Isaac Mizrahi’s ahistorical support of Michael Bloomberg illustrates that solidarity amongst the wealthy is more important than the lives of marginalized people.
On Tuesday, American designer Isaac Mizrahi announced his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate, oligarch and all-around-terrible person, Michael Bloomberg.
Mizrahi, who has a net worth of 20 million dollars, explains that during Bloomberg’s time as mayor of New York, he fought “every day for the LGBTQ+ community.” Many were quick to point out that their experiences and the experiences of poor, working-class, Black, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities of color were severely impacted by the billionaire’s pro-police, surveillance and mass incarceration decisions and policies.
Mizrahi’s support of the racist, sexist, capitalist, transphobic Bloomberg, demonstrates a point that many writers at Wear Your Voice have illustrated in their pieces, that shared marginalized identity (Mizrahi is openly gay), does not automatically translate to politics which support oppressed peoples.
Endorsing Mr. Stop-and-Frisk and lying about his supposed “support” of LGBTQIA+ communities strengthens the argument that the upper-class and 1% have solidarity only for each other. These election-fueled lies that we are told and the solidarity and unity amongst the rich is crucial to the continued existence of the mega-wealthy so that they may persist in their wealth-hoarding without hindrance, without interrogation and without needing to admit that our struggle against capitalism is also a struggle against queer/transphobia, patriarchy, imperialism, and white supremacy. Their energy is dedicated solely to ensuring that the marginalized do not revolt against them.
On Wednesday, shortly after Mizrahi’s endorsement, #AskBloomberg began on Twitter ahead of the next democratic presidential candidates’ debate as a push for the moderators to ask the questions that need answering. Many included vital information about the oligarch whose mayoral term was rife with ensuring that Black and brown people, the poor, working-class, disabled people, LGBTQIA+ folks and other marginalized people continued to suffer under the boots of capitalists, fascist cops and white supremacists.
It’s increasingly clear that the Democratic establishment is in favor of ensuring that someone like Bloomberg becomes the democratic nominee for president. The rich, much like Mizrahi, are increasingly aware that we’ve had enough of their parasitic way of life. This, like many other instances over the past few generations, are proof that capitalism is putrid garbage and we deserve a world without billionaires.