The labour movement and the Left have positioned themselves as vanguards of the working class and its struggles. However, it is doubtful to what extent the labour movement can advocate and protect the interests of further marginalized groups such as Womxn and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) people.
In this essay, Sikho Luthango demonstrates how the labour movement is characterized by a culture of patriarchy and toxic masculinity which includes both the upper and lower echelons of its organizational structures. The emphasis on ideology tends to exclude the struggles of women and LGBTQI people within trade unions, the workplace and society (Seidman, 1993). Consequently, there is risk of creating an “imagined community” where the voices of marginalized groups are silenced in the pursuit of fighting capitalism (Seidman, 1993).
The paper can be downloaded through the link below.