Daily.Stanford.edu – By Shelby Martin
Transgender activist and author Leslie Feinberg spoke to a group of over 100 listeners in Pigott Hall last night about how LGBT struggles dovetail with the struggles against racism, poverty and imperialism.
Feinberg, who prefers the gender-neutral pronouns “ze” and “hir,” delivered a brief overview of LGBT history, starting with an account of how colonial oppression brought misery to LGBT individuals. Spanish imperialists castrated native men for homosexual activity; the British imposed anti-sodomy laws across Africa and Asia; and the French brought anti-gay legislation to Lebanon.
According to Feinberg, many of the conquered societies had previously been tolerant of LGBT expression. The histories of those cultures have been ignored by their conquerors, explained Feinberg, and it is easy to assume that LGBT communities have always been marginalized simply because they are now.