Comment by Zanny Begg
SYDNEY — Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) was established to organise against attempts by the Liberty Christian Ministry (LCM) to hold a "Coming out of homosexuality" conference here on September 25.
The conference was aimed at "curing" gay and lesbian Christians of their sexual orientation. It was cancelled when activists met with LCM representatives and informed them that there would be a large gay and lesbian protest outside. This was a victory for the campaign against homophobia.
The actions of CAAH, however, have sparked a debate in the gay and lesbian press over which tactics are most effective in combating homophobia. CAAH organisers stated that their aim was to "peacefully shut down the conference".
Anderson Lee wrote in the October 14 edition of Sydney Star Observer: "I seriously challenge the notion that GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] people have anything to gain through tactics ... whose stated purpose is to stop our 'enemies' from pursuing their legal right to meet in conference".
Lee went on to argue that shutting down events such as these does not stop them occurring but just "forces them into ever greater secrecy".
As an alternative, Lee suggests that CAAH activists "infiltrate the conference" and "learn about what makes them tick".
Lee is correct to question whether it is useful to try to "shut down" such events. Whatever our intentions, shutting down meetings inevitably sidetracks the movement into a debate over free speech. During the campaign against Pauline Hanson, some anti-racist activists focused on shutting down her meetings. The ensuing debates about Hanson's right to free speech distracted from the real issue: the racist content of her views.
But Lee's alternative, "infiltrate the conference", is misplaced. For a start, not many could afford the $45 for registration. Although it is true that the unfortunate gay and lesbian Christians attending the conference are not our "enemies", our best chance of convincing them that their sexuality is not a "sin" is by organising a large, confident, anti-homophobic demonstration.
Public demonstrations against homophobic laws, views and organisations are essential to winning over the majority of the population and politically marginalising the views of organisations like LCM.
It was not CAAH's stated aim of "shutting down" the conference, but the potential to mobilise large numbers of people that caused the conference organisers to cancel the event. Police informed LCM that 3000 protesters were expected.
Mobilising support for gay and lesbian rights through mass demonstrations and actions is our best tactic in the struggle for liberation.