Meet Your LGBTQ+ Democratic Socialist Match at Bushwick's New Speed Date Event

Still searching for your socialist sweetheart? Can't find your progressive princess charming online?

A new event hopes to help LGBTQ+ Democratic Socialists of New York meet the loves of their lives — or whatever else they may be looking for — through speed dating.

On June 28, the New York City Democratic Socialists of America will host an LGBTQ+ socialist speed dating event at Bushwick club 3 Dollar Bill.

NYC-DSA organizer Michael Whitesides said the evening was a follow up to a wildly successful speed dating event that the organization held in May, albeit this time, it is specifically for people in the LGBTQ+ community. The first event sold out within two hours of being posted to Instagram, while next week's event only has a handful of tickets left, plus door sales.

"I think, post-pandemic, people are really eager to connect on a human level," Whitesides told BK Reader.

"A lot of people are very keen on meeting someone, whether it's for a short-term 'situationship' or a long-term relationship that has shared values. If you're at a socialist dating event, there are at least certain things that you can all get behind."

Soon after the event was publicized, NYC-DSA had sold 153 tickets and had less than 40 remaining. The idea behind the event is to bring together like-minded people looking to connect while also fundraising for the organization.

All proceeds from the tickets for this event will help send NYC-DSA members to the DSA convention in Chicago from Aug. 4-6. Through the spring event, the NYC-DSA speed dating team raised over $5,000 for its Tax The Rich campaign, it said.

The campaign seeks to promote and pass bills that levy higher taxes on New York's richest businesses and individuals, as well as bills that reinvest in public spending like housing, childcare and transit. 

The speed dating event is also a nice way for people to connect over common interests in a way that prioritizes real-life interactions, Whitesides said.

"A lot of the way we connect nowadays is very siloed, through corporations and things like that. And so speed dating is very much getting back to IRL organizing, the real-life organizing that people do: Meeting people face-to-face and having real conversations."

And there shouldn't be any need to do any awkward probing about political affiliations unless you're particularly picky. 

"A lot of people, when they go on their first date, are kind of curious about the other person's politics and values," Whitesides said. "And if you're coming to the socialist speed dating event, you kind of already have that common ground."

The event will divide people based on what they are looking for so they have the best chance possible of finding love.

An emcee will help ease any nerves with some conversation-starters that could range from anything to topics about what you would include in your Queer Agenda, to what it is the queerest fruit or vegetable, and why?

While the NYC-DSA volunteers didn't follow up to find out how many socialists found love through speed dating in the spring, they are hoping for some leftist love stories to come out of next week's event.

Limited tickets are still available online and at the door on the night.