Fighting Section 28 of the
different historical societies not just in sexual cumstances) but in evident sexual desires? In previous societies, and in much of the world today, though there may be a notion that people can be sexually attracted more to one sex than ruption is impossible hecause sexual identity is This defensive line of argument simply does Page 9 editor of a national lesbian and gay newspaper genetically determined, why has there been such an enormous variation in them between hehaviour (which can be attributed to cir- we were informed by 'a psychiatrist" that car- not hold water. If poople's sexual desires are another, there is not the idea that people are ex- From birth? fixed by the age of four. But there have been divisions about how to argue for these rights, and particularly how to cluding this magazine, have argued that there is no question of corruption' since lesbian and heterosexuality. Others, notably the Lahour Party leadership, have not argued this, out of reluctance to challenge the prejudice that les- These forces have fallen back on the argument that young people cannot be taught to be homosexual since it is genetic, or is established at a very early age. This argument has even been used by some sections of the lesbian and gay movement. In a TV programme made by the ingement of democratic rights that it involves. is equally valid to bian and gay sexuality is, in some sense, bad. reply to the 'corruption' argument. Socialist Outlook has covered the campaign against promoting homosexuality, and specifically outlaws teaching that homosexuality is 'acceptable as a family relationship'. In this article, JAMIE GOUGH considers the nature of the prejudice that Section 28 both uses and promotes, and the implications for constructing a Section 28, which prevents local authorities from sexuality SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 12 February 1989 against lesbians and gay men working The focus of the campaign against the Sec- tion has correctly been to emphasise the infr- Section 28 is being used to weaken or action to combat discrimination against all lesbians and gay men. But the excuse for doing this, and the focus of the at- "corruption' of youth: that the teaching of homosexuality in schools would lead to school students growing up lesbian or gay. This infringes the right of children to scientific knowledge about their sexuality, and leads to discrimination prevent local authorities from taking tack, has been the issue of the with children and young people. socialist society.
alienating reasons for 'having" children to casons that people value parenthood are also societies: People want children to look after them in their old age. Inheritance, not just of style and "personality is important: peopic wantto be perpetuated in another person. Final- ly, bearing and rearing children is a form of creativity and productiveness. For working people, alienated from our paid work, raising children is an area of control. In a sense, all these historically specific reasons involve alienation for the child, since they tend to cos- struct relationships between adulls and children on the basis of considerations which are alien A socialist society would enable tiese to a large degree specific to clans and epitalist property, but of skill, and increasingly of life- as unfit parents and often prevent us and our children living together. Ir is ironic that while gay men can and do have children. But in present day society this in difficult. It is difficult riage, with its economic dependencies and its predetermined division of labour, provides a predictable framework for caring for children. posed to leshian and gay sexuality. Section 28 expresses this prolibition for lesbians and gay men working for local authorities; but it applies even more strongly to lesbians and gay men heing parents. Thus lesbians and gay men and tility from neighbours, from schools: and, most sharply, the courts regard lesbians and gay men But a large part of the difficulty is that society considers it dangerous for children to be ex- children living together usually experience hos- for directly social and economic reasons - mar- RES FE lesbian or gay ("homosexual") life still remains remains the norm, and especially remains the and a particular way of life. The idea of seanal identities, that individuals have an inberent sexuality, including attraction to a particular sex, and that other important things follow from Sexual identity arises from circumstances peculiar to capitalist and post-capitalist societies, People have some possibilities for living outside of the family, and so it becomes possible to live a 'lesbian life' or a "gay life", a Life which flows from your sexual desires. But the difference hetween heterosexual life and crucial, because the helerosexual family clusively attracted to one sex, that this is as- socialed with a particular type of personality this, is a moder one.
