THE LEFT: A FRIEND TO MINORITIES? NOT ENTIRELY…

The Left has always prided itself on its values of tolerance, often touting itself as the side of the political spectrum which takes a stand against bigotry in all its forms, as well as a place where minorities are welcomed. The extreme radical left has on many occasions failed to live up to these principles, but the Mainstream Left consider themselves to promote inclusivity for all.

But is this the case today? As a member of several minority groups that most certainly do NOT seem to find many friends amongst the core of the political Left, I contend that their grand proclamations of being free of prejudice are a myth.

Firstly, where the Left gets it right – historically, and currently, it has campaigned against racism and, in more recent decades, homophobia. The Left has a good track record on gender issues, and they currently take a stand against Islamophobia. There is no doubt that when it comes to these issues, the Left has been a force for good.

In current times, however, there are other minorities which are not only rejected by the Left, but are attacked and persecuted by too many of that political persuasion. I became disenchanted with the Left when I realised that to a great many, myself and like-minded friends would find no acceptance. The people of tolerance? Not always.

Who are these minorities? The psychics, the mediums, the New Agers. The paranormal enthusiasts, the astrologers, the tarot readers. The occultists, the pagans, the witches. The alien abductees. Need I go on?

Since the Left threw its lot in with Scientism and Dogmatic Materialism (evidence of this is rampant on The Guardian, home to countless biased and sneering articles about paranormal phenomena, complementary medicine or anything which has a whiff of the supernatural about it.) This is the paper which once ran an article in which the author snarled that psychics were dangerously demented and called for *all* of us to be locked up. This is the paper which houses a great number of psychophobic bigots in the noxious wasteland that is its comments section.

The Left chooses to ignore the fact that the New Age, psychic and occult communities have generally been uniformly committed to both LGBT rights and racial and gender equality. As with any group, there are exceptions, and I’m not trying to say that you won’t find one single racist or homophobe amongst New Agers, but those of an egalitarian mind-set make up the majority. When do you ever see psychics trying to abolish abortion? When do you see occultists trying to entwine their views with the government? How often do you see Tarot readers engaging in hateful homophobic rhetoric? Practically never.

The Left also chooses to ignore (or downplay) the multitude of scientific research into such phenomena as mediumship, telepathy and near-death experiences, and the compelling evidence which supports the validity of these fields. Philosophical materialism is a fine premise to work with, but it is far from one hundred percent established certainty.  Yet disagree with the core tenets of materialism, and a lot of people on the Left will brand you as a heretic. If you’re a scientist, they’ll erroneously claim your work to be “pseudoscience” and possibly try to destroy your career. If they’re fans of James Randi, the rude and unpleasant man who helped set the nasty tone of much of the modern “Sceptical” Movement, they may even throw around juvenile insults like “woo.”

If you happen to be psychic, or an occultist, an astrologer, or someone who has had an encounter with what may possibly be extra-terrestrials, I am sorry to say that you will not find a lot of friends on the Left. At best, they will make fun of you, throw around some casual psychophobia and call your mental health into question. At worst, they will bully you, attack your character, and try to push through legislation that discriminates against you. They will try to suppress you.

I’ve said before that when it comes to something to do with psychics or the paranormal, The Guardian becomes the equivalent of The Daily Mail. I’ve seen enough viciousness and prejudice from Guardian readers in the comments section to know that the newspaper attracts its fair share of Stalinist thugs. The British Humanist Association, another nasty group, is also full of psychophobia and intolerance towards science that challenges their beliefs. Although they are not explicitly affiliated with the Left (or, indeed, any political party) it does seem that many of the BHA’s leading members identify personally as left-wingers.

The Left been shamefully unconcerned with the rights of these minorities (it’s only recently that pagans have been granted the right to carry out weddings in accordance with pagan beliefs and traditions; why did the Left not campaign for equal rights for pagans, as they have with others?) I’ll hazard a guess and say that it’s possibly because a lot of them think we’re crazy and that we’re not worthy of their time or their respect.

Not only that, but figures on the Left have actively tried to discriminate against psychics (psychics are *born* the way they are, so it’s as morally repugnant as racism, sexism or homophobia) and those who practice occultism.

When it comes to us New Age and Pagan minorities, a significant portion of the Left are our bullies, our tormentors. The spitefulness they exude is cruel, unwarranted, and creates a damaging atmosphere for those of us that have anomalous experiences or just want to be free to be ourselves without the censure and disapproval. They are as filled with hatred as any far-right group, they just direct their abuse at different targets.

I have no such illusions that the Left is a reliable champion of tolerance and acceptance for all. It is a champion of tolerance and acceptance towards some minorities, yes, and this positive work should be applauded. Simultaneously, however, I will call them out on their disgusting prejudice when it comes to groups they’ve decided they don’t want to help and protect.