![[WWP web page]](../home.gif)
![[News]](../news.gif)
![[Subscribe]](../free.gif)
![[Vote WWP]](../vote.gif)
![[Join us!]](../join.gif)
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted
from the Sept. 19, 1996
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
On Sept. 10 in Hawaii, a court heard opening arguments in a case that has so shaken the anti-gay U.S. ruling class that in Washington the same day, the Senate held its first vote ever on gay rights.
Actually, there were two votes. The bigots prevailed in both.
By 85 to 14, the Senate joined the House in voting to deny federal recognition of same-sex marriage if Hawaii or another state grants that right. And by 50 to 49, the Senate killed a bill to ban anti-gay discrimination on the job.
The ruling class is the real force behind the politicians' election-year effort to whip up homophobia-just as big business is behind the racist anti-immigrant propaganda, the welfare cuts and all the other attacks against the working class and oppressed.
Monica Moorehead, an African American woman who is running for president of the United States on the Workers World Party ticket, made just that point in a statement reacting to the vote. "The bosses want to divide and confuse the workers," Moorehead said.
"Diverting mass anger away from themselves and instead scapegoating immigrants or welfare recipients or lesbians and gays is a favorite tactic.
"That's the only reason they're still blocking basic civil rights for a major segment of the populace. That's why federal law still permits discrimination against gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people in jobs, housing, public accommodations, and benefits like marriage, Social Security, etc.
"That-to serve the bosses' interests-is the real reason the Senate defeated the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and passed the vicious `Defense of Marriage' Act. And it's why President Bill Clinton will sign the anti-gay-marriage law.
"Clinton is disgusting. He's a puppet of the right wing. He shows that by signing the anti-gay-marriage law just like he showed it by signing the welfare cuts.
"Whether you're Black, Latino, Native, Arab or white, woman or man, gay or straight, young or old-if you're not rich, you have no more reason to vote for Clinton than for Dole. They both work for the bosses.
"The only answer is to unite against the attacks and keep on fighting."
The Senate may have voted down equality this time. But the demand will not die.
A federal gay-rights law will undoubtedly pass before too long. It already has in nine states. This movement is gaining momentum and winning broad public support.
Social attitudes are changing so much that it's even safe to predict the right to same-sex marriage will also be won in the foreseeable future. This proves how amazingly fast mass consciousness can shift under the impetus of a social movement demanding justice.
A strong majority of people oppose anti-gay discrimination in everything but marriage. A minority favors same-sex marriage-but that's changing fast.
The demand for equal rights is so compelling that it cannot be stopped. Clearly, the civil rights bill will be back. In fact, a stronger version will eventually pass-one that bans discrimination across the board, not just in employment, and one that protects transgendered people as well as lesbians, gays and bisexuals.
Melinda Paras, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said: "What was inconceivable only a few years ago is happening today. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equal rights have taken center stage ... and we can never go back to the days of silence."
Sept. 10 was the first time in the nearly 30 years since the movement began that members of Congress had to go on record about gay rights. Before, no bill ever made it past committee.
That includes years when the Democrats held the majority. In the first two years of the Clinton administration, for example, the Democrats could have passed a gay-rights law if they wanted to.
A bill was introduced. Its House sponsor was Rep. Edolphus Towns of Brooklyn, N.Y., a leader of the Congressional Black Caucus.
But Clinton and his aides let it die while they still had a majority-just like they did with the anti-scab bill that would have aided the unions.
The anti-gay component of the right wing's war on the workers and oppressed isn't going to disappear. After all, Wall Street is worried about workers' anger at falling wages and disappearing jobs. The bosses are horrified at the revival of the labor movement. The rich, racist ruling class is terrified at the prospect that workers and oppressed people might unite and fight back against attacks like the welfare bill and the cuts in Medicare and Medicaid.
So they resort to old favorites-racist attacks on immigrants, scapegoating welfare recipients, promoting fear and hatred of gays.
But more and more, these old reliables will come up against a solid wall of working-class unity. That's a force far mightier than all the riches of the ruling-class bigots.
- END -
(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: ww@wwpublish.com. For subscription info send message to: ww-info@wwpublish.com. Web: http://www.workers.org)