As a social movement makes progress and wins victories, there can be an increased pushback from reactionary forces. Thus, the increased visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer struggle in the United States and its successes, seen in the overturn of the Defense of Marriage Act and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the presence of a strong and visible transgender community have resulted in a rabid assault from reactionary forces in recent years.
Intense attacks on LGBTQ rights in the U.S. are happening right now. Opportunistic archconservatives in several states have been proposing bills that would effectively segregate LGBTQ communities from the rest of the population and deny them access to the most basic means of survival. However, media and as well as mainstream gay activist groups within the U.S. are turning a blind eye to the unjust laws being drafted and already enacted in the U.S., focusing their ire only on Russia’s equally heinous anti-gay laws.
In Kansas, anti-gay House Bill 2453, which would permit any business or individual to refuse service to gay couples on the basis of religious beliefs, was passed by the House on February 12. This bill would have in essence allowed the segregation of gay couples under the guise of protecting religious “freedom”. A restaurant could deny service and even put up a “No Gays Allowed!” sign. Paramedics or firefighters could refuse help in emergencies. Fortunately, due to backpedaling by the right-wingers, the bill died in the Kansas Senate. However, it is important to analyze its significance. Even though the bill targeted gay couples, there is no doubt it would have been used against any LGBTQ individual, or even anyone perceived to be queer in any way. The bill, which would have protected those doing the discrimination from potential lawsuits, is strikingly similar to the Jim Crow racial segregation laws.
Another attack by reactionaries, the TN Senate Bill 2566 “Turn Away The Gays” Bill, was stopped in Tennessee as a result of public fightback against it. The bill would have allowed for businesses to deny service to LGBTQ individuals based on conflict with religious beliefs. Reactionaries in South Dakota and Idaho have proposed similar “Turn Away The Gays” bills protecting individuals and businesses “right” to refuse service and even emergency aid. On Feb. 13, the reactionary attacks in Kansas, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Idaho were all stopped dead.
Efforts must now turn towards Arizona, where Senate Bill 1062 has passed in the Senate and House. Arizona racists and bigots have been persistent in their attacks on oppressed groups as exemplified by the notorious SB 1070 which mandates racial profiling of immigrants. The state has attempted to pass a law requiring transgender people to carry papers proving that they have undergone expensive and inaccessible reassignment surgery in order to use public restrooms. Now, reactionaries in Arizona are trying to pass a broader LGBTQ discrimination bill similar to those defeated in Kansas, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Idaho. Senate Bill 1062 must be stopped. In Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, laws are already in place forbidding teaching about homosexuality in public schools.
Not only do these laws forbid advocating and educating about homosexuality, similar to the Russian laws, but in some states they go a step further and mandate denouncing it. If homosexuality is brought up, teachers are forced to falsely instruct students that it is an unnatural, dangerous “lifestyle”. These oppressive laws were passed under the guise of “protecting” children and youths. Laws of this nature protect no one, and only serve to harm and oppress LGBTQ children by erasing queer voices and existences from education. As with the attempted attacks in Kansas and Tennessee, the desire to protect religious freedom cannot be used as a platform to legalize discrimination.
The media attention currently given to Russia and its anti-gay law is being used as a hypocritical diversion by the imperialist ruling class, designed to drum up hatred for Russia, which maintains a stance independent of U.S. imperialism. Elements of the U.S. ruling forces also denounce the Russian law to seem progressive and stay in stride with LGBTQ victories here. At the same time they seem to have no objection to the attacks on LGBTQ rights within the U.S. We must defend the rights we have won and block any laws or lies that would divide us.
