The Problem with the 'Class First' Leftists
Plus, What is Liberalism and Conservatism?
As someone who writes extensively about the 'woke vs anti-woke' drama, I often receive comments from people who say that the culture wars are a distraction manufactured by the wealthy, so that the 99% fight among ourselves, and ignore the fact that the 1% are profiting at the expense of the rest of us. This kind of critique (of 'both sides' of the culture wars at the same time) is actually quite prevalent in the so-called 'class first left', and I think it merits proper attention, and a proper response from writers like myself.
On one hand, I do agree that the culture wars are often manufactured by the rich to distract from economic inequality and other structural economic problems. This is simply a fact. However, the problem with 'class first' leftists is that they think cultural issues and conflicts can just be ignored or imagined away. They can't…
What is Liberalism and Conservatism?
Contrary to popular belief, not everything that sounds 'progressive' or left-leaning is liberal. While liberalism has had a generally progressive effect on society over time, this is a result of following liberal values and processes.
…conservatism, as properly understood, is a philosophy that opposes radical change that is rooted in abstract ideas, and alien to a given nation's traditions. Change that is rooted in practical needs, and especially change that is rooted in a society's long-standing values, is not inherently opposed by conservative philosophy. Conservatism is therefore not reactionary! Instead, it is a philosophy that seeks to ground progress in practical reality, and in the long-standing traditions of society.
At least in the English-speaking West, liberal values like free speech, freedom of conscience and 'live and let live' are indeed a long-standing part of our society. Therefore, conservatism, as properly understood, would aim to conserve these values too. Change and reform that arise out of liberal processes should also be favored over those that oppose liberal values and processes. Therefore, reactionary culture warriors, who oppose any and all change, and even resort to illiberal means to stop that change, are not really conservatives, properly understood.
Why the Autogynephilia and Drag Panics are a War on Gay Sexuality
…It appears then, autogynephilia is a normal aspect of gay male sexuality, and is present in a substantial number of gay men. It also appears that, for those gay men, not allowing the expression of autogynephilia would amount to a forced suppression of their sexuality. Autogynephilia can be healthily and harmlessly expressed in a variety of ways, including drag. That reactionary culture warriors are concurrently targeting autogynephilia (although falsely locating it in trans women, they also often think of trans as a version of gay anyway) and drag actually makes sense, then. These things are both expressions of the idea that a man would want to be somehow like a woman in sexual way. This, in turn, is basically the basis of a long-standing war by homophobes on the sexuality of gay men. What we need to remember here is that, reactionary culture warriors have long had a problem with gay men and their sexuality.
TaraElla is a singer-songwriter and author, who is the author of the Moral Libertarian Manifesto and the Moral Libertarian book series, which argue that liberalism is still the most moral and effective value system for the West.
She is also the author of The Trans Case Against Queer Theory and The TaraElla Story (her autobiography).