From legislative attacks on the rights of trans people, drag performers, and queer people spreading to statehouses around the country like wildfire, to rightwing media relentlessly spewing fascistic anti-LGBTQ+ messages, to far-right groups ramping up their intimidation tactics and violent assaults to force LGBTQ+ people back into the closet, Pride month feels different in 2023. And yet, the rebellious, liberatory spirit of Pride persists, and the struggle for equality, acceptance, and the right to pursue what makes us happy continues—and the labor movement must be a source of strength in that struggle. How far has the labor movement come in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights? How far do we still have to go? And what role can and should labor play in the broader, necessary fight for LGBTQ+ liberation and against the fascist attacks on our fellow workers, our neighbors, and our loved ones? We talk to Fae Weichsel, a first assistant cameraperson and member of IATSE Local 600, where they also serve on the National Executive Board and co-chair the Young Workers Committee, and Jessica Gonzalez, who has worked in the video game industry for the past decade, is currently a lead technical test analyst for a video game company, and is a founder of A Better ABK (Activision-Blizzard-King Workers Alliance) and the Game Workers Alliance.

Additional links/info below...

• Fae's Twitter page and Bluesky page
• Jessica's Twitter page and Linktree
• IATSE Local 600 website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
• ABetterABK website and Twitter page
• Game Workers Alliance website and Twitter page
• Human Rights Campaign, "LGBTQ+ Americans Under Attack: A Report and Reflection on the 2023 State Legislative Session"
• Amelia Hansford, PinkNews, "Trans Journalist Erin Reed on Fighting Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate and Working at the Coalface of Transphobia"
• Tess Owens, Vice News, "The Far Right Has Made Security a Huge Issue For Pride"
• William Phelps, Tag24, "Jessica Gonzalez, Former Activision Blizzard Employee, Is a Champion of Game Workers' Rights"
• Kellen Browning, The New York Times, "A Vote by Activision Workers Could Give Unions a Foothold in Gaming"
• Kellen Browning & Mike Isaac, The New York Times, "Activision, Facing Internal Turmoil, Grapples With #MeToo Reckoning"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "The New 'Lavender Scare' Is an Attack on the Working Class"
• Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "Entertainment Workers Discuss the Dark Side of Hollywood and Historic IATSE Strike Vote"
• Julian Mark & Jaclyn Peiser, The Washington Post, "Starbucks Workers at 150 Stores Launch Strike Over Pride Decor"

Permanent links below...

• Working People Patreon page
• Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!
• Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
• In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page
• The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

• Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song