In late August, 1970, Huey P. Newton, upon release from prison wrote an open letter in The Black Panther, about an alliance between the Homoseuxal movements, Women’s Liberation, and the Black Panther Party. The letter was republished in the Berkeley Barb, in which Newton speaks honestly about his own awakening to the oppression of gay people and women. 

During the past few years, strong movements have developed among women and among homosexuals seeking their liberation. There has been some uncertainty about how to relate to these movements. Whatever your personal opinions and your insecurities about homosexuality and the various liberation movements among homosexuals and women (and I speak of the homosexuals and women as oppressed groups), we should try to unite with them in a revolutionary fashion. I say “whatever your insecurities are” because, as we very well know sometimes our first instinct is to want to hit a homosexual in the mouth and want a woman to be quiet. We want to hit the homosexual in the mouth because we’re afraid we might be homosexual; and we want to hit the woman or shut her up because we’re afraid that she might castrate us, or take the nuts that we might not have to start with. We must gain security in ourselves and therefore have respect and feelings for all oppressed people. We must not use the racist type attitude like the White racists use against people because they are Black and poor. Many times the poorest White person is the most racist, because he’s afraid that he might lose something, or discover something that he doesn’t have; you’re some kind of threat to him. This kind of psychology is in operation when we view oppressed people and we’re angry with them because of their particular kind of behavior, or their particular kind of deviation from the established norm. Remember, we haven’t established a revolutionary value system; we’re only in the process of establishing it. I don’t remember us ever constituting any value that said that a revolutionary must say offensive things towards homosexuals, or that a revolutionary should make sure that women do not speak out about their owm particular kind of oppression. Matter of fact it’s just the opposite: we say that we recognize the women’s right to be free. We haven’t said much about the homosexual at all, and we must relate to the homosexual movement because it’s a real thing. And I know through reading and through my life experience, my observations, that homosexuals are not given freedom and liberty by anyone in the society. Maybe they might be the most oppressed people in the society. And what made them homosexual? Perhaps it’s a whole phenomena that I don’t understand entirely. Some people say that it’s the decadence of capitalism. I don’t know whether this is the case; I rather doubt it. But whatever the case is, we know that homosexuality is a fact that exists, and we must understand it in its purest form: That is, a person should have freedom to use his body in whatever way he wants to. That’s not endorsing things in homosexuality that we wouldn’t view as revolutionary. But there’s nothing to say that a homosexual cannot also be a revolutionary. And maybe I’m now injecting some of my prejudice by saying that “even a homosexual can be a revolutionary.” Quite on the contrary, maybe a homosexual could be the most revolutionary.

“A Letter from Huey about Women’s — and Gay— Liberation,” Berkeley Barb, August 28-September 2, 1970, 10.

When we have revolutionary conferences, rallies and demonstrations there should be full participation of the gay liberation movement and the women’s liberation movement. Some groups might be more revolutionary than others. We shouldn’t use the actions of a few to say that they’re all reactionary or counterrevolutionary, because they’re not. We should deal with the factions just as we deal with any other group or party that claims to be revolutionary. We should try to judge somehow, whether they’re operating sincerely, in a revolutionary fashion, from a really oppressed situation. (And we’ll grant that if they’re women, they’re probably oppressed.) If they do things that are un-revolutionary or counter-revo-lutionary, then criticize that action. If we feel that the group in spirit means to be revolutionary in practice, but they make mistakes in interpretation of the revolutionary philosophy, or they don’t understand the dialectics of the social forces in operation, we should criticize that and not criticize them because they’re women trying to be free. And the same is true for homosexuals. We should never say a whole movement is dishonest, when in fact they’re trying to be honest, they’re just making honest mistakes. Friends are allowed to make mistakes. The enemy is not allowed to make mistakes because his whole existence is a mistake, and we suffer from it. But the women’s liberation front and gay liberation front are our friends, they are potential allies, and we need as many allies as possible. We should be willing to discuss the insecurities that many people have about homosexuality. When I say “insecurities”, I mean the fear that they’re some kind of threat to our manhood. I can understand this fear. Because of the long conditioning process which builds insecurity in the American male, homosexuality might produce certain hangups in us. I have hangups myself about male homosexuality. Where, on the other hand, I have no hangup about female homosexuality. And that’s phenomena in itself. I think it’s probably because male homosexuality is a threat to me, may be and the females are no threat. We should be careful about using those terms that might turn our friends off. The terms “faggot” and “punk” should be deleted from our vocabulary, and especially we should not attach names normally designed for homosexuals to men who are enemies of the people, such as Nixon or Mitchell. Homosexuals are not enemies of the people. We should try to form a working coalition with the Gay liberation and Women’s liberation groups. We must always handle social forces in the most appropriate manner. And this is really a significant part of the population both women, and the growing number of homosexuals that we have to deal with. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Huey P. Newton, SUPREME COMMANDER, Black Panther Party

