------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the June 7, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- EDITORIAL: PRIDE 2001--TARGET EXXONMOBIL As Pride Month 2001 opens, it's possible to look back with a sense of accomplishment on the 32 years since the heroic 1969 Stonewall Rebellion opened up the modern phase of the struggle for lesbian/gay/bi/trans rights. Under pressure from the lesbian/gay/ bi/trans movement over three decades, most Fortune 500 companies have enacted policies banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The movement to obtain domestic partner benefits has led to victories in thousands of companies that now offer health insurance benefits. But the struggle continues. And it needs not only to move forward, but to defend its gains from new attacks. The latest reactionary assault comes from the $233 billion oil monopoly, ExxonMobil. This world-class exploiter of the labor of 123,000 people in 200 countries and pillager of the natural resources that belong to humanity now wants to take back its prior concession to lesbian/gay/bi/trans rights. The Equality Project, Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, Out and Equal, PFLAG and Pride at Work have opened a campaign to defend those rights. These groups' first step was to disseminate a statement exposing and attacking ExxonMobil's reactionary plans. The statement explains that before the ExxonMobil 1999 merger, "Mobil's equal employment opportunity policy included a provision prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. During merger talks, company executives decided to eliminate Mobil's non-discrimination policy." They also revoked Mobil's same-sex domestic partner benefits. Union workers, by the way, kept their benefits under the clause in their contract, which shows the advantage of a benefit won through union solidarity and struggle. ExxonMobil's attack on employees' gains is not the first time that big capital--when it grows even bigger by merger and monopoly--has tried to use that increase in power to steal even more of the value produced by the working people. It is a law of capitalist development that the managers of these giant corporations move in that direction. But that doesn't mean that the working class--and indeed anyone affected negatively by management maneuvers--has to concede to the drives of big capital. Domestic partner benefits are a material victory for the entire working class and should be defended and fought for by the entire class. A ban on discriminating against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people is equally important to maintain solidarity and unity among all workers. What ExxonMobil's reactionary challenge should arouse is a united fight--whether it be to put pressure on stockholders, to hold a boycott or to demonstrate. There is much to be proud of during Pride Month, but nothing more than the struggle for justice that broke out into the streets with Stonewall and has continued for 32 years. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
