Steering Committee Statement on Transphobic Assaults and Legislation
Special GBM called for Thursday, April 21 at 7pm
Chapter-wide Happy Hour — Tuesday, April 19 from 6 to 9pm
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Steering Committee Statement on Transphobic Assaults and Legislation
Metro DC DSA published a statement on April 10th regarding recent transphobic assaults and legislation unfolding across the country:
“[On April 9,] one of our comrades was harassed and filmed without her consent for being a trans woman riding the Metro. We’re relieved that she eventually got to her destination safely, but we’re furious that she had to deal with this terrifying threat to her safety and we’re furious about the repeated harassment that our transgender comrades continuously experience …
This is no coincidence or isolated incident. The person who attacked our comrade echoed common conservative rhetoric that has been gaining national traction … This is the natural culmination of a concerted effort by conservatives to try to erase trans people from our world …
Trans liberation is inextricably linked to our collective liberation. We deserve a world where everyone can feel safe to be themselves, where trans kids can grow into trans adults, and where our transgender comrades can not just exist, but can thrive and live their fullest lives. In that same vein, we’re calling for decarceral solutions to making sure that our city and our region are safe for everyone...
...We call on our cisgender neighbors to call out transphobia as it’s happening and to organize to build a better, safer world for our trans friends, neighbors, and loved ones.”
Casa Ruby at 7530 Georgia Ave NW Bilingual and multicultural organization that provides social services and programming catered to transgender women of color
Special GBM called — Thursday, April 21 at 7pm
On Thursday, the Steering Committee met in an emergency session to hear the first reading of Resolution 2022-04-GR01: Revoke Metro DC DSA endorsement of Brandy Brooks for County Council. (Metro DC DSA posted a statement on Thursday, April 14th to address updates around the campaign of endorsed candidate Brandy Brooks.)
Following the first read of this resolution, the Steering Committee voted on and passed a separate resolution: Resolution 2022-04-SR17: Call a Special Meeting of the Members. With the passage of this resolution, the Steering Committee has scheduled a Special Meeting on Thursday, April 21st at 7pm. The Steering Committee has also deemed this resolution an Emergency Resolution, which allows Resolution 2022-04-GR01 to bypass the standard two-week waiting period for consideration.
During the Special Meeting, the Sponsors of this Resolution 2022-04-GR01 will have the opportunity to motivate their resolution. Members will have the opportunity to discuss and debate Resolution 2022-04-GR01, as well as ask questions of the motivators, and add amendments.
Following the meeting, an Opavote will be sent to all MDC DSA members. All members will have the opportunity to submit written statements to accompany the ballot. The deadline to submit a statement for or against the resolution via Red Desk is Wednesday, April 20th. The ballot will remain open for three days, after which we will publicize the results. Please feel free to reach out to Kareem E. or another Steering Committee member if you have any questions.
Metro DC DSA Chapter-wide Happy Hour — Tuesday, April 19 from 6 to 9pm
On Tuesday, April 19 from 6 to 9pm, the chapter will be convening a happy hour at City-State Brewing in Brookland, DC. Because of COVID, it’s been months since the chapter has been able to convene an in-person social event in DC, so many of us are excited to host one again!
RSVP here. Members, friends, allies and those interested in democratic socialism and community activism are welcome to come out! We will also be collecting donations for DSA-sponsored electoral campaigns.
To note, City-State Brewing has a food truck onsite with partial outdoor and open-air indoor space and also requires proof of vaccination on entry. City-State is directly accessible from the Metropolitan Branch bike path and a 5-10 minute walk from the Rhode Island Ave Metro Station. It’s partially indoors and partially out, with the indoors being open-air.
BRIEFS
Apply Now: Spring 2022 Organizer Training
Interested in learning more about how to organize? Want to get more involved in the chapter or improve your skills in organizing conversations, strategy and more? Applications for the Spring 2022 Organizer Training are open, and chapter members and allies are invited to apply here! The training will form a cohort of up to 20 people looking to improve their organizing skills and use hands-on methods learned from Chapter trainers that teach principles of being an organizer. Modules will include: Why We Organize, Building Campaigns, Developing Leadership, Relational Organizing Conversations, Principles of Successful Campaigns, Power Mapping and more.
We’re seeking both new and rising organizers looking to gain skills, along with experienced organizers looking to renew their organizing chops. We hope to build this group with members from across working groups, branches, caucuses, sections, campaigns and committees looking to practice and learn organizing skills — and create a cohort of people with shared interests and experiences. The training will be held at a mutually convenient time weekly for five weeks in a mostly virtual setting from late April to late May. Apply now — and please send this opportunity to anyone you think would be interested. You may nominate someone you think would be good for this training too!
