this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2025
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I feel like the communist party optics detracts from the messaging here. Basically nobody who is sympathetic towards socialist let alone ML anti-fascist groups needs to be convinced to not be okay with discrimination against trans people. We need a true populist call to the American public that any big government that comes after trans people will eventually come for them and that we need to fight together regardless of politico-ecenomic ideology, because human rights are being violated and concentration camps are right around the corner.
This instead works as a call to antifa supporters to reinforce the us vs them where the them includes everyone who is right of smashing capitalism. And not only do trans people include lots of people who are right of fully dismantling capitalism, but potential allies definitely do.
Communist party optics?
I suppose you could say in the original post without the color it becomes more generalist in meaning but I suspect it was just for visual design and not to signal anything more anarchist and less socialist.
Regardless, trans rights should not be synonymous with antifa even if we are allies. The oligarchs are trying very hard to say that trans people are all "radical Marxists" let's not make it easy for them. We are people just like them, and it isn't Marxists vs capitalists, it is "we the people" vs "the ruling class of super rich" who want to control our lives and take our freedoms before giving up their domination and it always has been.
Tldr, that flag is antifas, antifa is much easier to villainize than "the trans population". Antifa is a political direct action group which I support and many do, but many don't, either because antifa has generally been anti-capitalist and some people really like capitalism (including many trans people) or simply because they just associate antifa with trashing downtowns and rioting and it's easy to be against those things. It's an easy target. Don't make trans people an easier target by lumping together trans rights and antifa as being just the same people.
Modern antifa also uses the three arrows of the Iron Front, which represents anti-(ML)communism. I don't think the connection is as deep as you portray it.
Not synonymous, but antifa are an ally in the fight for trans rights. Just like LGBT support should be welcomed if displayed by a corporation (despite corporations not really being allies), LGBT support should be welcomed if displayed by antifa (who are generally actually allies on the matter, even if you may not agree with the broader movement).
Uh.
I got some bad news for you about Marxism and capitalism.
Lol I meant the struggle between trans people and allies vs people who want to exterminate trans people shouldn't be made out to be a Marxist vs Capitalist struggle, because there's a lot fewer allies there and there are plenty of trans people who actually are fairly down with at least some amount of capitalism. I'm all for allies showing their allyship in any direction, but don't make trans rights seem like an issue that is synonymous with more radical movements because that is how you reduce the number of allies you're going to find.
Ie. we need to band together and save fundamental human rights and democracy first, we can hash out our differences later.
For the sake of optics, I want no confusion that for a random person who doesn't think they know any trans people, thinking trans people should be left alone and safe doesn't mean people will assume they are "radical Marxists"
Oh, wow. The original is much better. The modern one is very slapdash. They won't be attracting antifa graphic designers, that's for sure.
God yes, the graphic design of the early 20th century political movements was so much better though. The three arrows is my favorite by far. Perfect strong symbolism of meaning that still works today
Works perfectly without knowing the language or the location, down with monarchs, down with fascists, down with tankies.
And perfectly designed with the intent to be used to deface swastikas.