I'm trying to do research on this subject and would like to know where the truth is of the claims that Shining Path massacred queer people.
I've seen sources from both bourgeois/liberal organizations and revolutionary or generally left-wing sources claiming that Shining Path massacred queer people in groups and tortured them individually.
I find it difficult to disbelieve the claims, mainly because of the number of sources and the fact there left-wing and revolutionary sources claiming it.
I'm hoping for anything from Shining Path themselves but other sources are good too.
PCP statements on the gay issue during the peak of the GPP:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110922193751/http://www.blythe.org/peru-pcp/misc/polemics/gay-pcp.htm
Maoism is not homophobic:
https://x.com/AndMaoMakesFive/status/1717585830053625995?t=8UD3L9DL945NmcGCFNGhaA&s=19
I highly support the CPP! It's just Shining Path that I'm concerned about, as well as organizations influenced by them, like the organizations in the International Communist League.
What is the concern? The ICL has published a political declaration and principles. The General Political Line as part of the basis of unity of the Communist Party of Peru(the party you wrongly call "shining path") is also available.
None of the documents that guides these parties and organisations involves the killing of queer people.
And lets put slander aside totally. The criteria of "many left wing and revolutionary sources, claiming it" is not a marxist criteria. And does for sure not weigh higher than the truth put forward by the party. The history of the communist parties have been written under the party leadership for a reason, it needs a class outlook and marxism to hold to truth. In Peru, the Soviet Union and China this is all the case against the slander put against them from "many sources".
The concern is that homophobia and transphobia are rampant in certain organizations like Committee Red Flag (a member of the ICL) and the Militarized Communist Party of Peru (which considers itself the successor of the Communist Party of Peru) are both openly anti-gay and anti-trans (with the leader of the MCPP openly saying so).
Additionally, if there are multiple sources - a lot of which are not bourgeois in nature - state something and the only thing to the contrary is a handwaving dismissal...it is valid to be concerned about that. Also: do you think that if a party says something isn't true, that automatically makes it not true by virtue of them saying it's not, regardless of anything else?
Regarding the "MCPP". This is in no way the Communist Party of Peru. They are led by the counter-revolutionary warlord Jose. And have rejected fully the basis of unity of the Communist Party of Peru and the plans by its congresses. As i mentioned, you cannot claim what the politics of the Communist Party of Peru is without basing yourself on the basis of unity. Their only connection to the PCP is their counter-revolutionary treachery to that party. What the warlord Jose says is as relevant as that of the warlords of the "islamic state" or some drug cartel in Mexico say...
Regarding claims of "rampant" homophobia and transphobia in the Committee Red Flag. Is this just rumors and slander? Or do you base yourself on the statements, and politics of this group? Or the declaration of the ICL which they have signed?
I do not claim that a communist party can not be wrong or mistaken about the truth or that other sources can not be correct. Knowledge is limited and relative for all humans, but there is no higher expression of humanity right now than the communist parties. What i am saying is that all classes have their class outlook, and that the one of the proletariat is in the communist party, the most true one. Never have any other class more correctly written the history and truth about the communist party than the party itself. If you want to study why the party learns knowledge and what ideas and knowledge is correct i would study closely On Practice by chairman Mao.
My counter-question would be:
- Is there any higher truth than that of the communist party?
I dont know what "valid concern" means in marxist terms. I know it is a common way to talk in certain leftist circles. But if we have a question we are armed with marxism to solve these questions, whatever the question is. If we do this we can know if the claim is true or not. This is why i wonder why you do not base yourself on the basis of unity of the PCP when discussing what its policy is(In that case you would not need to mix the warlord Jose into the picture)? Or the declaration of the ICL when discussing the ICL as a whole?
Or rather? Can you say anything about the PCP, ICL or Comittee Red Flag that you claim is true? So we can use marxism to evaluate that? Because if a "concern" is "valid" is really not something concrete that revolutionaries can answer. Revolutionaries can only struggle to learn truth trough changing the world and for these parties and organisations we discuss, that is trough the applications of their politics in their programs and documents. Which you do not base this discussion on.
Are the anti-trans statements they make in their own documents not enough? Are the things they say to their own members not enough? I base myself on multiple things, documents they released on their own included.
Have you seen this letter from the PCP already? :
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/1994/mar/15/pcp-responds-to-allegations-of-gay-persecution/
Yeah, I have. But thank you!
I was hoping there was more, mainly to eliminate all doubt, though it is true that they generally openly admitted to their actions.
Why would there being more help eliminate doubts?
It is the reaction launching these allegations and the circles that help propagate them that are preoccupied with the question. What would be the point of the PCP preoccupying itself with this question?
Would that be in line with the General Political Line that guided the work of the party?