'Let's not fail our LGBT+ comrades'

Unite delegate Maggie Ryan gave a rousing speech on fighting the far-right and defending LGBT+ rights.

Speaking in support of a motion on behalf of Unite, Maggie warned that “the poison of homophobia and transphobia is allowed to run rampant on social media”.

“Hate figures like Andrew Tate are allowed a completely unrestricted platform to pour their poison and malice into the minds of millions of young men and boys,” she added.

“As this motion recognises, even when the rhetoric of these hate figures isn’t a direct attack it is always a gateway – pushing myths, stereotypes and conspiracies. These ‘gateway’ narratives bordering on hate speech insipidly drag people further and further towards a far-right agenda.”

Maggie went on to note that these online hate narratives are targeting young people, and that the Tory party, though no longer power, is still using its influence to wage ‘culture wars’.

“All of this combines to make hate narratives – particularly targeting LGBT+ people – entirely normalised and in the mainstream,” she said.

Maggie cited shocking statistics showing a 462 per cent increase in sexual orientation hate crime in this country since 2012.

She called on the trade union movement to take up the responsibility to tackle hateful narratives.

“No one else can do it,” she asserted. “Not the media moguls, tech billionaires or social media influencers who profit from hate. Not our politicians who try and channel hate into votes – only us.”

Urging Congress to support the motion, Maggie concluded, “We must not fail our LGBT+ comrades.”

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas

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