DEBUNKING THE LIE: "THE REVOLUTION IS ANTI GAY"

In March 1994, the U.S. magazine Prison Legal News (PLN) published an article that included statements from the Communist Party of Peru (PCP) and gay activists in Peru, all denying that the PCP persecutes gay people for their sexual orientation.

The discussion in PLN was triggered by the campaign of slander and diatribe launched by the U.S. State Department against the People's War (3/23/92 Testimony to Congress, Bernard Aronson) trying to tarnish the prestige of the PCP and thus prevent the international support. The campaign of Yankee imperialism was quickly followed by the Trotskyte sect Socialist Workers Party who not only repeated verbatim the imperialist allegations, but included the opinions of those paid agents of the Fujimori regime known in Peru as Senderologists (e.g., Raul Gonzalez, Ivan Degregori, Carlos Tapia.)

PLN was contacted by a transsexual prisoner who even though was supportive of the revolution, was concerned about it. He had heard from members of the Movimiento Homosexual de Lima (MOHL) and he also suggested that the PCP respond to these charges.

The PCP response was printed in PLN:
"We have sought articles on the homosexual question written by our teachers, that is to say Marx, Lenin and Chairman Mao and even others, but we have not found any, nor has our party specifically addressed this question in its documents. In general, it appears to us that there is an excessive pre-occupation with this subject in certain revolutionary and militant circles. They [the allegations] are, as we have previously stated, lies and slander which claim that the PCP kills gays for being gay or makes statements against them.

In reality, if we examine what Marxism says, the problem is not one of a person's sexual orientation but rather the class position that they take as everyone is classified as revolutionary, progressive, democrat, revisionist or reactionary. Far from making a lengthy analysis here, we can see that homosexuals have existed in all societies, some from birth, others converted by the social environment in which they live or have lived. Our view is that homosexual orientation is not an ideological matter but one of individual preference.

It is probable that the PCP has executed a homosexual, but rest assured that this was not done because of his sexual orientation, but because of his position and actions against the revolution. It is not difficult to see that in the bars and brothels of Peruvian cities frequented by elements of the police and army, some homosexuals work as snitches and collaborators and because of this they accumulate blood debts with the revolution so that when the party seizes that city, it will settle accounts with these elements, regardless of their sexual orientation.

What happens then is that the government and reactionary media, report that the Party killed gays or `cleaned up' the city."

"We reiterate that the PCP does not attack nor discriminate against anyone because of their sexual orientation. In fact, party membership is open to all who support the cause of communist revolution and the principles of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, Gonzalo thought, regardless of what their sexual preferences may be. We believe that there are other more important and crucial topics to open major discussions, as for example, that of revolutionary violence, which is concretely the universal weapon of the People's War, etc."

Communist as such are people who do not bring their personal interests into the Party in any form. A Communist Party is a party of the oppressed and exploited masses, a proletarian party. Communists do not put self interest of any kind above the revolutionary duties; any Communist Party member is expected to fulfill such requisites and that entails sacrifice of private interests, to have no friends as such, except comrades, and have no ties above those of giving everything for the Party and the revolution. That is why no one can be forced to be a party member, and membership condition is both an honor and a duty.

And that being said, if any party member fulfills all those conditions and obtains the support of the masses for them to recommend him or her as a member, he or she then passes a probationary period and are admitted as long as his or her personal circumstances will not impinge upon the party in any way.

Whatever advances the communist cause is moral, whatever retards or impedes, it is not. That principle is what guides a communist in his private conduct too, since everything is put at the service of the cause. And the Party can have no quarrel with that.

MOHL denies allegation
Prison Legal News reported that the "Uruguayan weekly Brecha, in its Feb. 12, 1993, edition" published an interview with "Enrique Bossio, a member of the Homosexual Movement of Lima, Bossio is quoted as saying that the PCP has not made gays the focus of any attacks" but indicated that the MRTA, an armed revisionist (focoist) group in Peru, did persecute gays.

Prison Legal News also contacted Lucien Chauvin, a gay journalist and activist in Lima, who "confirmed that the PCP does not attack homosexuals because of their sexual orientation. He stated that there were opportunist elements in the gay community in Peru who had jumped on the anti-PCP bandwagon to advance their own interests and serve the Fujimori dictatorship. Mr. Chauvin makes it clear that he is no supporter or sympathizer of the PCP. He suggested that perhaps (the prisoner) is confusing the PCP with the MRTA.

First Slander of Yankee Imperialism, then NGOs and Senderologists Spread the Rumors.
A Peruvian exile in Europe speculated that rumors of PCP persecution of homosexuals grew out of the PCP's opposition to prostitution. Women and men in Peru are sometimes forced into prostitution by poverty. This includes men who are not gay, but prostitute themselves to other men for money. When the PCP liberates territory, prostitution is opposed.

When an allegation is made it helps to look at who stands to benefit from making it and of course who is making it. Support for the PCP is based on principles and it is repressed and slander by U.S. imperialism as "terrorist." This is because the PCP is an openly Communist Party who leads the People's War with the express goal of seizing state power and installing a popular, communist government and economy. But the task of the anti-imperialist people, even those who define themselves as progressives or revolutionaries should be to ensure that their governments do not intervene in Peru. The Choice of the form of government in Peru must be made by the Peruvian people, not the U.S. government or the International Monetary Fund. The goal of non-intervention is a simple one and it should not be influenced by baseless allegations.

"It is a curious fact that with every great revolutionary movement the question of 'free love' comes into the foreground. With one set of people as revolutionary progress, as a shaking off of old traditional fetters, that are no longer necessary, and with others as a welcome doctrine, comfortably covering all sorts of free and easy practices ......" Frederic Engels "The Book of Revelation", in Progress, Vol. II, 1883

Prensa Proletaria Internacional.
MPP-MB.
E-Mail:lquispe@nyxfer.blythe.org