On Saturday, July 16, there was an online discussion about queer topics
related to anarcho-syndicalist struggles in the workplace. Friends fromthe organizations of the International Workers' Association (MAP) fromPoland (ZSP), Slovakia (PA), the United Kingdom (SF), Serbia (ASI) andthe USA (WSA) joined it. The main goal was to share experiences fromprevious battles and activities. ---- SF have already participated insuccessful campaigns regarding healthcare for transgender people. Healso has a leaflet on the topic called "The Trans Issue is a ClassIssue" and plans to publish an extensive pamphlet on radical queerstruggles around the world. In the case of the UK, direct action methodsseem to be much easier to use at a local level than at a national level,and some fights have been won this way within days. In recent years,however, the situation of queer people (especially transgender people)has worsened. Although traditional unions are trying to gain newmembership among trans workers and pretend to welcome them. However, thepolitical party that directly supports the unions (the Labor Party)opposes trans people. It's worth noting, however, that according to SFpeople, the trans movement is becoming more and more a class movement.On the other hand, we were not very surprised that exploitation is notuncommon even in queer places (such as gay bars) and is often downplayedwith the words that "we are in the same boat". Similar things happen topeople working in alternative and supposedly anti-capitalist bars inmany countries (see, for example, the dispute of the WAS union:https://priamaakcia.sk/Zvaz-WAS-uspel-v-spore-s-gastroprevadzkou-Tuwi-.html). SF do organizing training in workplaces and even managed to organizein a gay bar in Brighton, although it wasn't a discrimination issue. Abig and class-related topic is health care. As a SF member noted, "whenyou have money and you're trans, a lot of problems are beyond you."A WSA member from the USA shared her experience with problems in herworkplace where managers influenced workers to such an extent that itwas impossible to find common ground among workers to solve issuesrelated to queer people.ZSP is discussing potential campaigns related to transgender issues inPoland, and after a large number of successful campaigns at workplaces,it plans to start the first battles in this area. The union has prepareda brochure on problems in the workplace, but realizes that queerstruggles are often related to discrimination, are more demanding andcannot be addressed using direct action methods in the same way as, forexample, unpaid wages. In addition, similar to Slovakia, many rights inPoland are tied to the institution of marriage. Persons undergoingtransition who are also married are forced by the state to divorce (andthereby lose many rights - e.g. access to health records, benefits atwork...). When it comes to gender reassignment, Polish law is quitepeculiar because you have to sue your parents for choosing the wronggender at birth. The court then analyzes each person's situation,various medical opinions are taken into account, and all this sensitiveand private information is also provided to the parents. In Poland,however, it is the only option for a successful transition.A member of the ASI union from Serbia explained the dual situation inthe country. Serbia has become known for its queer-positive approach,which is also largely trans-positive (the first such laws were passedabout 30 years ago). Even the Orthodox Church, though otherwiseconservative, accepts transgender people. A well-known Serbian armymajor is trans and the prime minister is a lesbian. However, homophobiais still present in society and institutions. In such a situation, it isnoticeable that the direction of discussions is rather determined bypeople from the upper class.Regarding the situation in Slovakia, we explained that although we havenot yet been involved in any dispute related to queer issues, many queerpeople attend PA open meetings. This also led us to adjust the rules atmeetings to make them a safer space. Recently, we also participated inqueer feminist demonstrations (after the terrorist attack against queerpeople in Bratislava last fall, against the law making transitionimpossible, etc.). In the first half of 2023, we also organizedworkshops on topics such as a collective approach to self-defense,gender in the Slovak language and methods of dominance, which were notspecifically aimed at queer people, but were attended by many of ourqueer friends. As for workplace struggles, there are queer-related NGOsand legal advice, but neither we nor the people we spoke to have yetheard of workplace disputes.We also discussed rainbow marches and the fact that corporations areincreasingly present in them. ZSP members explained again why it wasimportant for ZSP to participate in this year's Equality March as partof the anti-capitalist bloc (for more info, seehttps://priamaakcia.sk/V-kapitalizme-neexistuje-rovnost-.html). Agreater presence of companies during rainbow marches is also the case inSlovakia, but anti-capitalist queer blocs are not usually part of them.In the United Kingdom, the situation is different. A member of the SFunion mentioned that they are organizing a transgender pride march inBristol, which is radical. However, the rainbow march in London is alarge event sponsored by, for example, oil or arms companies supportingregimes that oppress queer people. In this context, she mentionedpink-washing, i.e. public support of queer people as a distraction fromtheir own practices or the development of violence against them or othermarginalized groups. She also added that when climate activists blockedthe rainbow march in London this year, people applauded the police whotook action against them...In connection with transgenderism, other points of discussion wereTERFs, i.e. feminists who exclude transgender people. For example, inPoland most of the hatred within the left comes from feminists, while inSlovakia TERFs are basically non-existent. Next, we talked about theproblems associated with the name change and the approach of employers.ZSP mentioned that there are employers who refuse to use the preferredname of transgender people if the change has not been officiallyrecognized. Gender-neutral toilets in workplaces and in public are alsoan important and often ridiculed topic, the (non)existence of whichseriously affects the everyday life of transgender people.We are pleased to see that anarcho-syndicalist organizations in MAP areactive in queer issues and trying to find ways to fight for queerdemands and also ways for queer people to support and engage inanarcho-syndicalist struggles. And it's also great to see that indifferent countries, young people have more radical attitudes, that theyexpress dissatisfaction with the queer approaches of the mainstream andmany NGOs, and are close to class and anti-capitalist attitudes.Union Direct Actionhttps://www.priamaakcia.sk/Online-stretnutie-MAP-Kvir-situacia-a-boje-na-pracoviskach-v-roznych-krajinac.html_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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