Communist Party of Peru is Not Anti-gay

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PERU: REVOLUTIONARY PARTY IS NOT ANTI-GAY

In March (94),Prison Legal News (PLN) published an
article that included statements from the Communist
Party of Peru (PCP) and gay activists in Peru, all
denying that the PCP persecutes gay people for their
sexual orientation.

PCP STATEMENT

The discussion in PLN was started by a transsexual prisoner
who while supportive of the revolution, repeated information
he had heard from members of the Movimiento Homosexual de la
Lima (MOHL).  The prisoner also suggested that those of us
doing the investigation into these charges didn't have any
connections with the MOHL.

The PCP replied to the prisoner:
"We have sought articles on the homosexual question written
by our teachers, that is to say Marx, Lenin and Chairman
Mao and even others, but we have not found any, nor has
our party specifically addressed this question in its
documents.  In general, it appears to us that there is an
excessive pre-occupataion with this subject in certain
revolutionary and militant circles, which does not exist in
Europe.  They are, as we have previously stated, lies and
slander which claim that the PCP kills gays for being gay
or makes statements against them.

"In reality, if we examine what Marxism says, the problem
is not one of a person's sexual orientation but rather
the class position that they take as everyone is classified
as revolutionary, progressive, democrat, revisonist or
reactionary.  Far from making a lengthy analysis here, we
can see that homosexuals have existed in all societies,
some from birth, others converted by the social environment
in which they live or have lived, the latter seems extremely
influential to us.  Our view is that homosexual orientation
is not an ideological matter but one of individual preference.

"It is probable that the PCP has executed a homosexual,
but rest assured that it was not done because of their
sexual orientation but because of their position against
the revolution.  It is not difficult to see that in the
bars and brothels of Peruvian cities frequented by
elements of the police and army some homosexuals work
as snitches and collaborators and because of this they
accumulate blood debts with the revolution so that when
the party seizes that city it will settle accounts with
these elements, regardless of their sexual orientation.
What then happens is the government and reactionary
media report that that the Party killed gays or "cleaned
up" the city.

"We reiterate that the PCP does not attack, slander nor
discriminate against anyone because of their sexual
orientation.  In fact, party membership is open to all
who support the cause of communist revolution and the
principles of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, Gonzalo thought,
regardless of what their sexual preferences may be.  We
believe that there are other more important and crucial
topics over which to open major discussion, as for
example, that of revolutionary violence, which is
concretely the universal weapon of the People's War,
etc." (1)

MOHL denies allegation

Prison Legal News reported that the "Uruguayan weekly
Brecha, in its Feb. 12,1993, edition" published an
interview with "Enrique Bossio, a member of the
Homosexual Movement of Lima, Bossio is quoted as
saying that the PCP has not made gays the focus of any
attacks" but indicated that the Tupac Amaru (MRTA),
a pro-Cuban focoist group in Peru, did persecute gays.

Prison Legal News also contacted Lucien Chauvin, a gay
journalist and activist in Lima, who "confirmed that
the PCP does not attack homosexuals because of their
sexual orientation.  He stated that there were opportunist
elements in the gay community in Peru who had jumped on
the anti-PCP bandwagon to advance their own interests.
Mr. Chauvin makes clear that he is no supporter or
sympathizer of the PCP.  He suggested that perhaps
(the prisoner) is confusing the PCP with the Tupac
Amaru.

What started rumors?

A Peruvian exile in Europe speculate that rumors of
PCP persecution of homosexuals grew out of the PCP's
opposition to prostitution.  Women and men in Peru are
sometimes forced into prostitution by poverty.  This
includes men who are not gay, but prostitute themselves
to other men for money.  When the PCP liberates territory,
prostitution is opposed.  That could look like opposition
to homosexuality.

Carol Andreas, at a recent lecture in Boston, said that
homosexuality is acceptable among the indigenous people
of Peru, who make up the majority of PCP.

Gossip serves imperialism

Prison Legal News concluded:  "When an allegation is
made it helps to look at who stands to benifit from
making it and of course who is making it.  Support for
the PCP is controversial because they are an openly
communist party who are engaged in a peoples' war with
the express goal of seizing state power and installing
a popular, communist government and economy.  But the
goal of the anti-imperialist countries who do not
define themselves as communists or revolutionaries
should  be to ensure that their governments do not
intervene in Peru.  The Choice of the form of
government in Peru must be made by the Peruvian people,
not the U.S. government or the International Monetary
Fund.  The goal of non-intervention is a simple one
that should not be influenced by baseless allegations." (1)

Notes:
1.  Prison Legal News 3/94, pp 11, 13-14

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