At Maine DSA’s Summer Semi-Annual Meeting (held each July), a 2/3 majority of chapter members present voted to pass the following statement regarding the DSA National Convention Mask Policy, and to mandate its release via Pine and Roses.
Maine DSA calls upon all elected and/or appointed delegates to vote for a motion by Richard S of Greater Baltimore DSA to require masking at convention.
Upon their election, some Maine DSA delegates were taken aback by the abdication of previously held standards of masking at our National Convention. As a chapter, we have formally required masking since January 2023 and reaffirmed it in May of 2023 and November of 2023. While we allow for socials and other “riskier” activities, we understand the importance of making chapter business accessible for all as a democratic organization. This is even more crucial at the national level, where political decisions are made which impact all of DSA’s tens of thousands of members.
Masking should be required at our National Convention, as it is at this year’s Socialism Conference. Airborne viral particles don’t care whether or not we are 6ft apart from each other. Vaccine requirements are certainly helpful for personal protection, but we are quickly losing access under the RFK Jr, Jay Bhattacharya, and Marty Makary public health administration, and current US vaccines have limited efficacy against transmission and development of long COVID. Masks are safe and ridiculously effective.
Furthermore, the requirement of a single Rapid Antigen Test for each delegate ignores the instructions supplied with these tests which are only authorized for asymptomatic use when tested at least three times over five days with at least 48 hours between tests. In fact, even when symptomatic, the pre-Trump FDA recommended repeat testing following a negative result. Advising people to misuse medical tests is neither comradely nor wise and provides false confidence that our convention policies adequately protect our comrades.
The National Political Committee Steering Committee’s decision along caucus lines to make masking optional, despite years of advocacy from DSA’s Disability Working Group, directly endangers DSA members and caused one of our chapter’s elected delegates to drop out upon hearing of the new policy. It has given pause to multiple other delegates who were similarly shocked by this news.
By not standing by practical public health measures now, we are failing our future selves. Why are we taking unnecessary risks in our organizing that are likely to lead to the disablement of many of us, especially trans and bisexual people and people of color? DSA needs to meet the moment; America’s fascist government is ramping up their restrictions on vaccine access. Mask bans continue to pop up across the country, giving police ever more rein to harass disabled people as they try to more safely go about their days.
We are hopeful that other chapters will make similar statements; if you are a DSA Member, you can motion to make a statement like this in your chapter. We hope our comrades across this country will hold disability justice and accessibility as a top priority. At a minimum, we ask that all DSA delegates be prepared to support a floor vote to restore the masking policy at our 2025 National Convention for the safety of all of our comrades.
Mask up! We need you,
Maine Democratic Socialists of AmericaReading
Podcast and Transcript: Covid Year Five (12/23/24) – Death Panel
Zine: MASK UP, WE NEED YOU: Palestinian Solidarity, Covid-19, and the Struggle for Liberation – Sheyam Ghieth and Rimona Eskayo
Blog: COVID-19 Weather Reports – People’s CDC
Website: We Have the Tools
Maine Delegation Statement: Maine DSA’s Delegation to the 2025 DSA National Convention Opposes the Rollback of Public Health in the US and Within our National Organization
