On the Struggle Against Patriarchy

“The worker is the slave of capitalist society, the female worker is the slave of that slave.”
-James Connolly

Patriarchy, in the narrowest definition of the term, means (from the Greek) “father-rule,” however this tends not to fully encapsulate all of the social implications that stem from such a systems implementation. In short, it is one of the primary social constructs under which we live. It is made manifest in many ways, not least of which are the institutionalized forms of Western and Eastern religion. From the perspective of socialism though, we must recognize that the system of male-supremacy far pre-dates the rise of industrial, and even merchant, capitalism. However, the rise of capitalism, when combined with the already existing patriarchy, has lead to an intensification of the subordination and degradation of women through further manipulation of family life and sexuality (such as the widespread production and availability of pornography). This helps the bourgeoisie maintain their control over the working-class and other oppressed peoples.

It must also be recognized by us, if we ever wish to be/come true revolutionaries in the battle to overthrow all currently existing social conditions, that the reality about patriarchy is that it is not just simply about the way men treat (and mistreat) women and girls, it is also about how men treat other men. The system of patriarchy is fundamental in the oppression of homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals and others, and is at the heart of the way in which we indoctrinate our boys and young men into what it means “to be a man.” If we ever mean to truly establish freedom, justice and equality then we must always struggle against patriarchy, both in capitalist society and within our own organizations.

Patriarchy in particular, and feminism in general are also ideas and movements that have been either been mishandled or ignored altogether by much of the world communist movement. Many Marxists have taken an overly reductionist and mechanical view towards the liberation of women that generally follows the logic of, “overthrow capitalism and racism, sexism, homophobia etc will fall with it.” These types of Marxists tend be dismissive of the feminist struggle or, in the case of some, accuse it of being a bourgeoisie deviation that must be combated within the socialist movement. A major issue here is also the conflating of all forms of feminism (radical, socialist, Marxist etc.) with bourgeoisie liberal/reformist feminism, which in turn leads to “Marxist/socialist” critiques of feminism, as a whole, that are somewhat shallow to say the least. Organizations guilty of this sort of conflation of feminisms include major international groupings such as the International Marxist Tendency.

What most Marxists need to realize is that the truth of the matter is that, as patriarchy is fully ingrained in the class system, the struggle for women’s liberation will actually continue, and likely even intensify, under socialism. We, as a while, need to move past these mechanistic and incorrect ideas and recognize that the establishment of working-class hegemony does not mean that women’s oppression will magically disappear overnight.

Towards this end, we have the responsibility to make the struggle for genuine women’s liberation and equality one of the core elements of the world-wide communist movement. Unfortunately the history of our movement has shown us to have fallen down on this responsibility in many tragic and erroneous ways. Historically it has so often been the case that, even in many so-called “revolutionary” movements and societies, issues pertaining to the liberation and equality of women were often shoved off to the side. In the case of the Stalinian methods of constructing socialism particularly, a major component of which was often a king of secular social conservatism, there were major efforts to turn back the clock on the gains for women, including limiting a woman’s right to divorce, access to abortion and other basic human and civil rights that had often been gained in the intitial revolutionary upsurge that overthrew capitalism. Sadly it is still true that even today many so-called “revolutionary” organizations and individuals that come from that tradition still carry with them these sorts patriarchal baggage. Further, it has more often than not been these people, who have so often, again as a result of inbred patriarchy, declared homosexuals to be deviants, a sign of capitalism’s decadence in decline that have no place under socialism.

We must tirelessly struggle for the reassertion of women’s equality as an integral, everyday part of our organizations and of the broader movements for social change that we are part of. Towards that goal, this principle absolutely must become mirrored in the leadership, orientation, and priorities of our organizations and parties. It must become inseparable from the work we carry out as part of our mass and grassroots movements. Also, we must give special respect and support to the demands of working-class women, women of colour and women in the LGBTI-Q community. We must also struggle for the most basic demands of the women’s liberation movement: equal rights, equal pay for comparable work, quality and affordable child care, affirmative action and full reproductive rights up to and including free, on demand access to abortion. It is my firm belief that the women’s liberation movement can only totally achieve its goals with the full participation and leadership of women of the working-class women, women of colour and LGBTI-Q women.

With of all that said, I would like to return to one of my original points, that patriarchy is not just about male treatment of women, but also male treatment of other men, especially homosexual men. Patriarchy is the core component of the culture which enforces preconditioned gender and sexual norms on the people (men as protectors and providers, women as subservient and home makers). In this sense, patriarchy seeks to dehumanize and obliterate any and all deviations from its set social roles. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, two-spirited people, transvestites, drag queens and kings, and all others who either walk, blur or cross the preset male-female line are seen as aberrations, threats to the masculine order that must be suppressed at all costs.

In the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, the struggle for the liberation of the LGBTI-Q (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and questioning) community has fundamentally been one for basic human rights, including: to live in the place of one’s choosing, for job opportunities, to be free of harassment and violence, and for the opportunity to participate equally in all aspects of our society, including the right to simply be allowed to consensually love and form relationships with whoever it is one loves. In many countries in the West, right-wing conservative forces have launched a full-scale war on the rights of those in who identify as LGBTI-Q. They seek nothing short of the complete and utter dehumanization of them so as to be able to justify the persecution of them and the denial of their basic human rights. We, as revolutionaries, must actively and openly oppose homophobia and heterosexism in all forms, wherever we shall find them, in both capitalist society and within our organizations. We must work towards the building of a truly open and inclusivist socialist society, one that respects the diversity of the human family and that will continue to fight for LGBTI-Q liberation in all of its institutions.

Many in the revolutionary and progressive movement have been deeply moved and inspired by the struggles of the LGBTI-Q movement, which has been able to effectively challenge social oppression and, by claiming such victories as the liberty to come out, has been the primary motive force towards a amazing expansion of the possibilities of human sexuality in our society, all in light of the fact that no-one, even many so-called “revolutionaries”, have given them the time of day. It seems that in today’s climate it takes so much courage and strength just to be yourself, and we if all just had just half the strength and bravery to face up to society and oppression as those who come out, then the world would be a better place. Also, the LGBTI-Q movement and how it has led the way in the battle against HIV/AIDS, which over the last thirty years has developed to become one of the most devastating health crises of the modern era, has seen its tenacity and fighting spirit become and inspiriationto the entire progressive and revolutionary movement. The movement has fought for and won real gains and freedoms for all people and truly become an example for all.

As with the fight for women’s liberation and equality, it must be recognized that the LGBTI-Q liberation struggle is a revolutionary and progressive movement, and radicals of all stripes should encourage, take part in, and help lead it. Also as with the women’s movement, we must strive for the leadership and empowerment of oppressed nationalities and working class people of the LGBTI-Q community within our organizations, movements and parties.

To reiterate, if we ever mean to truly establish freedom, justice and equality then we must always struggle against patriarchy, both in capitalist society and within our own organizations whenever it shows its ugly face. We must recognize the intersections of capitalism, patriarchy and national/racial oppression in order to build a movement for the creation of a socialism for the 21st century.

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