2022 Fund-A-Thon Benefiting DC Abortion Fund
This year’s Fund-A-Thon has begun! Last year we raised just over $15,000, and this year we aim to match that. The money we raise helps people in DC, Maryland and Virginia access abortion care. As more people travel for care and budgets have been stretched thin in the last couple of years, the Fund-A-Thon is a vital part of making abortions accessible in our region.
There are a few ways you can get involved this month:
Sign up to donate a baked good or items for consignment: donation form link
Volunteer your time by leading a fitness class in May (email [email protected])
To get involved with team event planning, support with individual fundraising or if you have questions, please reach out to Alexandra ([email protected]) or Krysten ([email protected]).
Tell the Montgomery County Council: Don’t Let Renter Protections Expire
As a pandemic emergency measure, the Montgomery County Council passed a bill prohibiting landlords from increasing rent above the County’s Voluntary Rent Guideline, as well as collecting late fees from residents who were suffering financial hardship as a result of COVID. This effectively prohibits landlords from increasing rent by more than 0.4%. These protections are temporary and set to expire on May 15.
Meanwhile, housing costs in the US are skyrocketing, and rents increased on average by 14% last year. In Montgomery County rents are particularly high, and currently about 100,000 residents (80% Black and Latinx) are at risk of losing their housing. The Montgomery County Branch has heard that council members need public pressure to even consider extending rent stabilization and has created an action alert to write council members urging them to extend protections. Write a letter here.
Planning Meeting for Chapter-wide Book Exchange — Monday, April 18 at 6:30pm
Are all your DSA book group reads piling up with no place to go? Why not exchange them with your local comrades for more essential lit at a chapter-wide book swap this spring or summer? If you’d like to be involved in organizing this fun event, register to virtually attend the first planning meeting on Monday, April 18 at 6:30pm ET. Bring your ideas and insights on how we can make this a smoothly run experience for our MDC DSA chapter members and friends.
April GBM Recap
The MDC DSA monthly General Body Meeting took place last Sunday from 3 to 5pm. Along with (virtually) mingling with fellow socialists and hearing reports from the chapter secretary, treasurer and more, the body received updates from branches, working groups and sections — including news of Starbucks unionization in MD, local branch defund planning in Fairfax County, reparations in PG county and much more. The general body also received exciting news from We Power DC regarding electoral candidates who have signed the Public Power Pledge (Zachary Parker, Brianne Nadeau and Erin Palmer) and future plans for a publicly powered District.
Our Labor WG offered a number of opportunities to engage in DC-area labor efforts. Those interested in working on local campaigns including Starbucks and Amazon unionization, the domestic workers’ bill of rights, Initiative 82 (on the ballot for November!) and more should reach out via #Labor on Slack or [email protected]. As always, electoral updates in Maryland and DC provided exciting news on work being done for our endorsed candidates — and how to get involved.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Our next GBM is on May 15th — mark your calendars.
Religion & The Left Series: The Individual, the Collective & the Common Good — April 26 at 7pm
On Tuesday, April 26 at 7pm ET, please join the DSA Religion & Socialism Working Group for the new panel in the Religion & the Left series: The Individual, the Collective & the Common Good.
This will be an interfaith event featuring Rabbi Robin Podolsky, Dr. James Mark Shields and Rashad X, who will be discussing: how to balance nonconformity and individual morality against the perils of capitalist individualism; the relationship between the individual and the collective; how religion can help build solidarity in pursuit of a greater common good.
There will be plenty of time for Q&A and open discussion in the second half of the event. People of all faiths are welcome to attend. RSVP here.
Local chain, Union Kitchen, continues aggressive union busting tactics
Management at Union Kitchen — a chain store in DC and NoVA whose workers are in the process of unionizing — fired three outspoken union supporters on spurious grounds. The firings follow a spate of union-busting activity organized by Union Kitchen management in an attempt to break up the staff’s organizing efforts. Union Kitchen workers submitted union ballots a few weeks ago. Official ballots are still being counted; however, Union Kitchen workers are extremely confident that ballots being contested by management will be in the union’s favor.
Publications Schedule: The final weekly Update for April will be Friday, April 22, and the May issue of the Washington Socialist drops on Friday, April 29, in advance of May Day events. May issue article deadline is April 23. Write for us anytime; hit us up at [email protected] (all writers welcome, DSA members or not). If an MDC DSA member, join our #publications Slack channel to keep up with the chatter and watch the issues build.
To get on MDC DSA Slack there’s a new path, and the most intuitive ever: email [email protected]. Use the email address by which national DSA knows you. The requester must be an MDC DSA member in good standing. Here’s the link to find out your paid-up status with national DSA: http://proof.dsausa.org/
Looking to get involved in the chapter? Are you a member who’s been looking for ways to get involved in our chapter’s organizing? Are you interested in joining the DSA but would like to talk to someone about it first? No matter where you’re coming from, we’d love to talk to you! Follow this link to schedule a conversation with one of our comrades!
