>Charles writes:
>> If in your political activism for gay liberation you ignore the impact
>>of your activism on other liberation movements, you will be categorized
>>as a rightwing, gay liberationist.
>I criticize, therefore I am rightwing? LOL
>>Your public criticism of Cuba on gay rights will be used to support
>>invasion, blockade, etc. It will be used to bolster the claim that it is
>>terrible, anti-democratic country.
>I can hear it now:
>"Mr. President. Brian that Buddhist faggot has reported that there is
>queer
>oppression in Cuba."
>""Well, damn it Condi. We're going to have to do something right away.
>Can't let queer folk be oppressed. We are going to have to go nucklar on
>Castro's ass."
Funny about what goes around, comes around. There was a dust-up in the past on LBO involving Nathan and Doug regarding a petition detailing the jailing of reporters and/or political activists. The arguments then went roughly along the same lines as this. One side all gung-ho for attacking Cuba's human rights record, possible consequences be damned as to how such a thing might be used by a group like BushCo, while the other side questioned the wisdom of such a move at that particular time (if I recall correctly).
For all that I think Charles goes a bit over the top here:
"If in your political activism for gay liberation you ignore the impact of your activism on other liberation movements, you will be categorized as a rightwing, gay liberationist. You won't have left allies in whatever specific efforts and activities ( rallies, protests , etc) you undertake trying to impact Cuba's policies on gay rights. In other words, look around you. There are constant attacks on Cuba by the rightwing and liberals. Your public criticism of Cuba on gay rights will be used to support invasion, blockade ,etc. It will be used to bolster the claim that it is terrible ,anti-democratic country. Thus, your public attacks on Cuba on gay issues is likely to cause the Cubans to group you with the rightwing and liberals AND THEREBY IGNORE AND REJECT YOUR PROTEST. In other words, practically speaking you are less likely to achieve your goal of improving gay rights in Cuba by making your protest public. You will be lumped with that author whose book was made a film that Todd posted on. Your arguments for gay liberation will be bourgeois, and rejected on that basis. If you think that type of attack will help gay rights in Cuba, I think you are wrong."
It's something that has to be kept in mind: how far certain lefties can comfortably go in their criticism of other projects or sections of the left, when we all know how fragile our (modest) gains are.
Joking about that worry can be about as helpful as fag jokes at a pink triangle march.
>Are you saying that Cubans automatically group with the rightwingers anyone
>who criticizes them, even if that person supports them in other areas? Are
>they that phobic?
Most people have difficulty keeping straight in their heads mixed barrages of criticism and praise, whether they're coming or going.
"Professional lefties" even have difficulty with that (as witnessed on this list); how do you expect someone not so used to nuance to act? Especially when things start appearing stark, such as a possible American invasion of Cuba by a belligerent US, headed by a group of people who don't seem to need much in the way of justification to launch assaults unprovoked.
While Bush and his cronies certainly don't need a justification to attack Cuba, how do you think you'd feel if they did invade, using the pretext of helping gays (not that I think that particular pretext would be used by this administration, but it'd help them, no)?
>>Praising the Cuban revolution is very important in order to try and win
>>people to support it and end the U.S. blockade, retain hope among leftists
>>that socialism hasn't been wiped out in the world. Praise for its
>>socialism
>>should not be silenced for its shortcomings with respect to gay
>>liberation.
>As I wrote before it should be praised for what it got right and criticized
>for
>what it got/gets wrong.
Fine. Now timing's the issue . . . .
If one is going to be part (even self-proclaimed, like myself) of some movement (for any purpose), I think there does have to come a time when one has to learn the fine act of balancing various agendas under certain circumstances ie learning when and how to shut up and speak out and what specifically to say. Just charging ahead willy-nilly might cause more harm than good (God help me! Now I'm channeling Nathan!).
>>I don't have statements from Castro individually on homosexuality.
>He has gotten better over the years. A Castro sampler:
Castro's as much a politician as Bush. He'll say what he thinks he can get away with, or what's needed for the moment. And Bush doesn't have a real Damocletian sword over his head . . . .
>>Castro and Cuba have been criticized by Yankee leftists who support them
>>overall. To repeat, leftists _should_ blunt their public criticism because
>>it feeds into the gigantic, anti-communist, anti-Cuban rev discourse that
>>dominates Yankeedom, and threatens invasion, causes the blockade, etc.
>I understand your point, but disagree. This is the same logic (or
>non-logic) that
>demands queers present a "happy face" to non-queers so we can get
>our rights: no trannies, no bulldaggers, no leathermen, no radical faeries.
>I just don't buy it. If the cost of queer rights is to "emulate" hets,
>then heterosexuality
>is reinforced as the dominant gender/sex path. Queers will have no
>freedom.
Pardon my being short, but welcome to the World, baby boy. Hopefully, as time goes on, spaces will open up. Spaces have opened up for other people who were once rejected or were powerless. Maybe bulldaggers are next . . . .
>> What is your queer theory?
>Well, I am working on a longer post
This I'll definately be interested in reading.
Todd
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