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this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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askchapo
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I personally have organized with multiple people from different chapters of PSL who were abused for being trans or brought complaints about being preyed on by people in their chapter and in each instance they were essentially pushed out of the org and the person they were abused by remained. Over two dozen members of the chapter I used to be affiliated with locally left over an issue like this happening to someone and then finding out that they are not a dem cent org and there is no internal mechanisms for solving these issues.
If PSL is all that you have available, I'd still say go for it, and just be aware of these problems and try to be a good communist in combating liberalism and defending comrades from harm.
~~I also heard complaints about PSL not being dem centered org. Can you explain what the looks like ? Does everything go to 1 person to decide ? The brief organizating I did with them didn't seem siloed, but I never got in the weeds.~~
Edit: Nevermind someone explained further
From what I was explained by former cadre, there is an established leadership and an appointed majority who control things which average cadre are not really involved with and do not vote for, and who's strategies have not really changed for a very long time. When these average cadre see similar issues, they end up asking similar questions, which becomes pushing for similar answers and being rebuffed in similar ways. Whether it is asking about how to change organizational structure to properly hold abusers accountable because of actual cases of abuses, asking about why pursuing an electoral strategy has been absorbing so many resources of the org and there are virtually no mass programs nor interaction with "the masses" outside of going to protests (arguably not the masses), or even pushing to do specific types of organizational work that cadre see as valuable and missing and are willing to put work into , these things aren't up for discussion openly among the cadre even behind closed doors.
I was happy to see PSL did update their electoral strategy with new candidates who seem great and their media arm has been doing well, hopefully they keep improving.
Thanks for that. I heard similar complaints but coming from DSA, where we had sooo much bureaucracy, I couldn't see the issue. Well I feel less bad about not following up more frequently and only going to their talk events/protest. If that's all there is then I'll keep it up.
Yeah DSA is the left wing of fascism imo, been in spaces with them for years and it is very disturbing. I do believe a lot of good people get wrapped up in there thinking they can make it better but god is that an awful org to be a part of. I think PSL isn't beyond changing it just needs really dedicated and principled comrades. I guess what you'll be missing from joining PSL would be like, a more intentional education track but if you are good with studying already, an organization doing actual work with colonized groups and marginalized people in general would be a much better learning experience.