The importance of intersectionality in the fight for Queer liberation

Queer liberation movements have historically not existed in isolation. Solidarity between marginalised groups has been integral to enacting social change in the past, and the continued fight for Queer liberation is a collective struggle strengthened by collaboration. 

For example, the AIDS crisis demonstrated solidarity between lesbian and gay communities, thanks to the pivotal role of lesbians as caregivers and activists. The organisation of blood drives, such as the San Diego Blood Sisters, offered crucial donations and compassion for AIDS patients. Many gay men felt abandoned by their families and friends during this time, isolated by the disease’s stigma which was fuelled by the portrayal of AIDS in the media and government rhetoric. Through the emotional support and compassion of lesbians that volunteered in hospice care, patients were humanised and cared for in a way that society had otherwise denied them. 

The Black Panther Party also demonstrated solidarity with the Queer community by setting up a variety of social programmes in the 1960s and 70s, such as community education and screening of sickle cell anemia. This model of community-based healthcare extended to education on AIDS as well as compassionate care for individuals with AIDS. 

In the AIDS crisis, the unique experiences of the Black Queer community demonstrated that the intersection between race and sexuality is not one that can be separated or overlooked in the fight for Queer liberation. AIDS was first identified in America in 1981 and, just two years later, Black people made up over a quarter of those diagnosed with AIDS in the United States. However, the earliest gay advocacy groups often grew out of white social networks and the dominant narrative throughout the 1980s and 90s was that AIDS was a “white boy’s disease”. This narrative was detrimental to Black communities who were left unrepresented in AIDS prevention campaigns and suffered from a subsequent lack of resources and outreach. Black Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, which can be partly traced to white male AIDS organisations’ shortfall in reaching beyond their networks to marginalised communities. 

In Britain, the importance of solidarity is beautifully demonstrated in the organisation of London Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) in the mining community of Dulais, Wales. It was formed by Mark Ashton and Mike Jackson after they began fundraising at the 1984 Pride march in London in support of the coalminers striking against pit closures nationally. Through the actions of LGSM, over £20,000 was raised for the striking miners and their families. 

This alliance appealed to the shared struggles that both groups were facing, with a particular emphasis on mistreatment by the police and their vilification within the media. Police mistreatment in Britain was prevalent against the LGBTQ+ community throughout the 1970s and 1980s. This included raids of the community spaces that members of the LGSM occupied and fundraised. Similarly, there was a constant police presence in mining villages during the 1984-85 national strike. 

By recognising these governmental structures of oppression, a mutual solidarity grew between the labour movement and the LGBTQ+ community, even after the end of the national strike. The support of the National Union of Mineworkers committed the Labour Party to supporting LGBTQ+ rights, which was an instrumental political change for the Queer community in Britain. Through understanding this history of intersectional activism, we can see the importance of mutual solidarity in enacting political change for Queer people and fellow minorities. 

On campus, the importance of collective liberation is highlighted by the uniting of different societies towards a range of social movements to enact meaningful change in a group dubbed the ‘liberation societies’ or ‘libsocs’. Many of these societies came together to support the Queer cause in directly challenging the University’s controversial Trans Inclusion Policy last year, by boycotting the University’s Pride Month. The statement by Warwick’s Queer societies (including PLAN, Pride, and Trans* soc, among others) was additionally signed by a number of other societies (including Climate Justice, Anti-Racism, Action for Palestine, and Animal Rights, among many others) illustrating the importance of collective solidarity on campus. 

The University’s ‘draft’ change to the Trans Inclusion Code of Conduct Policy forced trans* students and staff to use either gender-neutral toilets or those consistent with their assigned sex at birth, which threatened to isolate and put the trans* community at Warwick in danger at a time of heightened transphobic rhetoric. As the boycott of Warwick’s Pride events emphasised, Queer liberation must include trans* voices rather than treating them as secondary or expendable. It demonstrated the impact that student societies can have in fostering an environment of belonging for all Queer people on campus, for both students and staff. 

The recognition of intersectional discrimination is vital in the ongoing fight for Queer liberation because it must be seen as a collective fight for all Queer individuals. The experiences of Queer people are profoundly impacted by their diverse backgrounds, including race, class and gender. Stonewall reported that, in 2022, half of LGBTQ+ people of colour faced discrimination or poor treatment from the wider LGBTQ+ community in Britain. Trans* people of colour also experience more transphobia from healthcare providers than their white counterparts. These shocking figures demonstrate that systems of oppression are not experienced in the same way throughout the Queer community and they continue to disproportionately affect marginalised communities. In order to include all Queer individuals within our struggle for Queer liberation, solidarity must be the foundation.

Image: Michael Kazarnowicz / Flickr