open the possibility of real choice as to whether. or not to bear and live with children. The parenthood would then be part of the withering away of the heterosexual and homosexual iden- But there is another reason that 'childlessness" is considorod a disasier. The central feature of the institution of the family is that children, within certain legal limits, belong to their parents. They have, or are supposed to have, a different relationship to their biological parents from all other adults, and of course they economically dependent on their chüldren; un- equal wealth and skill would not be there to be inherited; and creativity within production as a whole would not require compensation through dictatorial creativity with children. This would withering away of the notion of compulsory wither away. Old people would not be titics: not being allowed to be with children is part of It istherefore true that lesbians and gay men, tity, but is part of that identity: our separation , and is a bian or gay. To a considerable extent, being or socicty tells us that we are deviants 'because you cannot have children, the courts tell us that we cannot have children 'because you are open about our sexuality, are less likely to live with children bians and gay men from children in therefore reason for preventing children growing up les- than heterosexuals are. The separation of les- not simply a result of our "deviant" sexual iden what defines heterosemals and homosexuals. from children shows our 'misfortune", 'childlessness' The stigma of especially ones who are None of this tells us how and why some heterosexual and others homosexual. It merely shows that this difference is not a biological one, but is socially created, It is therefore quite possible that positive images policies can result 'proper place to bring up children. Thus whereas formerly sexual desires might be sequences, in modern times the sex that you desire tends to define the whole way that you lead your life, whether you are inside or outside Of course, this only happens partially: many people with homosexual desires marry. But for many people their sexual desires lead to a par- ficular way of life. Sexual desire thus becomes sonality, an that one can talk about people grow up jüdged good or bad but didn't have major con- a much more important feature of people's per- people in present day society the heterosexual family 'nor'. having "sexual identities".
would need adults who were committed to cannot be side-stepped by raying that lesbians ‚inherited These fears arise from the conditions under which people live their lives: the biological. family as the prodominant means of child rear- socialist society, children would have the right, and to the greatest exteut possible the means, to choose which adults they live with. There would not be such pressure on adults to Live in couples when living with children, Children "parents" and non-parents would be much eroded. This would further weaken the The fears poople have about "corruption' and gay men are bor not made. Nor is it simp- prejudice, or even ruling class propaganda have no choice over who these parents are. In a them. But the sharp distinction between heterosexual/homosexual distinction. ly a matter of combuting ignorance' or gay individuals, and and gay identities, and this is 'bad'.. children heterosexual, lesbian grow up into lesbian "bad'..children can must be prevented We have a vicious circle:. there are from growing up the latter are gay men are thought to be inferior. Firstly, our Secondly, lesbians and gay men are thought is especially so because the institutions which shape sexuality - marriage, the family, gender roles - are now in crisis. Sexuality is unstable. The right wing fear of "corruption" has a real element of truth. Biology cannot he used as a schools. We have to directly answer the charge There are three arcas in which lesbians and sexual acts are thought of as unnatural. *Unnatural' boils down to 'can't create children'. This is hardly a major social problem in the modern world, though not having in more people growing up lesbian or gay. This defence of 'teaching homosexuality" in that homosexuality is an inferior sexuality. children is important to individuals: Equally valid?