Most MDC DSA meetings remain remote-only. To join remote meetings, members will need to register at the event link provided and receive the remote-access link by email.
Little Free Seed Library Launch | Share a Seed and UDC Bertie Backus Urban Food HubOn Saturday, April 16 from 11am to 1pm, Share a Seed will unveil their first “Little Free Seed Library” at the UDC Bertie Backus Urban Food Hub (Ward 5). The seed libraries were built by Youth Build DC and will be shared at urban farm and community garden locations. Attendees can help paint and decorate the seed library, share and plant seeds to take home, and take guided tours of the Food Hub. DC Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists will also be on site sharing information and limited quantities of native plants and seedlings will be available. RSVP and more info here.
Wangari Gardens Spring Festival and Community Work Day | Wangari Gardens Spring has sprung and DC’s community gardens are growing greener by the day! On Saturday, April 16 from 11am to 2pm you can join the green thumbs at Wangari Gardens (Kenyon St NW between Irving St NW and Park Pl NW) for a community day to swap seeds, enjoy free refreshments and help paint the garden’s brand new welcome sign. Bring a chair, water and work gloves if you have them!
Community Easter Egg Hunt | Ward 6 Mutual Aid & others Still looking for Easter plans, particularly for your little ones? On Saturday, April 16, Ward 6 Mutual Aid and James Creek Resident Council will host a community Easter celebration at 100 North Street SW. Food, drinks, games and an Easter egg hunt will all be on offer, free to all community members.
Rosenwald Film Screening | Reel & Meal at the New Deal On Monday, April 18 at 6:30pm, Reel & Meal at the New Deal Cafe presents Rosenwald, a documentary about the Sears, Roebuck president who founded hundreds of schools for Black children in the 1920s, including 25-plus in Prince George’s County. More info and sign up for the Zoom link here.
Produce Plus Enrollment for the 2022 Season Begins May 1st! Produce Plus is funded by DC Health and provides locally grown, fresh produce to DC residents with limited access to fresh, healthy food. Here’s how Produce Plus works: From early June through the end of September, program participants get $40/month to spend on local produce of their choosing at select farmers markets and farm stands throughout the District. These funds increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables while simultaneously generating meaningful income for local farmers, many of whom are also first-generation farmers and BIPOC farmers.
ESSENTIAL TRAFFIC
It’s Time to Nationalize the Fossil Fuel Industry — From Thom Hartmann: “Squeals of “socialism!” aside, we know how to do this and have done it before, repeatedly. This time it’s not just about saving our banks or fighting a war: this time, it’s about saving the world …”
From Bay Journal, another pressing reason our electric power system must be publicly owned: “The rollout of solar and other renewable energy projects that Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia are counting on to end fossil-fuel reliance is caught up in a review bottleneck that is severely hampering the transition.”
Inflation Pt. 1 — Why is inflation higher in the US, where megacorps have nearly unregulated pricing power, compared to other rich-world nations? Woops, look over here, can we interest you in some slaughter of civilians? Corporate Media Ignores Bernie’s Corporate Greed Hearing: “Massive coverage of the war in Ukraine does not offend advertisers, while the corporate war on consumers directly involves corporate advertisers.” By Ralph Nader via Portside.
And Pt. 2 Inflation: Reframing the Narrative from The Bullet via Portside — Sam Gindin suggests higher interest rates won’t remedy the specific sort of inflation we are experiencing; “What higher interest rates are most likely to bring on is both a stagnant economy and continued inflation — stagflation. Moreover, since the shortages are generally understood to be temporary and expected to self-correct in a year or two, the appropriate response isn’t to add to the transitional pain, but rather to take steps to alleviate the most extreme social impacts of price increases.”
Federal Workers: recent guidance on labor relations from the Office of Personnel Management, which stems from a Biden executive order, is much to do about nothing. With the exception of very weak local unions combined with unusually backwards management, these are rights that we already have. The Biden executive order appears to me to be mostly the same.
“How did schools and libraries come to claim that technology could solve poverty? Why did this belief seem so forceful in the early 2010s? What do we mean when we say kids should have access to technology?” Those questions and many more are covered in this interview with professor Daniel Greene, a DC lifer whose book, The Promise of Access, is in many ways about the tragedy of “the city’s failure to meet the needs of poorer residents, while putting the interests of a new generation of gentrifiers first.”
On the Global Ecosocialist Network, our comrade David Schwartzman writes that the Pentagon doesn’t only contribute to ongoing climate catastrophe via emissions: “… its role as the enforcement arm of the Military Industrial complex and its imperialist regime change agenda … stands in the way of achieving the global cooperation needed to meet the IPCC goal, along with the $2 trillion a year now going to the global military expenditures.”
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to breathe the breeze of a vaster and freer horizon..
- Virgilia D'Andrea
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
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