TEN years ago this month the patrons of the Stonewall bar in Christopher Street, York's gay fought the police on three successive days in fury at the harassment and violence that they had suffered.
Last month, 5000 Fransisco stormed the City Hall and burned police cars in protest at the milf sentence ejven to the murderer ol the city's gay councillor, Harvey Milk Ine biggest eruption American city since the black rebellions of the late 60s.
In the ten years that separate these two outbursts, the organised changes. In this article we examine the new class struggle methods that are increasingly coming te the fore in the struggle for gay rights. Attacks New methods of struggle have had to emerge over the last two or three vears. as the nace and scale of attack. on lesbians and gay men in the imperialist countries has sharply increased.
These attacks have not mainly come from the governments, or from the organisations of big capital.
Rather. middle-class reaction has risen up,. alarmed by crisis, horrified by the disintegration of the family and the rebellion young people, and has vented its wrath, if not on the cause, at least on a. symptom 'malaise' increasingly open existence of gays. Traditional The cadres who social tabric of canitalism headteachers, magistrates, activists and police — have in their various ways sought to turn back the Clock.
The seriousness of the new attacks has pointed to the inadequacy of some of the traditional strategies of the gay movement. They have made it clear produce ever increasing ment and liberalisation. lobbying can suddenly enclave, massively irrelevant.
CULELIULS something broadening by gays in San challenged by Contrast in an action, involving gay movement.
The contrast her notorious Save On opposed her prevented canvassing meetings.
The the economic shocked gay people. Coalitions the lesson of Miami had been learnt. right the church for which they But thạt militant campaigns FORCE GAY