This article by Long Kesh prisoner BRENDI McCLENAGHAN was first published in An Glór Gafa, the Republican POWs' magazine. We received it from Peoples' Democracy, Irish section of the Fourth International, with a message from the author inviting comments and discussion. GAY MEN and lesbian women have been involved in the struggle for national liberation and independence as long as any other section of our people.
You might claim that you have never known nor met a gay man or a lesbian woman but you have met one or moretoday, last week, last year, 22 years ago - for they have been there in the struggle alongside you.
The reason you have not noticed them is that our society's culture in relation to sexuality, and to homosexuality in particular, compels gays and lesbians to conform, and their sexuality becomes invisible.
Women were once virtually invisible in the national struggle. In recent years, however, they have argued forcefully that women's liberation must be an integral part of the struggle.
In order that women's liberation be women comrades confronted their male counterparts with the contradictions of sexist words and actions While there is still a long way to go to evercome women have succeeded in putting agenda.
If is now iong past time to open debate among republicans on the issue of gays oppression and causes, and on our right to be visible 1 believe that national liberation by its Very nature incorporates gay/lesbian liberation, and it is only through open te are banding go an edence that. of equality can be made a reality. Page 10: Feb. Feb. 1992 • Nơ. 15 Social and economic oppression is something the people in the whole of Ireland have suffered, and in the North the weight of British occupation is an added burden.
As lesbians and gays we are doubly oppressed, for we have had to endure further oppression within our families, local communities and within the Republican Movement because of ou exuality. This affects every part of ou lives.
The state's laws deny equality in marriage, education, social welfare, employment, adoption, life insurance... the list is endless. The state denies gay and lesbian relationships the same recognition as heterosexual relationships.
While British law allows for consensual remnonsms bercen men over 4l. are liable to imprisonment.
This is in spite of the fact that the Dublin government has accepted, in theory, the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that present legislation is in breach or the nonis of say menBoth the British and Irish states have appalling recoras in the area or resolan and gay rights, especially when compared to other countries in Burope. The age of consent, for example, is 16 in Portugal, Switzerland and Holland The legal status of gay/lesbians ches promote traditional stereotypical views in relation to contraception, abor tion, sex education for young people and The Catholic Church in particular seeks to contro our lives and our sexuality. and organisations such as ramily Solidarity have views on homosexuality range from the patronis. ing and arrogant to the downright chill' homosexual acts are legalised, the likelihood is that this will be interpreted as a major reversal in social policy, and as recognition by society that for those who are so inclined, engaging in these unnatural, unhealthy acts is now to be seen as a right...
[Legislative reform] would send shock waves through every part of society, thestructure of marriage and the family would be interfered with, the rights of children and their parents violated, and the freedom and autonomy of religious institutions and schools would be seriously breached! (Family Solidarity News, Spring 1991)
In short, the end of civilisation as we know it because of men loving men and women loving women! Such attitudes based on intolerance, misinformation and fear, serve only to demonise gays and lesbians in peoples minds, evoking images of depraved men and women wreaking havoc throughout society.
While state oppression adversely affects the quality of life for gays/lesbians; but we also face oppression daily from family, comrades, neighbours and friends due to the irrational fear of and most direct expressions of such homophobia are insults, derision and threatened or actual violence. Indirect expressions are sometimes harder to pin down but are nonetheless iust as oftensive: the pressures to be what you are but keep it secret and don't rock the boat.
this is nothing short of moral black® mail as it is usually accompanied by "What will the family think?', or, "It will harm the Move ment/struggle. Thus gays/lesbians are forced into invisibility within both the community and the Republican Movement, and consequently within the struggle. town and village in Ireland.
The key to gay/lesbian liberation lies in the success of the national liberation struggle. The necessity of lesbian and gay participation is stressed by those inrolved in other wars of liberation. Simon Nkoli, a gay activist involved in the Delmas treason trial in South Africa in 1986, says:
There are lots of gay activists involved in politics, but because of the pressure put upon the gay and lesbian community we are afraid to come out. "What will people think if they know I'm gay? i'd better fight against apartheid in a hidden way."
Ene danger as that when south Alrica is liberated gay people will seem never to a a you do ta go to have taken change in this country, where were you during the battle?
Pd have to come back to them and say, "We were with you but we didn't want you to know we were there." That would be foolish!
Gays and lesbians need to seck each other's strength and support, and of those around us who support our liberation. There is a need for gay/lesbian comrades to discuss together the issues that affect our lives and which retard participation in the struggle.
in isolation we stand alone and inrisible, continuing to be oppressed not mly by the state, but within our own communities. Through mutual reinforcement and support we can break down the isolation and discard the cloak of invisibility that has for too long made a misery of, ana aestroyed, the lves of gays and lesbians.
we can articulate the relevance of gay / lesbian liberation, contront the nomopnoble that faces us and attempt to resolve it through dialogue and discussion. Emis can only be based on logic and facts, not on the myths and mistruths deliberately fed to our people by those who seek to control every aspect of our lives: social, political, culEveryone has a role to play in the stressie dast oppression. Inose wro themselves oppressed have an to the oppression of others. To do otherwise is to deny the essence of the struggle for liberty, equality and justice for To contact the author, write to: B. Mc Clenaghan, A1049, 4 Wing. H Block 8, The Maze, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, Ireland.
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