Casey B.
Queer Section Candidate
My name is Casey B. and I am a pan, gray-ace woman. I live in Hyattsville with my spouse and our three cats. I joined MDCDSA after the 2024 election in an effort to plug into community organizing in a more consistent way and it’s been a joy to work and play with so many like minded people. As Queer Section steward, I would work to foster an open and welcoming space for queer folk from across the chapter. Now is a time when we all need to support each other, and DSA is a great place to build that network. My day job is in digital marketing, so I am familiar with what it takes to promote events and to stay organized behind the scenes. This knowledge would help me make onboarding a smooth experience for new members, and help maintain a database of accessible queer-owned and -friendly spaces across the DMV. Overall, I would aim to make Queer Section events fun, generative, and rejuvenating.
Jennifer O.
Queer Section Candidate | Socialist Feminist Section Candidate
I’m from Louisiana and moved to the area in 2020 with my wife and two puppies. I’ve been in DSA for about three years and involved with repro justice and Medicare for All NoVA. In general I’ve helped with outreach efforts: tabling events, collecting petition signatures at farmer’s markets, onboarding new people, and hosting first Friday Gamenite in NoVA. I’d like to incorporate other fun activities and give some variability to the time and locations of happy hour events to engage more members of the community.
Jo S.
Queer Section Candidate | Socialist Feminist Section Candidate
Hi Everyone! My name is Jo and I am very excited to have been nominated for the Socialist Feminist Section and Queer Section Stewardship positions. I have been a member of DSA since April 2024 and have been active in the Reproductive Justice and Trans and Queer Liberation (TQL) Campaigns of the Bodily Autonomy Working Group (BAWG) since November. I joined DSA because I believe that socialism is the only answer to the world we find ourselves in and that answer will not arrive without people doing the work. During my time with BAWG I have participated in organizing the most recent two sexual health care kit packing events with the Reproductive Justice Campaign. I am now leading the effort to organize TQL’s first fundraiser, which will support the critical on the ground harm reduction efforts of HIPS. In the future, I would love to support the revitalization of the Socialist Feminist and Queer Sections of Metro DC DSA. If these sections are thoughtfully stewarded, they will bring together socialists across and outside of the working groups, reading groups, and other sections of DSA. Bringing organizers with different perspectives together is crucial for: 1. building solidarity across campaigns; 2. increasing the engagement of all members and encouraging involvement in campaigns; 3. creating spaces for cross-pollination of strategies and ideas, and 4. keeping socialism social, fun, and community oriented. In addition to the typical section happy hours, I would aim to create activity-centered socials. I believe it is important to provide welcoming spaces for our sober comrades and will also promote further general engagement. I look forward to the chance to continue to fight for a future I want to live in with all of you. Solidarity!
Leah T.
Queer Section Candidate | Socialist Feminist Section Candidate
My name is Leah T. and I’m so excited to have been nominated for the Steward of both the Socialist Feminist Section and the Queer Section! I moved to DC in June 2023 after teaching middle school in Boston for almost ten years and I joined DSA in the fall of 2024 after participating in one of the reading groups!
Since joining DSA, I’ve been involved in a few different working groups and commissions with varying levels of responsibility. Within the Repro Justice side of BAWG, I’ve helped out with planning events like our two most recent packing parties, creating Action Network events for our meetings, following up with and onboarding new members, and pitching in wherever else I have capacity! I’ve also been involved with event planning and new member onboarding in the Abolition working group. I’m also currently a member of the Program Development Commission, an elected body tasked with writing a 2-year program guide for the chapter, and the AdCom Apprenticeship, where I’ve been learning the ropes of the different tasks associated with AdCom from comms to textbanking to running hybrid events. If I am lucky enough to be one of the Section Stewards, I’d be excited to work alongside the campaign chairs to host monthly happy hours (and socials not attached to bars as well!) and to onboard new members. Our strength comes from our community and the Section Stewards are foundational in making sure that our community is thriving!
Molly C.
