I'm glad Castro has finally
made this long-denied admission and long-time-coming expression of regret, but he does spoil it a bit when he goes on to say what amounts to "some of my best friends are gay" and "hey, I was too busy fighting capitalism and imperialism to worry about pansies," which I have to say sounds all-too familiar coming from straight white oh-so-lefty guys in my experience, including the ones who would angle for blow jobs after two beers.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky/msg/2c74da2783a60c3e
ReplyDelete---------------------------------------
"The Hidden Hitler," by Lothar MacHthan, is must reading for anyone
seeking to understand the threat of politically organized homosexuality
to the working class. . .
Politicized homosexuality, IMO. . ., always carries
with it a fascist threat. I do not expect that among the "soviet
parties" of which Trotsky speaks, there will be any that contain a
politicized homosexual component.
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http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky/msg/ea955a85decd6516
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Just as when homosexual organizations proclaim that it has
been empirically proven that homosexuality is entirely genetic, and
narcissistically believe that their self-assessment must be accepted by
everyone, many left tendencies feel they must parrot this pseudo-science. . .
Sickness is not as good as health, the presence of a harmful state
is not as good as its absence. . . The objection to normative concepts
is a part of the relativism that has established itself as a kind
of intellectual orthodoxy - a part of the standard of political
correctness on the left.
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http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky/msg/d54fc596c3034a9e
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[T]he claim [that homosexuality is a disorder]. . . gives sense
to the effort to cure homosexuality by means of psychotherapy.
Denying it is a disorder discourages research and discourages
homosexuals from seeking psychoanalysis.
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http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky/msg/a155a8279aa5e1c7
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What is "strange" about my position on homosexuality as a disorder? It is
the standard view taken by orthodox psychoanalysis. I post it to clarify
and debate the tendency among some on the left to attempt to impose an
ideological orthodoxy on purely scientific discussion. It is a question of
intellectual freedom and intellectual honesty. It is also a question of an
unprincipled adaptation by many Trotskyists to a totalitarian political
mileu - the feminist and gay rights swamp.
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http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky/msg/ac416b3192cf59f2
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I've known and respected homosexual individuals. I've deeply respected
homosexuals whom I never knew personally, such as Wittgenstein, perhaps
the greatest philosopher of this century. Every homosexual I have known
has been a deeply troubled person, but I decline to form my opinions by
generalizing from personal experience.
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". . .including the ones who would angle for blow jobs after two beers." I've got to say that I'm a bit surprised to hear that you go drinking with republicans Dale.
ReplyDeleteCastro's attitudes about homosexuals were hardly
ReplyDeleteunusual among the leftists of his generation. Paul Goodman
talks about this in "Memoirs of an Ancient Activist":
"Frankly, my experience of radical community is that it
does not tolerate my freedom. . .
On the other hand, my homosexual acts and the overt claim to the
right to commit them have never disadvantaged me much, as far
as I know, in more square institutions."
Some years ago I discovered a guy on a Trotskyist
Usenet newsgroup (a shrink no less, as well as an old-fashioned
Leftist) who typifies these older attitudes (much to the
dismay of some of his younger fellow-travellers):
groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.socialism.trotsky...
ReplyDelete.../msg/c2500fb84581166e
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On homosexuals the traditional ICFI [International Committee
of the Fourth International] position was that of Engels. . .
that "gays" are sick, and their movement sicker.
And it was the truth.
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.../msg/b2749db87a2b2239
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"Gays" are extremely concerned with not being "hated";
Blacks generally are not. The reason is that being "gay"
is a psychological state; being Black is not.
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.../msg/f89c0d9db1abae03
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While I have an accurate perception of the homosexual character
disorder, and thus I am not a "bigot" on account of that understanding,
the fact is that anti-Black racism puts at issue questions of at least
three orders of magnitude more important than homophobia (at least in
the advanced capitalist countries today.)
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.../msg/11c4f331b53239f5
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> How many workers, straight or gay, have you repelled from Marxism for
> spewing your antiquated and reactionary beliefs?
None. To paraphrase Wohlforth, the workers don't like homosexuals, and I
don't either.
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.../msg/44f5b695b63f68ca
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I would claim that no homosexual is without a moderately
severe personality disorder. Show me a single homosexual
who is an excellent specimen of mental health, and I would
regard this as a refutation of my claim. . .
[C]onsider the empirical evidence I have provided:
1) Disproportionate representation of homosexuals among
Pedophiles. . . 2) greater chronicity among homosexual
Pedophiles 3) high rate of suicide and depression
among homosexuals 4) sexual compulsivity among many male
homosexuals. . .
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And so on. (More quotes in the earlier comment-fragment.)
:-/