AWC Youth Kanto Speech

good afternoon everyone. thank you for your participation in the tokyo assembly of people's solidarity against war in asia. my name is kyo (they/them). i am a member of jchrp and awc youth. i am also transmasc, a proud member of the lgbtqia+ community. i am speaking today to express my solidarity against war in asia.

as a nikkei of japanese descent raised in colonized turtle island, as locals here, as descendents of colonial legacies, i believe we have much to learn. i hope today will be an opportunity for people especially of marginalized sectors who are facing harsher discrimination here – lgbtqia+, migrants, women, burakumin, zainichi korea, people with disabilities and all workers – to come together and learn from each other and our comrades from Korea, Okinawa, Philippines, Palestine, and Taiwan and further opportunities for international solidarity here in Japan and worldwide. we must continue to learn about each others struggles locally and globally, unite and strengthen our forces against US-Western led war and intervention, and continue to open the doors here to international solidarity and politics of the people (that upholds the rights and welfare of migrants) especially from the people historically affected by japanese imperialism.

we lgbtqia+ have an important place in the movement and we are often on the frontline of the fight. our existence is resistance, and we must connect specific struggles for rights, asylum, safe employment, migrant rights, access to gender affirming healthcare, marriage equality to the broader fight against imperialism. our place and liberation is in the struggle. it is our time to fight.

let’s reclaim pride from the war-mongerers who paint their police, military, and corporations in rainbow colors while we and our queer siblings continue to suffer under their occupation. let’s reclaim pride again and fight for a people’s pride for the international workers of the world.

we must never forget that pride is a protest against imperialism, against trans hate, against police repression, against genocide, against military bases. pride is a protest for fair wages, national sovereignty, gender affirming surgery, and freedom.

The People United Will Never Be Defeated
Long Live International Solidarity
Makibeki ‘Wag Mashokot

-separate from the West - us bases, culture,
-we must move away from the history of idealization of the West, close the borders to Us military and aid, and open the doors to more international solidarity and politics of the people. i believe the locals here are behind, not from the West, but from the anti-imperialist international movement. we must learn from the mistakes of the past.

-connecting the marginalized groups in Japan
-stronger solidarity with migrant communities and their international movements
-connect the politics here
-connect with workers
-pride month
-war - ww2

pride is a protest for

no pride without sovereignty,

we are on the frontlines of the fight.