The root of discrimination toward women lies in the capitalist class system, said a spokesperson for the Spartacist League in a meeting last night at Boylston Hall.

Addressing several current and prospective members of the national Marxist organization, Irene T. Gardner attacked "the general capitalist offensive against women, gays and minorities," According to Gardner, the title of last night's talk, "Family Values Crusade Targets Women, Gays and Youth," refers to capitalism's class system, which subjugates women through the establishment of the traditional family.

"Basically what we're saying is that the bourgeois family is a capitalist institution to carry out oppression of women, gays and minorities," Gardner said. "The liberation of women and all humanity can only come about in a classless society."

Gardner compared labor in a capitalist system to slavery and said that the development of private property creates a patriarchal society.

"The bourgeoisie tries to give the impression that classes have always existed, but if you look at world history, early communist societies blow this theory out of the water," said Gardner. "We are in favor of socialized industry and socialized ownership," she said.