Throughout the month of June,
communities across the United States celebrate LGBT Pride. Following
are reports on PSL’s participation in Pride activities during the
weekend of June 11-12.
Washington D.C.
On June 11, members of the Party for
Socialism and Liberation joined the contingent sponsored by the
ANSWER Coalition in the Washington, D.C., Capital Pride Parade.
The
parade was part of a full week of activities celebrating pride in the
lesbian, gay, bi and transgender community, the 36th to take place
annually in the District. Organizers of Capitol Pride estimated that
as many as 250,000 people attended the parade and a festival that
took place the next day. Attendees traveled from throughout the
mid-Atlantic region to attend.
The ANSWER Coalition contingent
received cheers as it marched through the parade with signs and
banners supporting equal rights. It was the only contingent in the
parade to lead militant chants, the most popular of which was “Our
civil rights are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight
back!”
The parade’s “Grand Marshal” was a
contingent from the Trevor Project, an organization that works to
prevent LGBT teen suicide. In addition to the bars, restaurants and
corporations who traditionally have floats to advertise as part of
the Pride parade, this year there were also several contingents of
young people, including D.C. Public Schools, Georgetown Day School,
the Gay-Straight Alliance of Montgomery Blair High School, the Latin
American Youth Center – Project STRIPES, and SMYAL – the Sexual
Minorities Youth Assistance League. Other contingents included the
Latino GLBT History Project, several churches, sports teams and LGBT
advocacy organizations.
-PSL DC
Los Angeles
Chants
like, “Up, up, up with equality—down,
down, down with bigotry,” and “Gay, straight, Black,
white—marriage is a
civil right!” could be heard on June 12 as the ANSWER Coalition
and members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation took to the
streets and played an active, and militant role in the Los Angeles
Christopher Street West Parade. With a vibrant multinational
contingent, members of the PSL not only upheld one of the highest
traditions of the Gay Pride Parade with the demands of equality, but
additionally motivated onlookers to step in and join their
contingent. For most of the parade, the contingent was nearly 50
people strong, comprised of college students, young workers and
veterans.
Throughout
the entire parade, the contingent was met with cheers, chants and
countless other messages of solidarity. However, as the PSL neared
the end of the parade route, roughly 5 to 10 bigoted demonstrators
with large signs of hate and oppression, protected by over 15
policemen, attempted to disrupt the parade. With no hesitation,
members of the PSL immediately began to chant, “Bigots, Bigots,
Bigots Go Home!,” and “When bigots say get back, we say
fight back!” As members of the PSL began motivating onlookers
to stand up and fight back, a flash mob of over one hundred people
surrounded the bigots and stood united with members of the PSL.
After
nearly two miles, the PSL finished strong chanting, “What do we
want? Equal rights now!” making clear the demand that all
people, gay, straight, Black, white, documented and undocumented
alike must be provided full equality under the law.
-Ryan
Endicott
Albuquerque
The ANSWER
Coalition
NM contingent, including members of the Party for Socialism and
Liberation, joined forces with the Albuquerque GetEqual Coalition,
forming a huge militant contingent of LGBT multinational youth and
others.
When the group passed by a tiny group of ultra-right bigots,
the contingent turned and marched towards the bigots joined by scores
of people, forcing the Albuquerque police to rescue them. Chants like
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, homophobia’s got to go!” and “They
say get back! We say
fight back!” were greeted with clenched fists and cheers all
along the line of march.
-Preston
Wood