Huey P. Newton, “A Letter from Huey about Women’s — and Gay— Liberation,” Berkeley Barb, August 28-September 2, 1970, 11.

When I say “insecurities”, I mean the fear that they’re some kind of threat to our manhood. I can understand this fear. Because of the long conditioning process which builds insecurity in the American male, homosexuality might produce certain hangups in us. I have hangups myself about male homosexuality. (1)

Huey P. Newton called upon the Black Panther Party to include Women’s and Gay Liberationists in their revolutionary plan, building a coalition that stands united against the racist, patriarchal capitalist state. 

Writers at Gay Sunshine responded to Newton’s call to solidarity with their own. 

Welcome Home, Huey. KPFA Pacifica Interview August 12, 1970. Question: There are many groups of women today categorized as Women’s Liberation, and yet they represent a variety of groups, only some of whom politically conscious. And there are other groups like the Homosexual groups. I would like your thinking of their relationship to what you are talking about. Huey P. Newton: they definitely have a place in the revolutionary movement. Some of the Women’s Liberation Front groups are politically conscious, we would like to unite with them, and we would like to also have unity with the Homosexual groups who are also politically conscious. We’ve had meetings with representatives of Homosexual groups and also the Women’s Liberation Front. Now the Homosexual groups have been oppressed so much and so badly till it was hard to convince them that the Black Panther Party is relating to them. But we see that Homosexuals are human beings and they are oppressed because of the bourgeois mentality and he bourgeois treachery that exists in the this country that tries to legislate sexual activities. Most of the laws are not laws to promote freedom. I believe that one of the most essential things that man universally strives after whether its internal freedom or external freedom—in other words, freedom from compulsions and obsessions. Man is not happy when he feels forced. These are not internal things, when he’s obsessed and feels compelled, whether its through religious reasons or backwards values reasoning, even if he carries those values, he’s unhappy. When we start legislating from the outside, there’s force on the outside also, and this is on the laws on the law books saying that adult people can’t have any kind of sexual relationships they want to. I don’t think that the Homosexuals should be harassed and badgered and brutalized because of their desire to have a sexual relationship that is not popular— at this time. So we plan in the future to make sure that we have solidarity with all oppressed people. Gay Liberation Front of Berkeley sends greetings to the Black Panther Party Minister of Defense. Huey P. Newton on the occasion of his release from prison—a victory for Black people. We also warmly acknowledge his support for Homosexual liberation in his recent speech. The oppressor of Homosexual women and men is also the oppression of Black people everywhere, the racist, sexist, capitalistic U.S. empire. Ours is a common struggle. Victory to the Black peoples struggle for liberation! All power to the people!

“Welcome Home, Huey.” KPFA Pacifica Interview August 12, 1970, republished in Gay Sunshine, August-September 1970.

Gay Liberation Front of Berkeley sends greetings to the Black Panther Party Minister of Defense. Huey P. Newton on the occasion of his release from prison—a victory for Black people. We also warmly acknowledge his support for Homosexual liberation in his recent speech. The oppressor of Homosexual women and men is also the oppression of Black people everywhere, the racist, sexist, capitalistic U.S. empire. Ours is a common struggle. Victory to the Black peoples struggle for liberation! All power to the people! (2)

 

 

(1) Huey P. Newton, “A Letter from Huey about Women’s — and Gay— Liberation,” Berkeley Barb, August 28-September 2, 1970, 10-11.
(2)“Welcome Home, Huey.” KPFA Pacifica Interview August 12, 1970, republished in Gay Sunshine, August-September 1970.