The coronavirus pandemic has made it more apparent than ever that transparency and accountability in our politics is crucial. And our political system cannot maintain these values unless everyone is included -- and that means people of all backgrounds, races and ethnicities, classes, sexual orientation, and gender identities. As it currently operates, our local Democratic Party holds seats for two genders -- "male" and "female" and splits those seats 50/50. This excludes non-binary, intersex, and gender-noncomforing Brooklynites from running for a seat on Brooklyn’s Democratic County Committee.
This cycle, 7 TGNC and non-binary candidates ran for County Committee seats without designating a gender. They have been disqualified as a result. Their only recourse is to challenge this disqualification - and the Party’s discriminatory rule - in court.
New Kings Democrats (which runs the #RepYourBlock campaign) is supporting this litigation financially, because this is fundamentally a question of inclusion in the Brooklyn Democratic Party. This will cost money and we’re prepared to make the investment, but we need your help. If you have the means, we ask you to consider making a contribution in support of the inclusive politics we are all fighting for.