How to smash fascism and meet cool people
I've been on my soapbox shouting at random passersby to join the Democratic Socialists of America for a minute now. "It's really fun!" I shriek into the face of a kindly old woman. "There's a softball team!" I rasp at some bewildered French tourists. "There's a dues waiver!" I moan at a flock of pigeons.
It has not been a very effective strategy.
One thing holding folks back, I suspect, is a lack of information about what all being in DSA entails. What's expected of members? How are the vibes at meetings? And what do we actually do?
In this post, I will attempt to show you what it's really like to be member of DSA.
The largest socialist org in the country
DSA is home to more than 90,000 left-leaning members today and on pace to crack 100,000 this year. There are more than 200 local chapters across the U.S. (Find yours here.) New York City is DSA's biggest local chapter: NYC-DSA just reached 13,000 members!
Note I said DSA is a organization, not a party. DSA isn't a political party: we don't run candidates for office on a DSA ballot line. We do, however, endorse candidates via our democratically run endorsement forums, which are exciting in-person events that members can attend. The last one I went to, Zohran himself showed up to argue his point. I wish he hadn't!
Once a DSA chapter votes to endorse a candidate, we work hard to get them elected. All those canvasses for Zohran were organized by NYC-DSA members! Today, over 250 DSA members hold office in the United States.
A big tent of lefties
DSA is a big tent. Anyone who sees themselves as politically to the left of the Neoliberal hellscape that is the mainstream Democratic party is welcome and encouraged to join. There are no membership requirements or blood oaths to sign.
Much like at the circus, hanging out in a big tent long enough means you're likely to encounter some folks with odd opinions. That's part of the fun! Exposure to radical ideas like anarchism and third-worldism, even if they're not your cup of tea (and they aren't mine), can help us refine our own political sensibilities.
Just about everyone I've met through DSA has been super nice, welcoming, friendly, and cool, regardless of how badly they may wish to rewrite the constitution or whatever. I now count several DSA people as genuine friends. That ain't nothing! It's hard to meet people these days, unless you're willing to dust off your gym shoes and join a run club (NYC-DSA has an awesome run club, actually).
At the risk of laying it on too thick, there's a lot to be said for having socialism as a common denominator with the people you hang out with. Socialism is an answer to a moral question, and knowing you're aligned with your neighbors in this specific, meaningful way can be a powerful bonding experience.
What's expected of new members?
The main thing is that if you don't attend at least two meetings per month, you'll get locked in stocks and pelted with overripe fruits (whatever's seasonal) at the next branch meeting.
Just kidding. Members don't have to do anything! I was a so-called "paper" member, meaning I paid dues without being actively involved, for nine years and nobody ever bothered me about it. I simply ignored all the emails. It was easy.
If I'm such a big fan, then why didn't I get involved sooner?, you rightly ask.
Well, I'll tell ya...
My DSA origin story
Flashback to October, 2016. I am super pissed off that Barack Obama has just personally ratfucked Bernie Sanders out of becoming the Democratic nominee. The next month, literally on my 30th birthday, Donald Trump is elected President. A day later, I sprain my ankle playing pickup basketball so badly I need crutches. My girlfriend breaks up with me the next day. Suddenly alone in this world, I crutch home. My life is in shambles.
I'd been feeling the Bern that whole summer. As an aspiring writer who romanticizes the idea of living off canned beans but not dying of scurvy, Bernie's plan for universal healthcare sounded like just the thing. Naively, I thought Bernie's early momentum—he'd crushed it in New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, and Wisconsin, you may recall—meant he was destined for the White House.
But that's not how it works in this country. The powers that be colluded to prevent a grandfatherly Jewish socialist from showing us that a better world is possible. And so in a fit of pique I click a link on Twitter, enter my credit card information, and become a Democratic Socialist right then and there.
Over the next nine (9) years I would attend a grand total of two (2) meetings.
The first meeting was great, actually. Held that November, shortly after the 2016 election, they corralled all the newbies like me who'd joined up after Trump won into a big auditorium at the St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf on Eastern Parkway. The auditorium was jam-packed, the energy palpable. It felt more like a pep rally than a meeting, and I remember feeling a rush of hope for the first time since Bernie got bounced.
