[lbo-talk] the other diversities

Marv Gandall marvgandall at videotron.ca
Thu Oct 15 13:25:17 PDT 2009


Dennis Claxton wrote:


>> At 06:59 AM 10/15/2009, Marv Gandall wrote:
>>
>>>The trade union federations and representative organizations of women
>>> and
>>>blacks have rarely if ever come into conflict over their respective
>>>programmes for change
>>
>> Except for things like blacks being excluded from unions.

Shag added:


> or the refusal to organize *gasp* sex workers. For one dweeb on the
> Marxist list it was all about whether or not sex workers were engaged
> in productive labor. since their's was reproductive labor, sorry
> sistahs!
===================================== No one is disputing that there are racist and sexist trade unionists, homophobic blacks, and feminists who disdain the working class.

I don't know what segregationist union(s) Dennis is referring to, but:

a) none of the major labour, black, or women's organizations to my knowledge have taken positions against initiatives taken by the others, but have more commonly endorsed and participated in coalitions to advance their respective programmes; and

b) they have done so despite racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-union prejudices within their ranks, which has has necessarily required that they address these issues through their publications, conferences, and other forms of internal education.

You would hardly know this from the tenor of the debates over class and identity politics in academic and left-wing circles.



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