The struggle for sexual liberties has resumed

by Enzo Cucco

(24.05.88)

ABSTRACT: The demonstration of 30 April 1988 in London to protest against the British law that forbids local boards from "intentionally promoting homosexuality".
(Radical News N. 107 of 24 May 1988)

"I would never have imagined to be here today, in Great Britain, to struggle with you for the respect of the civil rights of gays and lesbians, after almost twenty years of struggles in Italy and in the world for the same rights, looking at your country as an example of civilization and democracy".
This is how the First Secretary of the Radical Party, Sergio Stanzani (1), opened his speech in front of the 30.000 people who demonstrated in London last 30 April against "section 28" of the Local Government Act 1988. The Radical Party, with its secretary and the Italian deputy Massimo Teodori (2), together with about thirty radical comrades from Brussels and a delegation of the Fuori! (3) participated in the greatest demonstration for homosexuals and lesbians ever to have been held in Great Britain and Europe.
Stanzani opened the official speeches at the end of the demonstration, after marching at the head of the procession behind the banner "Equal rights for all", together with the highest representatives of the campaign against Section 28: Labour MP Chris Smith, soap opera actor Michael Cashman - extremely well-known in England - the leaders of the gay and lesbian movements.
The demonstration was endorsed by exponents of the British culture and art, such as pop singer Boy George, actresses Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson, actor Ian Mcxellan, political leaders Neil Kinnock and David Steel, and the representatives of the manifesto of 120 artists against section 28, including Donald Sutherland and David Hockney.
The Radical Party's delegation met in London with the representatives of the gay movements, the representatives of the National Council for Civil Liberties (the most important British civil rights organization), and the representative of the artists' manifesto against section 28. Section 28 becomes effective throughout Great Britain as of the month of May. This rule lays down the prohibition, for all local administrations, to carry out any type of activity "intentionally promoting" homosexuality. In other words - considering the ample powers in the field of welfare, support of cultural and social activities, and above all management of services and school education - local boards can actually refuse to issue licences to declared gay places, or withdraw them if they have already been issued; they can deny all help to gay organizations and authorizations for public demonstrations; censor all type of innovative information on homosexuality and sexuality that could be attempted in schools, possibly expelling teachers who declare their homosexuality (a case of this kind has occurred some time ago; the victim was a Bradford teacher, Austin Allen), or "cleaning up" libraries from texts considered suspicious.
Every type of limitation of civil liberties is justified thanks to the ambiguity of the word "promotion", which, in the intentions of those who proposes it, should be seen as promotion of homosexuality tout court, both among consenting adults or not, with particular reference to the "supposed" family dimension relations between homosexuals can assume. And with the explicit intention of checking the spread of AIDS also with this prohibition.
The demonstration of 30 April, apart from the authentic enthusiasm for the presence of the Radical Party and of the Fuori!, was a demonstration with very little "folklore" and joy, which have always been typical of gay demonstrations. The atmosphere was full of tension, anger and a widespread feeling of having lost an important battle, the beginning of a new period of forced clandestinity and of explicit moral condemnation. The importance of the radical presence in the London demonstration lies precisely here: in the fact of having been capable of grasping the changes of history, for the best or for the worst. The passage of such rule in Great Britain, the berth pf democracy and civil rights, is a serious sign of a reprise in Europe of racism, prejudice and discrimination, which affects different people above all, and therefore the fundamental rights of the human being. The season of the battles for the sexual liberties of people has resumed, in Italy, in Europe and in the world.

Translator's notes

(1) STANZANI GHEDINI SERGIO AUGUSTO. (Bologna 1923). Exponent of the Italian Students Association in the '50s, among the founders of the Radical Party. Senator and member of Parliament, currently secretary of the Radical Party. Former IRI executive. Engineer.

(2) TEODORI MASSIMO. (Force 1938). Italian member of Parliament and senator. Among the founders of the Italian Communist Party. Architecture graduate, professor of American history at the State University, at the John Hopkins University and at the LUISS. In Parliament he has focussed on the problems relative to the greatest political scandals. Expert in electoral techniques.

(3) FUORI! Italian Revolutionary Homosexual Unitarian Front. The association, created in the mid seventies, played an important role in the campaigns for sexual emancipation. At the moment a similar role is carried out by the ARCI-Gay, from inside the institutions.