This year's PRIDE march on June 26 took place in the immediate wake of the horrific Supreme Court ruling stripping women of the fundamental right (and what had been a constitutional right) to abortion. And this year's PRIDE took place as the fascist majority on the Court signaled that LGBTQ rights are now in their crosshairs. Revolution Books decided to have a presence at the march. We put out the word on email and social media that we would be taking the statement issued by the Revolution Club about the Court's ruling and “Organizing for an Actual Revolution: 7 Key Points” to the march.

We set up a table by the side of a bank on 6th Avenue in Manhattan, where throngs of PRIDE marchers along with folks just coming out to mark the day were passing through. We hoisted a huge banner “Break the Chains, Unleash the Fury of Women as a Mighty Force for Revolution” behind the table—which featured materials from Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, articles by Bob Avakian, the Sampler of Bob Avakian on the Emancipation of Women and the Communist Revolution, the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, T-shirts and posters emblazoned with “Forced Motherhood=Female Enslavement, Abortion on Demand Without Apology,” along with stickers and buttons. A new volunteer joined us.

The crowd was mainly in their 20s/early 30s. And while there was definitely a celebratory vibe at this PRIDE Day, there was also deep concern and outrage over the abortion ruling and what this bodes, especially coming from the many women who were stopping by our table. This was expressed in the positive response to agitation by Raymond Lotta and in response to questions we posed to people and discussion we got into. There was strong awareness that the Court was not stopping with this attack on women—and the message of the need for resistance to this move to impose forced motherhood and that we need “to get organized for an actual revolution”—and that there is a strategy—drew folks to the table. People were attracted to the visuals and the scene at the table, and gravitated especially to the radical/revolutionary slogans/themes—getting posters, stickers, and buttons with messages like “you can’t get rid of patriarchy without getting rid of capitalism” and “the system has no future for the youth.” We made sure people got the “7 Key Points” (with a few taking some in quantities) and promoted The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show and Revolution Books.

No Fascists Allowed Here

As Raymond was agitating on the bullhorn about the Supreme Court assault and this “rare moment” when revolution becomes more possible, a group of Christian fascists (African Americans in their 20s) came over. At first they were acting nice-y, “wanting dialogue” (and our new volunteer got snookered for a while). But as we called them out and pointed them out to the PRIDE crowd as Christian fascists, these fanatics got more confrontational and then set up directly across the street—bullhorning against the revolutionaries and PRIDE. They had placards quoting from the Bible on sin and women's servitude and were spewing anti-PRIDE hatred.

As their shit escalated, people (many in colorful regalia) got aroused and angry—with some mocking and taunting the fascists, some doing provocative posing and dancing in front of the reactionaries. Meanwhile, we were agitating on the bullhorn from across the street about the seriousness of what these Christian fascists represent, their program, how they are organizing, moving to impose their Dark Ages America vision, that this is what the system is bringing forward... and that they have to be stopped as part of fighting for a whole different and liberatory future through revolution.

The fascists grew angrier and more venomous. We raised the slogan on the bullhorn: “Bring in da noise... fuck these fundamentalist fascist fanatics.” People took up louder denunciations and waved these incredibly loud, clacking fans that really drown things out. Quite a scene. A group of PRIDE people (mainly African American) confronted the fascists much more aggressively and scuffles broke out. PRIDE folks had the upper hand and shit was escalating further; more masses facing off against fascists. Loud and raucous. The police showed up in a car and got out; some people protectively surrounded one of the PRIDE people who had taken on the fascists directly. The pigs obviously concluded that the potential for the situation to get out of hand was too great... and fascists, already under attack, left. As the fascists packed up, this person who had taken on the fascists said angrily, “Not today, they're not saying that shit today.”

After this confrontation, groups of people came over to the table to talk and find out more about what we stand for; we encouraged people to get involved with Rise Up, that we can't cede defeat on abortion; and got into short discussions, letting people know about the 7 Key Points, that things can change radically in a short time, and that we have the leadership in Bob Avakian to make this revolution to emancipate all of humanity. A number of people made donations to Revolution Books and wanted to be contacted about our events and learn more about the revolution.