While reading last weeks issue of the Economist Magazine (Great but pricey even with a subscription… sigh…) one article was accompanied by a photo of a protester holding up a sign with a web address on the bottom.

Ever the curious one I decided to check it out… www.workers.org… no less than the website for “Workers World” the newspaper for the Communist Party in the US.

Besides articles with a VERY decided Socialistic/Communistic Anti-Capitalist streak “What To My Wondering Eyes Should Appear”…. OK I’m thinking about Christmas… Sue Me!!… but a link to an E-Book they have up on the site called “Lavender and Red“.

I have started reading it… anything on the site… articles and E-books… is Free and may be reproduced as long as you give them credit. The book is about being Gay and Socialist/Communist and is a bit of a history tome slanted in the Socialist/Communist direction.

DISCLAIMER: I’m biased AGAINST the PHILOSOPHY of the site and the book, not the site or book themselves… I Love reading things that I don’t necessarily agree with.

What I’ve read so far seems to be accurate in the historical portions… about Harry Hay, Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitus, Stonewall, McCarthy(ism), Berlin, the Nazi’s,… it just has the different slant from a different Philosophical viewpoint.

It’s broken down into roughly 120 individual chapters that can be read as individual “articles” and printed out as same if you wish… for Free. (my favorite price!!)

The basic viewpoint they are espousing is Socialism/Communism has always treated GLBT people as equals and is the Best Hope for advancing our “causes”… (insert GLBT cause name here).

I was originally reading the articles on the site for their Anti-Capitalism views when I came across the “Lavender and Red” reference…

I don’t know about anyone else but I have found it is ALWAYS beneficial to have read the “oppositions” (in a Capitalist/Money sense here) Manifestos, Articles, Position Papers etc., if even on a sporadic basis, so I won’t get blindsided if something happens that is in line with their philosophy and not mine and that might impact me directly.

Finding this GLBT themed E-Book was kind of like finding a Cadillac in a Cracker Jack Box and tells me that GLBT people have come a Long Way when the Socialists/Communists are at the point they need to try and cater to us.

Image credit: Workers.org.