ing and the gender system connected to it. The social distinctions and real divisions between heterosexuals and homosexuals, between "fit' and 'unhit parents, belween parents and non- parents, are logically necessary parts of how the gender and family systems are reproduced To create alteralaves to the family and gender sys- lems as part of creating socialism will mean eroding each of these distinctions and the way Issues of childhood and parenthood are ex- plosive. But in defending positive policies in schools and combating right-wing ideas about "corruption" we need to find ways of speaking about, and enabling others to speak about, all SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 12 February 1989 in which they reinforce each other. these issues. with other adults just by virtue of age; this would be so in a socialist ancicty too. But the Why do poople see childlessness as such a disaster? The relationships that an adult can have with a child, are to some extent inherent- ly different from those that she or he can have gay...lesbians and gay being with children... from living with and men are prevented lesbian or have children'. Now, of course, lesbians and of as having the wrong gender - lesbians ar feminine or masculine. This gender implication of sexuality is bound up with the existence of sexual identities. As long as there are sexual sidered 'right", and as long an there is a gender system, there will be this association of lesbians Thirdly, and crucially, heing leshian or gay is considered a misfortune because you can'i masculine, gay men as feminine. In modem times, since sexual desire has assumed impor- tant consequences, a central part of being a "proper' woman is desiring men, and an impor- tant part of being a proper man is desiring women: if you don't, you're not properly identities, with one (the heterosexual) con- and gay men with deviant gender. Page 10
policy will affect the struggle in the immediate and long term future is discussed below in two ing member of the Revolutionary Communist The recond is an interview with Beshir Kliari, member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLI), who was deported from the West Bank in January 1988 The fust isby Michel Warschawsky, a lend- League in the Israeli state, an organisation af filiated to the Fourth Interational. Yasser Aralal This last PNC meeting is no doubt one of homeland in 1948 bave no right to retum. PLO head, went further in explicitly accepting who were expelled from their homen and raeli state, while over a million Palestinians Later in a press conference Yanser Arafar. the most important tuming points in the history national rights for the Palestinian people. They call for recognition and acceptance of the Is FEATURES Their natus is recognised only as refigees" For they ignore and exclude any and 338 still clearly apply today. accopted them in 1967 and the The rcasons for rejecting 242 Backtracking on Palestine National Council: the two-state solution. programme carly 1970s. The continued uprising on the West the objective of full and unconditional sovereignty for the Palestinian people Council's Jast meeting held in December, and which was considered to be the council of the among Palestinian political organisations and ces. On the one hand, it apposled to immediate aspirations for an independent and sovereign state by adopting the declaration of a state of Bank and Gaza Strip has put forward However, the Palestinian National uprising, adopted resolutions controversial Thismeeting addressed lself to two audien as an immediate demand.
concessions to allow negotiations lo take place, Palestine have limited powers to impose any- While rocognising the necessity for certain there are real dangers at every slage of Arafat's diplomacy. Warhington will relentlessly squceze the PLO for more concessions, includ by the Ismeli authorities, accusing him of The following two articles have been translated by Socialist Outlook and edited slightly for reasons of space. thing on the popular movement inside. being a leading figure in the uprising. It ends the PLO's continuous previous negotiate with Israel, through un intersational of the PLO. I changes the original PLO politi- rejection of 242 and 338 ar a framework for How this PNC meeting and the PLO present Despite open differences, especially on the questien of resolutions 242 and 338, the politi- cal platform of liberation of Palestine and solving the Palestinian national problem. A new balance of forces conterence, a concrete peace formula. secking a democralic secular state. On the other hand, it addressed the American administration's long demanded ing UN Resolutions 242 and 338. Tliese resolutions had always been rejected by all Palestinian organisations, and had radicalised political opinion against the Arab regimes who condition for recognizing the PLO by accept- Thirteen months of the popular upris- balance of forces between the Israeli state and the Palestinian national move- ing have successfully created a new independence.
ing a request for Aralit to assent himself hy squashing his opponents, no matter what the cost, even if it were a new civil war within the Currents within the Icadership of Entah and the PLO have declared their readiness to accep! the compronises necessary to satisty the US as well as the Arab bourgeois regimes. The PNC resolutions leave ar important gup between the unmediate need to end the occupation and achieve Palestinian sovereignty on the West Bank and Gaza, and the achievement of foll While it is correct, under the short and medium terra relationship of forces, lo separate the immediate aim from the long temn strategie self-determination for the Palestinian people. Palestinian national movement. cal currents within the PLO kept to their word and maintained unity at all costs, remaining The real aim of the Algiers PNC was to find a way to get through to Washington, underlined by the perception that only US imperialism can roll back Israel's intransigence and push them licular on the question of terrorism - was ready to take on board the