) about the danger of the Peace and Justice being a popular front Lindsey German side stepped with remarks about Islamophobia - and it was a Workers Power member speaking so she knows we're not like the AWL and therefore it was just a cheap way to get out of it. Indeed the speaker stressed how good the united front with Muslim groups in the STWC had been, but pointed out a popular front was a very different thing.
But then it got even worse. Another WP speaker asked about the danger to gay and lesbian rights with a united front with religious groups. Lindsey German replied that while she supported gay and lesbian rights in full, it shouldn't be a "shibboleth" to stopping socialists making links with other groups in society. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! Gay and lesbian rights a shibboleth!!! It was outrageous. Then she went on to say how the SWP wouldn't question a Christian about their views on gay and lesbian rights if they wanted to join the SWP so why was it any different with Muslims. I mean this is just unbelievable. Are the SWP seriously saying they wouldn't bother to find out if a religious person was homophobic if they wanted to join the SWP and were from a religion which is known to be homophobic?!?!?!
All I can say is that Marxism (on the back of the disgusting behaviour of the SWP in Birmingham) confirmed many growing fears I have about the Peace and Justice Alliance. What do SWPers on here have to say?! I distinctly remember cliffite saying he'd think about leaving if this kinda thing happened. Well what now? Join anti-capitalist and do the right thing…..
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