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SW Online's ongoing coverage and analysis
The struggle for gay and lesbian rights



 

SUBJECTS BELOW:
Gay marriage is a civil right
Gay politics today
Should we look to the Democrats?
Fighting for liberation

LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Who's being excluded from equal rights?
Thirty-three years have passed since legislation to end discrimination against gays in the workplace was first proposed in Congress--in 1974.

GAY MARRIAGE IS A CIVIL RIGHT

Massachusetts set to make history with same-sex marriage licenses
Why gay marriage is a civil right
The state of Massachusetts is set to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples May 17--which will make it the first state in U.S. history to do so.

Republicans and Democrats preach "family values" hypocrisy
Behind the attack on gay marriage
Socialist Worker looks at the roots of the right wing's offensive against the right of gays and lesbians to marry.

We won't accept any "separate but equal" compromises
Birth of a new movement for civil rights
For our voices to be heard, we have to organize--in our communities, workplaces and schools--to turn up the heat on politicians who are dragging their feet on gay marriage.

Gays and lesbians stand up to bigots over right to marry
"Getting off the back of the bus"
Thousands of gay and lesbian couples were married in San Francisco in defiance of California state law--part of an outpouring of action around the country as gays and lesbians stood up for their rights.

Schwarzenegger vetoes landmark gay marriage law
Equal rights denied
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to veto landmark legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage ban ruled unconstitutional
The fight for gay marriage breaks out in New York
A New York judge ruled that the state's Domestic Relations Law--which prohibits gay and lesbian couples from marrying--is unconstitutional.

Scapegoated by the Democrats
Without Ralph Nader to scapegoat, it became clear that pushy gays and lesbians would be publicly reviled by Democrats--for having the audacity to seek equal marriage rights.

GAY POLITICS TODAY

General's comments push issue back into spotlight
The "don't ask" disaster
The sentiment exists for demanding an end to "don't ask, don't tell" and the back-of-the-bus compromises on same-sex marriage.

With Bush on the attack, but public opinion polls shifting...
Are gays and lesbians better off?
In the aftermath of this summer's Supreme Court ruling which finally struck down anti-sodomy laws, many ask whether there has been much progress for gays and lesbians.

The secret behind the new gay-themed TV
Same old stereotypes
Are gay men taking over television? That seems to be the recent buzz in the media--prompted primarily by two new shows on the Bravo cable network: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Boy Meets Boy.

Bush leads the way in spewing bigotry against gays and lesbians
Hypocrites on the loose
The right-wing hypocrites in Washington are frothing at the mouth about same-sex marriage--and George W. Bush is leading the way.

SHOULD WE LOOK TO THE DEMOCRATS?

The case against "Anybody But Bush"
Should we vote for the pro-war, pro-occupation, pro-USA PATRIOT Act, pro-NAFTA, anti-gay marriage Democrat? Socialist Worker answers the arguments of the "Anybody But Bush" progressives.

Who's standing in the way of gay marriage?
Supporters of gay marriage are finding that, in many cases, their main opposition comes from Democrats--including those with liberal reputations.

His "opposition" depends on which way the wind is blowing
Why John Kerry doesn't deserve your support
Kerry's emergence last week as the Democrats' certain presidential nominee guarantees that the White House will be occupied by a loyal member of the ruling establishment who agrees on most of what happened in Washington under Bush.

Is the left better off with a Democrat in the White House?
The politics of the "lesser evil"
It's a common-sense idea among people who stand for progressive causes that having a Democrat in the White House is better for our side. But the common sense is wrong.

The real record of the last Democrat in the White House
The broken promises of Bill Clinton
When Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, many people hoped he would bring real change after 12 years of Republicans in the White House. But over the next eight years, Clinton left behind a trail of broken promises.

FIGHTING FOR LIBERATION

The pessimism of identity politics
By "celebrating difference" to the point of accepting barriers among the oppressed and exploited, supporters of identity politics embrace their isolation from allies that could help in challenging injustice.

They divide both to conquer each
The world is full of divisions, where groups of people are treated as second-class citizens because of some characteristic. These divisions appear to be "natural," but a closer look reveals that such oppression is deliberately fostered.

Can we end bigotry through education?
Many people outraged by racism, sexism or anti-gay bigotry believe that the solution is more "education"--in the form of diversity programs, for instance. But can education overcome bigotry?

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