Deepening our understanding of the roots of oppression based on sexuality, gender and sex helps us strengthen our historical and international connections today and offers greater clarity about how to move forward to build “another world”. The primary force holding back progress toward full LGBT equality in the U.S. and globally, is U.S. Imperialism which hypocritically uses opportunistic sympathy for restrictions on LGBT rights when it suits the purpose of attacking other countries. There are many ways to be gay. Unity requires a greater understanding of cultural, historical differences and the impact of racism, sexism and imperialist war. Solidarity and support for self-determination and sovereignty are key to building global bonds. Our biggest challenge is to build international solidarity by defending the rights of all oppressed nations to self-determination. The best way to influence the struggle for equal rights in other countries is by the example we set here in the U.S. in our struggles against militarism, racism, national chauvinism and homophobia/homohatred.

We need to construct an international movement/network based on solidarity in the struggles against all forms of bigotry, sex-and gender-based oppression, capitalist globalization and imperialist occupation and war. Our solidarity must be based on having full confidence that self-determination and political control by the working and oppressed people of all nations is the only basis for full free human expression and full rights for people of all sexualities and genders.

Leslie Feinberg will help lead a LGBT panel of presenters from a number of different cultures and national groups. Feinberg has made fundamental theoretical contributions to understanding gender oppression and is presently documenting the not widely known history of revolutionary struggle for sexual and gender liberation. She has spoken across the U.S. and internationally, based her historical analysis on the ground-breaking work of Bob McCubbin who produced a materialist and historical analysis of the oppression of lesbian and gay people in the early days of the LGBT movement.