Sure, they made everyone sing a song about socialism that I didn't know the words to. And sure, it wasn't clear to me what the big plan was for taking over the world. And yeah, they kept calling us all "comrades", which felt a little forced. But it was exciting! Exciting to feel like I was part of something big and new and powerful.
After it ended, I smoked a cig on the steps of the deaf children's school (I was just trying it out, mother!) in the hopes that some cool communist would chat me up and take me under their wing. But no one did.
The second meeting I went to was a branch meeting. These are typically held once a month. Because DSA is so big here in New York, NYC-DSA has been split up into seven branches. For your reference, they are:
- Lower Manhattan
- Upper Manhattan / the Bronx (aka BUM)
- Queens (which will soon split into Eastern and Western Queens)
- North Brooklyn
- Central Brooklyn
- South Brooklyn
- Flatbush (also in Brooklyn)
I attended a Central Brooklyn branch meeting a few weeks later. The vibe was... different. We sat on folding chairs, about thirty of us in a too-big room on the second floor of an office building. We began the meeting by introducing ourselves and stating our preferred pronouns, a new experience for me at the time. The organizers then talked for the rest of the meeting about what I eventually gathered were proposed changes to DSA's grievance policy—evidently there had been some interpersonal incidents. Yikes! After like twenty minutes I raised my hand and asked why we were talking about grievances instead of doing socialism. I was told someone would explain the backstory to me later. No one ever did.
I left that meeting convinced DSA was a shit-show and promptly resumed my white collar artist's life of celebrating without cause, writing first drafts of short stories and never touching them again, and working an email job I despised for the rent and bean money.
Now, fast-forward to January, 2025.
I meet Zohran Mamdani at a campaign fundraiser hosted by a friend of a friend involved with the pro-Palestine faction of the Park Slope Food Co-Op. That's Brooklyn, baby! I'm chatting in the brownstone's tastefully appointed living room when a murmur from the crowd announces Zohran's arrival.
As a "paper" member, I'd followed DSA's growing number of political victories from a safe distance. So I knew of Zohran, if only obliquely. I'd seen some of his early videos, at least. My general impression? He seemed cool. Still, when I heard he was running for mayor, I was dubious. "That's fuckin' stupid," I may have said.
At the Park Slope fundraiser, Zohran slowly progresses through the crowd, shaking hands and fielding presumably annoying questions about Park Slope Food Co-Op bullshit. At last Zohran emerges from the crowded hallway and, flashing a now-signature smile, walks right up to me and introduces himself. I tell him he's safe with me because my membership at the Food Co-Op was revoked and therefore I do not intend to bug him about banning single-use seed oils or whatever they're up in arms about now. Zohran seems genuinely relieved.
We shoot the shit. In person, the Mayor of New York City comes off as funny, charming, and remarkably normal. Whenever the conversation veers too far off-course, he effortlessly brings us back to his populist vision for the city. After five minutes or so, the host of the fundraiser taps him on the shoulder. Zohran politely excuses himself. "Remarkably normal guy," I think. A few minutes later, someone clinks a fork against a glass, and Zohran turns to address the crowd. He speaks. I feel in my bones that he is going to win the whole thing.
I start volunteering soon thereafter. My partner, J., gets heavily involved in organizing her union to endorse Zohran, so I get to know some of the new friends she's making. They are all DSA people. I canvass with them on the weekends and sometimes on weeknights.
It's around this time that I become separately completely obsessed with the clean energy transition, i.e. the transition away from burning climate-warming fossil fuels to make electricity, a practice that will end all life on Earth within our lifetimes unless we put a stop to it right now, to generating electricity from cheap and efficient renewable sources. I start looking for a climate volunteer group doing impactful work. These seemingly unrelated events coalesce, miraculously, when a DSA member I met through J. points me to the chapter's Ecosocialist Working Group.
I sign up on the NYC-DSA Ecosoc website. I get a phone call from a wonderful Ecosoc member named Rachel. She asks me about myself, clues me in to the impressive history of the Working Group, what they're currently fighting for. She tells me when the weekly general meeting is (Thursdays at 8pm) and about the various Ecosoc committees I can join (Research, Comms, Membership, and Field). I attend my first real DSA meeting in nine years. I've hardly missed one since.
