Jeanne D'Arc-International Liberation Reference Person for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People
LGBTQ People
The oppression of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people is vicious and deadly. Examples of it include
- the recent murders of LGBTQ activists in Chechnya and Bangladesh, to name just a couple of countries;
- the massacre of LGBTQ people and their allies last summer in Orlando, Florida, USA;
- the steady stream of murders of transgender people in the United States.
The fight for LGBTQ rights continues to be a leading-edge civil rights battle. It is important both symbolically, as in no one deserves to be oppressed, and in real-life terms, given the daily dangers LGBTQ people face.
There is an “appearance of progress” through LGBTQ rights legislation—such as for marriage equality and protection against employment discrimination—in a few, mostly wealthy, countries. However, we cannot legislate behavior change. Anti-LGBTQ attitudes persist, as do anti-LGBTQ legislation and open and deadly oppression in many parts of the world. The effects of this oppression continue to show in LGBTQ people’s lives—with higher rates of suicide, isolation, alcohol and drug abuse, poverty, and so on.
You don’t have to agree with someone’s identity or sexuality to agree that it makes sense to stand up against their oppression, wherever and whenever it occurs.
IN THE RC COMMUNITIES
We LGBTQ people are to be deeply respected and loved just as we are.
Our allies in the Communities must realize and remember that, like all humans in this era, we are operating on top of substantial early hurts and isolation, as well as the effects of LGBTQ oppression.
All identities have components of early distress in them, and all identities are expected to be looked at and evaluated using the tools of RC.
We LGBTQ people deserve access to and have made contributions to the resources of Co-Counseling.
The distresses sitting beneath LGBTQ identities as well as heterosexual identities need to be challenged, as all distresses do. When given the right space, LGBTQ people pursue re-emergence, whatever that looks like for them.
IN THE WORLD
The liberation of LGBTQ people depends on the undoing of sexism and male domination, and LGBTQ oppression “enforces” both of these oppressions. Young people are correctly challenging rigidities in terms of gender roles and LGBTQ oppression, but we must remain clear on the need to address sexism and male domination in order to end LGBTQ oppression.
Confusions and fascinations about sex continue to abound in the wide world, and undoing all the distresses connected to sex and closeness continues to be a critical piece of liberation work for all people.
In this era, the pseudo-reality is getting bigger. We are being asked to believe things in the wide world that don’t make sense from an RC standpoint. It is critical that we hold on to our own minds. In the face of things that appear incorrect, we must maintain a default position of respect. We have little hope of reaching people without first respecting them.
The communication of important information depends on building good relationships. This is particularly true when our viewpoint differs from that of the wide world. To be heard requires connection. Without it, communicating disagreement will easily function as oppression.
Closeness is important for all humans. LGBTQ oppression and homophobia—defined as the fear of same-sex closeness—continue to interfere with this for everyone. Thus they interfere with the achievement of liberation for all humans.
THE PROGRAM FOR LGBTQ LIBERATION
The program for LGBTQ liberation in RC is and has been
- Respect for all,
- Ending LGBTQ oppression,
- Ending homophobia,
- Re-emergence for all LGBTQ people, and
- Complete transformation of the planet.