“Liberty” under capitalism is freedom to exploit and hold private property. The police, as an instrument of class rule defend businesses (who probably have insurance anyway) from “rioters” who are simply expressing anger at the unjust killing by police. The people that are killed by police are almost always poor, having no property to compel the state to protect them. We can compare over a thousand dead at the hands of US police a year to only nineteen in the history of the People’s Republic of China. Which one is more “authoritarian?”
Fine let’s talk LGBT+ rights in particular. Communists have always been at the forefront of the struggle for LGBT+ rights. The USSR took homosexuality out of the criminal code in 1922. East Germany legalized homosexuality in the ‘50s. The Supreme Court of the GDR ruled:
spoiler
“HOMOSEXUALITY, JUST LIKE HETEROSEXUALITY, REPRESENTS A VARIANT OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE DO THEREFORE NOT STAND OUTSIDE SOCIALIST SOCIETY, AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ARE WARRANTED TO THEM EXACTLY AS TO ALL OTHER CITIZENS.”
Here’s a quote from something I don’t know the source of:
spoiler
“Now that East and West Germany are being united into one country, the laws concerning transsexuals and sex change operations are being re-evaluated. East Germany scores higher on transsexual rights than West Germany, but East Germany’s more humane laws may not prevail in the new reunited country. As it stands now in East Germany, men and women 18 years and older have been able to receive govern-ment-sponsored sex reassignment surgery, get married and adopt children. According to Professor Goerlich of East Germany, who spoke at a meeting on the subject in Hamburg, in two cases a transsexual mother gained custody of her adopted children after a divorce. Goerlich plans to fight to retain these more liberal laws in the future Germany.”
In addition a quote from (afaik) ‘why women have better sex under socialism:’
spoiler
sexual partners on average) than West Germans (dpa, 19906). Another study indicated that East German women typically enjoyed sex much more (with a 70% orgasm rate), at least partially because communism allowed East German women to feel equal, far more independent, and far less oppressed (Kleinschmid, 1985).
Let’s compare that to the US. Here, we are literally on step 8 of trans genocide.
A decent amount this country is obsessed with scapegoating and fear-mongering about us. If you’re born in the wrong household you may be kicked out to the streets for not being born the normative way. If you live in the wrong state you will be subject to genital inspections by schools if you’re too good at sports. At this point they are even trying to detransition people. Nazis harass and threaten people for participating in drag queen story time. Random fascists shoot up gay bars or kill individual trans people. It’s so bad that almost half of trans folk attempt suicide.
Now which one has more “liberty?” The places which still have some progress to make, or the place committing genocide? Which one should the queer American anarchist be spending all their attention on?
“Liberty” under capitalism is freedom to exploit and hold private property. The police, as an instrument of class rule defend businesses (who probably have insurance anyway) from “rioters” who are simply expressing anger at the unjust killing by police. The people that are killed by police are almost always poor, having no property to compel the state to protect them. We can compare over a thousand dead at the hands of US police a year to only nineteen in the history of the People’s Republic of China. Which one is more “authoritarian?”
No, I mean liberty as in the freedom to live your own life, such as my previously mentioned LGBT-free zones
Fine let’s talk LGBT+ rights in particular. Communists have always been at the forefront of the struggle for LGBT+ rights. The USSR took homosexuality out of the criminal code in 1922. East Germany legalized homosexuality in the ‘50s. The Supreme Court of the GDR ruled:
spoiler
“HOMOSEXUALITY, JUST LIKE HETEROSEXUALITY, REPRESENTS A VARIANT OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE DO THEREFORE NOT STAND OUTSIDE SOCIALIST SOCIETY, AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ARE WARRANTED TO THEM EXACTLY AS TO ALL OTHER CITIZENS.”
Here’s a quote from something I don’t know the source of:
spoiler
“Now that East and West Germany are being united into one country, the laws concerning transsexuals and sex change operations are being re-evaluated. East Germany scores higher on transsexual rights than West Germany, but East Germany’s more humane laws may not prevail in the new reunited country. As it stands now in East Germany, men and women 18 years and older have been able to receive govern-ment-sponsored sex reassignment surgery, get married and adopt children. According to Professor Goerlich of East Germany, who spoke at a meeting on the subject in Hamburg, in two cases a transsexual mother gained custody of her adopted children after a divorce. Goerlich plans to fight to retain these more liberal laws in the future Germany.”
In addition a quote from (afaik) ‘why women have better sex under socialism:’
spoiler
sexual partners on average) than West Germans (dpa, 19906). Another study indicated that East German women typically enjoyed sex much more (with a 70% orgasm rate), at least partially because communism allowed East German women to feel equal, far more independent, and far less oppressed (Kleinschmid, 1985).
But let’s not just talk about past socialist experiments, let’s talk about the present. There is lots of mainstream acceptance in Vietnam. China is making progress on trans rights including for youth. China has also made progress in gay rights.Cuba has the world’s most progressive family code. They also have good free trans healthcare.
Let’s compare that to the US. Here, we are literally on step 8 of trans genocide.
A decent amount this country is obsessed with scapegoating and fear-mongering about us. If you’re born in the wrong household you may be kicked out to the streets for not being born the normative way. If you live in the wrong state you will be subject to genital inspections by schools if you’re too good at sports. At this point they are even trying to detransition people. Nazis harass and threaten people for participating in drag queen story time. Random fascists shoot up gay bars or kill individual trans people. It’s so bad that almost half of trans folk attempt suicide.
Now which one has more “liberty?” The places which still have some progress to make, or the place committing genocide? Which one should the queer American anarchist be spending all their attention on?