Once you get plugged into DSA work, things can move quickly. That's also part of the DSA magic. A new member can go from outsider to contributor to cochair in what feels like no time at all.
Or you can just ignore all the emails.
Are the meetings still weird?
Much less so! While I was off galavanting, NYC-DSA was getting its shit together. Thanks to a ton of work from dedicated, talented members, our onboarding system today is far more robust than it was back in 2016. Every week there are multiple Coffee with Comrades events held around the city (yes, we still call each other comrade, it's fine). There are frequent DSA 101 events that will do a much better job than this post of making it make sense. You can even sign up for a 1:1 call with someone from membership.
The NYC-DSA calendar is kept very up to date. There are no less than six events taking place in New York City today that anyone is welcome to attend, including a DSA 101 event at 7pm. You could go to that!
Once you're up to speed, it's up to you to figure out where to plug in. Thankfully, there are a ton of options.
What do members do?
So, so much. NYC-DSA has twelve Working Groups, each of which has their own campaigns and ongoing work. But beyond the WGs, there are dozens of cultural clubs and affinity groups you can join.
Note that what's listed below is just what's happening in New York City. If you're not in the Big and Increasingly Red Apple, you'll have to look into what your local chapter is cooking up. Find yours here.
Clubs & Affinity groups
See the full list here. A random smattering:
- Sports: softball, soccer, running club
- Culture: reading groups, comedy shows, game nights, movie club
- Affinity groups: the Afrosocialists Caucus, Latinos Socialistas, the Queer Caucus, and Comrades with Kids
Working Groups
See the full list here. To spotlight a few:
Electoral WG
Electoral work, meaning endorsing candidates for office and running their campaigns, is what DSA has become best known for. As of this writing, we are endorsing six more races in the coming year, probably with more to come. (See all the DSA-endorsed candidates here).
A tremendous amount of work goes into each of these races, from recruiting great candidates to building field operations to creating resonant comms to organizing the endorsement forums. If you've ever wanted to work on a political campaign, this is the way to do it. I'll reference the DSA magic again: a dedicated member can go from volunteer to field lead to full-time staffer in the blink of an eye.
Labor WG
In 1983, over 20% of Americans belonged to a union. Today, that number is less than 10%. The corrosion of unions in America has been unequivocally bad for the working class. The NYC-DSA Labor WG stands with rank-and-file union members by supporting strikes and actions, helping to create new unions, and making existing unions more democratic. There's power in a union, as the old tune goes.
Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy (TRBA)
At a time when much of our government is actively hostile towards the trans community, the TRBA Working Group is both a refuge and a source of power. TRBA organizes to defend and expand trans rights, abortion access, and reproductive freedom across New York. They are also home to NYC-DSA’s Trans Rights, Class Fight priority campaign.
Immigrant Justice WG
ICE is a plague on this country and they must be stopped. The Immigrant Justice Working Group is organizing to protect the rights of immigrants being targeted by ICE and other agencies. They believe all people deserve a dignified existence, no matter their citizenship status.
Anti-War WG
At a time when we are blundering full-speed ahead into pointless wars with Venezuela and maybe literally everyone else??, beating the anti-war drum is critically important. The Anti-War Working Group is dedicated to countering U.S. imperialism and resisting U.S. regime-change operations and interventions in foreign wars and conflicts.
Ecosocialist WG
Stopping climate change can feel futile, but it really isn't. The Ecosocialist Working Group stopped a multi-billion-dollar corporation from building a new fossil fuel plant in Astoria. We passed what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the “most ambitious pieces of climate legislation in [New York’s] history,” the Build Public Renewables Act. Now we're fighting to implement Zohran's climate policy for green schools and schoolyards, written by Ecosoc members.
There are six more WGs that I won't cover here. Not to diminish them! But this post isn't meant to be comprehensive. So please click this link and take a look at all the wonderful Working Groups smashing fascism here in New York City.
I'll end this post with one last Q&A.
What makes it democratic socialism?
The "D" in DSA isn't just for show. Our members have the power to introduce new programming and priority campaigns, to get elected to various leadership committees at the chapter and national levels, and even to change our bylaws... provided they can muster the votes.
We vote a lot. Sometimes it feels like too much voting, frankly. But that's what democracy looks like. In DSA, your voice counts.
Do with that what you will.
Member discussion