The LGBTIQ community, and the broader left, lost a stalwart fighter this week with the death of Mannie De Saxe at age 98.
I met Mannie in the mid-1980s when we both joined the organisation Socialist Action, a predecessor of Solidarity. We were impressed by the group’s egalitarian atmosphere and commitment to support the struggles of the day, in contrast to the intense propagandist approach pursued by the larger International Socialists (IS) at that time.
Fellow member Ross McKenzie remembers how Mannie was “always willing to volunteer for paper sales and go on demos”.
Mannie grew up in apartheid South Africa, as an atheist Jew. He first became politicised when helping his lawyer aunt provide legal aid to poor black residents. For years he dutifully followed the life path expected by his family, marrying and raising children. They moved to Australia so his son would not have to serve in the apartheid army.
When he came out at age 61, Mannie became active with the Gay Solidarity Group (GSG, later Lesbian and Gay Solidarity). GSG had organised the first Mardi Gras in 1978, among many other political activities. Alongside Socialist Action, GSG became a home for Mannie where both his politics and his sexuality were welcomed and celebrated.
In 1990, the majority of Socialist Action members decided the IS was over the worst of its sectarianism and voted to fuse the groups, forming the International Socialist Organisation (ISO). Mannie remained unconvinced and did not join the new organisation.
ISO members continued to work with him closely in GSG/LSG for several years, before we judged that there were more productive places to put our energies as revolutionary socialists.
During Australia’s HIV/AIDS crisis, Mannie volunteered as a carer for those ill with the disease. He worked to ensure those lost were not forgotten, promoting memorial gardens in Sydney and Melbourne.
Consistent
The Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial that stands today in Sydney’s Green Park was initiated by Jewish Auschwitz survivor Kitty Fischer. She was inspired by the gay prisoner, marked by the Nazis with a pink triangle, who helped her escape the camp.
Mannie threw himself into supporting her efforts to ensure the links between Nazi persecution of Jews and LGBTIQ people remained visible.
Like other radical Jews, Mannie was consistent in his opposition to apartheid in both South Africa and Israel. He stood proudly with the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation.
They say gay men’s age can be counted from when they come out, which made Mannie and me about the same age when we met, even though he was 61 and I was in my mid-twenties. We commiserated then that he was clearly too old to look forward to an enjoyable life as a gay man.
But after several years working together in GSG, Mannie formed a loving partnership with another legendary activist named Ken Lovett. Mannie and Ken were only separated by Ken’s death in 2020, after nearly three decades together.
Mannie remained active throughout his life on a wide range of issues. He and Ken were fixtures at rallies for refugee rights, among others. Mannie was a prolific letter writer and where there was an injustice to be addressed, you could expect to find a contribution from him on any available letters page.
Socialist Alison Thorne visited Mannie in his home two days before he died and reports, “A great afternoon laughing … the topics were wide ranging from gay liberation and Australia’s response to HIV/AIDS, refugee rights, the importance of anti-Zionism and the fight for a free Palestine and the election of Trump and how to respond!”
Mannie was a force of nature, a fighter for justice, and a good friend and comrade when I was finding my way as a gay man and socialist. His was a life to inspire us all. May he rest in power.
By Robert Stainsby