Socialist Feminist Section Candidate
Hi! I’m Molly, she/her, living in Washington DC. I’ve been part of BAWG since post 2024 election, after genuinely just feeling helpless, and wanting to put my despair towards action. I’d been pointed toward DSA, and I found joined BAWG because of my deep passion for bodily autonomy and reproductive rights.
I’m excited to bring my social nature and ability to connect with others over common issues to the SocFem Steward role. I really do believe in BAWG’s mission and work, so utilizing social events to connect with new and current members about organizing - and also to have fun!
Pip A.
Queer Section Candidate
My name is Pip, I am a genderqueer librarian-in-training, currently studying my masters online with Indiana University. I live in PG County and work as floor staff at the Planet Word museum. I joined DSA in January of this year and found my way to BAWG shortly thereafter, as trans liberation and bodily autonomy are near and dear to me. In all honesty, I don’t have organizing experience prior to DSA. Like many, I’ve joined in the wake of the election, looking for a way to fight back and protect my communities.
Having a naturally nervous disposition, social events have been invaluable to me as opportunities to make connections, learn about how DSA operates, and find motivation within this community. It is a lot easier to participate in the harder work once you’ve gotten to know the people who are working with you. For example, it was much easier to volunteer at Pack, Party, Pride after I had attended a happy hour/planning meeting at the venue and gotten to know fellow volunteers in a casual setting. Though the work isn’t as flashy or obviously necessary, I have a personal understanding of the necessity of the work of the Queer Section Steward. My experiences with anxiety also make me eager to extend welcome to others and make them comfortable, because I know how it feels to be new and a little confused.
In balancing work and school, I have also developed strong organizational skills that will help me keep on top of schedules, RSVPs, emails, and texts. Additionally, my previous work experience in childcare as well as my degree focus on library services to youth both motivate me to explore the options that are available for social events. I have enjoyed happy hours and know that they are valuable, but I would also like to work with members to see what kind of events they are interested in. In particular, I would like to find opportunities for child-friendly events that meet the needs of parents and caregivers. As part of fighting for bodily autonomy, I believe it’s important to do what the “pro-life” side fails to and actually provide for the lives of those who do choose children—even if that just means something as simple as holding a social at the park or a child-friendly cafe.
I would be grateful to have this opportunity to more thoroughly engage with and support the BAWG community, which has been a welcoming space to me. I would use my experiences to return that welcome to new members, as well as to further the existing connections that form and shape the BAWG community.
Tarini V.
Socialist Feminist Section Candidate
My name is Tarini (she/her, thaa-rih-nee). I got involved with the Metro DSA chapter in December of last year. I moved to DC about three years ago after finishing grad school at Texas A&M. I joined the Texas A&M YDSA chapter when it started in 2019, and was part of Grad Aggies for Worker Safety (GAWS), which advocated for safer working conditions for teaching assistants during the COVID 19 pandemic. While we weren’t able to get any solid concessions from the university, I learned many lessons from being in GAWS. I’ll never forget how we were betrayed by the university that claimed to care about us, but more vitally I will never forget how much power there is when people are organized.
I also learned how valuable it is to build community in good times so you can rely on each other in bad times. Now more than ever, we need spaces where we can be among kindred spirits and relax and build back our strength. With the Queer Section Steward, I would organize the monthly happy hours at accessible locations with non-alcoholic options that can be reached via public transit. I would aim to have the happy hour locations evenly distributed between DC, Maryland, and Virginia, not just for ease of attendance but also for people to become more familiar with the region they live in (I speak for myself too!). I would also aim to make some of the happy hours joint events with other working groups to encourage ties within the chapter.
Since joining BAWG, I’ve felt so welcomed and encouraged to contribute in whatever way I can, and I hope I can pay that forward by creating a healthy space that will encourage more people to join DSA.
P.S. And on a more fun note, I’d also want to implement a tradition I inherited when I organized my department’s happy hour in grad school: send in an interesting article to include in the happy hour reminder email, and I’ll buy you a beer (or another beverage of your choice)!