Bureaucracy of the Overlords: Against Political Persecution and Abuse of Authority in NYCDSA’s Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Working Group

It has come to our attention that one of our candidate members, who serves with distinction as a coordinator with the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Working Group in NYC-DSA, has been made subject to harassment, including the issuance of an ultimatum demanding that she cease engagement with Liberation and withdraw her application. The main instigators of this blatant witchhunt are affiliates and members of Groundwork, which has established a reputation for this type of politically inspired harassment, most notoriously in Atlanta DSA. The justification for this harassment is our caucus’s signing of a statement several months ago regarding Elias Rodriguez, a post we made, and a nonexistent violation of the code of conduct that stemmed from it. Harassing a comrade and seeking to remove her from her position on such scanty "evidence" is ludicrous. This comrade’s affiliation with us was made known publicly through her recent participation in NYCDSA leadership elections, and it is our belief that this new campaign stems from a desire for retaliation against her. A closed meeting was held without this comrade’s knowledge, in part to discuss her. She was not offered an opportunity to participate in the meeting and defend herself. The outcome of said meeting was conveyed to her in a private Zoom call, where she was told that she is to leave Liberation, or face summary removal from her leadership role within the working group. 

There is nothing in DSA’s bylaws or best practices justifying arbitrary removal of an individual because of their political beliefs or caucus affiliation. It is, in fact, a violation of best practices and basic standards of comradely behavior to harass comrades because of this. This is naked political retaliation. We demand that threats of removal of this comrade from her position cease, and that the democratic right of DSA members to affiliate with whatever caucus they choose be upheld. We do not tolerate political retaliation or any other harassment of our members, nor do we tolerate attempts to inhibit their organizing.

If you would like to sign this open statement, reply here.

Organizational Signatories:

Central Committee, Liberation

Libertarian Socialist Caucus (LSC)

Individual Signatories:

Michael S., (NYC-DSA, Queens)

Jon M., (NYC-DSA, Queens)

Tim C. (NYC-DSA, Queens, Emerge)

Christine N. (NYC-DSA, Queens)

Mubashir S. (NYC-DSA, Queens, Emerge Candidate)

Kyle G., (NYC-DSA, CBK, Emerge Candidate)

Diego P., (NYC-DSA, CBK)

Ollie T., (NYC-DSA, CBK)

Jon W., (NYC-DSA, NBK)

Ethan A., (NYC-DSA)

Stephanie L., (NYC-DSA)

Selendis J., (NYC-DSA)

Herman B., (NYC-DSA)

Jason D., (NYC-DSA, Lower Manhattan)

Kate W., (NYC-DSA)

Adam A. (NYC-DSA, Winter Caucus)

Cooper B. (Philadelphia DSA, LSC)

Kate L. (Philadelphia DSA, MUG)

William S. (Philadelphia DSA, MUG)

Paul B. (Philadelphia DSA)

D. (Pittsburgh-DSA)

Vinit S. (Houston DSA)

Robert K. (Triangle DSA)

Adam M. (New River Valley DSA)

John M. (East Bay DSA, Red Star)

Eric E. (East Bay DSA, Red Star)

Alejandro G., (East Bay DSA)

Isa S. (San Francisco DSA, Liberation)

Ollie B. (San Francisco DSA, Liberation)

Faith S. (San Francisco DSA, Liberation)

Jesse K., (San Francisco DSA)

Robin W. (MDC-DSA, LSC)

James M. (MDC-DSA, LSC)

David M. (At-Large)

Alex S., (Tacoma DSA)

Shane M., (Space Coast DSA)

Alexandria S., (Asheville DSA)

Colleen D., (Madison DSA)

Arcadia A., (Madison DSA, LSC))

Baylan M. (LSC)

Delano D., (Atlanta DSA, Red Star)

Erin W. (Atlanta DSA, Rainbow Coalition)

Sage B. (Atlanta DSA, Rainbow Coalition)

Christian A.

Kit L. (Atlanta DSA)

Jesse R., (Atlanta DSA, LSC)

Bill N., (Seattle DSA, LSC)

Zach R. (MUG)

Matt S. (Fort Worth DSA)

Elliot H. (Fort Worth DSA)

Chris H. (Fort Worth DSA)

Erin K. (Long Island DSA)

Matt K. (Long Island DSA)

Mike A. (Long Island DSA, Red Star)

Isabelle, (Long Island DSA)

Ann S. (Long Island DSA)

Steven K. (Long Island DSA)

Ted G. (Long Island DSA)

Nevena M (Long Island DSA)

Ceres C., (Long Island DSA)

Sarah G., (Long Island DSA)

Ashley C., (Long Island DSA)

Erin N., (Long Island DSA)

Tyler A., (Long Island DSA)

Cole M., (Long Island DSA)

Kevin S., (Long Island DSA)

Arjun S. (Long Island DSA)

Isabel E., (Twin Cities DSA, Mass Work, Socialist Feminist Branch)

Tommy S., (Twin Cities DSA, Mass Work)

Hunter P. (LSC, STL-DSA)

Chris W., (STL-DSA, Liberation)

Kathryn M. (LSC)

Kilian M., Delaware DSA (Northern Branch)

Abigail R. (Buffalo DSA)

Amy P., (Orange County DSA, LSC)

Richard S., (Greater Baltimore DSA, LSC)

Brandon L., At-Large (Liberation)

Garrett G., (Northwest Ohio DSA)

Patrick E., (Northwest Ohio DSA)

Alexandria R. (Cleveland DSA)

Cassidy S., (Space Coast DSA)

Adam A., (Southern Illinois DSA)

Elliot K-M., (Southern Illinois DSA)

Kevin M., (Southern Illinois DSA)

Adam W., (Delaware DSA., Liberation)

Dylan H., (Delaware DSA., Liberation)

Mallory B., (Charleston Lowcountry DSA)