Analysis of Chapter 6 of Mario Mieli's Towards a Gay Communism: Elements of a Homosexual Critique.

While there has been limited attention paid to sexuality and the action against repression of the homosexual people in Marx and Engels' work (as well as the theory by some early leftists exploring this topic that homosexuality could be viewed as a threat to communism defining homosexuals by "the corruption and decadence of bourgeois society, while they themselves, the left, do their part to fix gays into a position of the qualunquismo" thus reducing productivity and hindering attempts at revolution), communism has, over the centuries, been instrumental in influencing perceptions on the queer community and activism amongst them, as well as in the politicisation of homosexual rights.

This has been highlighted through the theories regarding gender by communist activist Mario Mieli in his work Towards a Gay Communism in which, while the promotion of sexuality had been considered as secondary to the revolutionary aims of the communist political groups as well as having homosexuals removed from and indifferent to policymaking, the significant influence that communism had on promoting revolutionary changes in attitudes towards homosexuality as well as it acting as a tool by which the homosexuals could use to act against the repression that they are under and fight for positive change.  Joe Fallisi (composer, musician and political activist), whose activism Mieli looks upon, even goes so far as to state that, so as to act against this system and demonstrate their need for liberation (as well as to ultimately disprove and reform previous leftist ideas in relation to them such as them metaphorically representing the bourgeois qualunquismo), "gay people saw only the system itself as their ‘salvation’". Fallisi describes them as being influential in modernising typical "phallocentric and heterosexual" left wing reformist politics depicted by the protestors resembling a ‘tough guy with a big cock and muscles of steel’, who sets even the fascist bullies to flight". This image appears to, according to him, have been somewhat modified so as to go against this phallocentric and male-dominant image of an ideal revolutionary protestors, and fight for the rights of women and homosexuals. To prove this point, a homosexual is now viewed by many as an ideal revolutionary comrade nowadays, yet somehow still evoking a sense of authority and influence with Mieli considering the main view amongst the people being that, despite them remaining a minority,  ‘we must tolerate the homosexuals, so that they don’t bust our balls, making us discuss our heterosexuality and acting like we also take it in the ass" society being somewhat panicked and intimidated by their presentation in a "violent and exaggerated manner, with sequins and gold gleaming, they sell their paper, accosting people in an accusatory manner, saying to them: ‘You deny your own homosexuality’". The "denying ones own homosexuality" could relate to them seeing all as equals, but also relate to the irony observed in the fact that many (particularly youth) who act against homosexuality and perpetuate homophobic ideology, have in fact been trying to mask their own homosexuality, and act against an authoritarian system "that oppresses both the victim and the murderer" which is oppressive to all, and one in which individual liberty and freedom of expression are not valued thus meaning the challenging of these ways, and that homosexual led revolution is required even more.

Mieli, M (1977) Towards a Gay Communism, pp. 208-216. Pluto Press 2018