The forgotten gay population

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"'Coming out' is a huge problem for most gay people" women chel sexua prowess and Г -But, in general, mixed promiscuity, whilst father- sociery, geared to the groups become dominated ing 'their' children. Those possessive male, is not Send £6 lor £2 unwaged, £9 couples, £3 students) to CND Membership, FREEPOST, London N4 3BR (no stamp needed), or to Sccttish CND, 420 Sauchiehall St., Glasgow YOU don't have to look back many years to find socialists who viewed homosexuality as an aberration produced by the distortions of life under conditions of economic exploitation by the bosses; and an aberration hardly to be tolerated.

Now that the Left realise that gay people won't become straight when economic structures change, demands for ending gay oppression are taken more seriously by socialists. However, too many people still explain gay and other oppression as 'divide and rule' tools created by capitalism. The answer is just change the economy and that will remove all oppression and power relationships.

Forget Thus we can effectively forget the need to organise against sexism and gay oppression for now, and follow the straight, white men in their endeavour for socialism. Gay oppression can be pushed aside; barely understood, but in a neat package to be dealt with later (perhaps).

Because of the insensi- front, and the problems tivity and the plain bigotry of many socialists, it inate in discussion. oppression of gays is to be overcome (within the the largest circulation, labour movement as well as in society), it must be managed to devote a couple gays ourselves who are at the front of the struggle, supported, on our terms, by others. And to be effective, readers protesting we must understand the problems in organising for •The rush of maleness gay liberation. A basic problem is sexism. when turning its pages.

While it is obviously worse for black and work- comes across at gay meeting class women, it is true ings: any lesbian attending to say that all men have can so easily be intimidated power over all women, and alienated by the outregardless of class. Gay and-out misogynism movements are no excep- some men, or the sense tion - men are at the forelal all wultu just artl l worth bothering with. It's faced by gay men predom- not surprising that many lesbians organise within The gay publication with the women's movement and find support in Gay News, only last year women's groups, contrast with the isolation of its pages to 'Visible thar feel in often camiLesbian , and contains hostile, male-dominated angry letters from (male)

gay groups. interfering, about All this is not to say that women with gay men uppress itsuidis (and all women). more than the writers expect to feel straight men do. Obviously, some gay men, perhaps This same attitude often through the experience of their own oppression, are acutely sensitive to the power they can hold over vy men, wild inen utunug the nature of that group (and defining the women within it), men taking the lead and speaking much more than women, and women feeling intimidated and passive, if men have thair war This is why wo waLJ TY C suppor* positive discrimination for women at every opportunity.

straight ment, äs ule Adminild beneficiaries of a patriarchal society, have defined sexuality: Patriarchy entails rigid sex roles for men and women. Men are expected to be actively heterosexual, boasting tha nit Mary Gallagher argues that 'socialists must be careful to listen to what lesbians have to say' who 'deviate' from, and pose a threat to this happy lifestyle are punished accordingly by being outcast and discriminated Women must be submissive, pure, innocent and hopelessly devoted to their macho master and 'his' children. Their heterosexuality should be hidden or they will be branded a whore. How much harder it is for lesbians and bisexual women to express and explore our sexuality.

And if a lesbian has child, the law does its utmost to take away her custody of her/him, as she must: he 'corruntino' influence on the child. (And WYAA we already know that when men err, the mother is to blame!). Lesbians demonstrate to men that they don't need them women can be quite independent from men. and in pleased.

Society has tried to overlook the fact that women can be gay, so when women come out, and crack this facade, society's wrath knows no bounds!

The male gay scene, although it is an anomaly and a threat to patriarchal values and the 'healthy' continuation of class society, largely maintains assumptions of male superiority. Heads would turn in a number of the gay pubs, clubs and discos if a group of lesbians came in. The role playing in which many gay men participate, and the humour. which has appeared - - 'camp', 'queen' ', 'slag', 'bitch' spring from male definitions of sex roles. In fact, it's bloody sexist.

Too often when gay oppression is discussed, it is gay men's oppression, and not lesbian oppression that is focussed upon. This is partly a result of campaigns which concentrate on trying to change specifically anti-gay laws priority Laws against Sex' Sutcliffe's review SO 113 discusses the legislative discrimination against gay men).

Lesbians • are not even recognised by the lar (not that we're requesting to be made illegal!), which has implied that for women there is no choice from heterosexuality, and trivialises women's sexuality. Although there are specific laws against lesbians, women in general suffer under repressive legislation, which in some instances is analagous to anti-gay law.

For example, it is illegal for women to solicit men, as it is for men to solicit men, althugh the law seems happy for men to solicit women!

Gay oppression takes on many forms other than in a legal context: economically, if you're gay, you car lose your job tor simply being. gay; ideologically. you tace problems all the time because of society s

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