Gretchen's List: October 2023
Dear Friends,
By semi-popular demand, I am back! My “summer break” from newslettering accidentally went a full six months — partially because of my travel, partially because every time I started writing something, a new political upheaval would render most of what I’d drafted immediately irrelevant. So, here we are, with a new California Senator, a new international catastrophe, no Speaker of the House, and just over a year until the Presidential election.
I have many events coming up: Senators Gillibrand, Booker, Padilla, and Cantwell are all coming to town, as is Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (who is running to unseat Rick Scott in Florida) and Sarah McBride (who is running to become the first trans person in Congress). Plus, I’m hosting a conversation on how to save sex education from the unhinged school boards across the country. (All details for events are below.) I hope, in the midst of everything else going on, you might find a candidate or cause that inspires you to keep at this work as we get ready for 2024.
Thanks for being here.
Best,
Gretchen
P.S. For those interested in my research and work (sort of) outside of politics, I am joining a virtual conversation hosted by Adoption Network Cleveland to discuss my upcoming book Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. It will be on October 30th at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET. You can register here.
Where to Send Money Now
This section was going to be about how to think about your political giving strategy for 2024, and then Hamas terrorists struck Israel and Israel started bombing Gaza, so that’s all going to wait until next month.
I am not an expert on what’s happening in the Middle East, and I’m on a steep learning journey to understand more. I have spent the last week listening to my Jewish friends who are grieving deeply the loss of Israeli civilian lives, facing threats of violence at their children’s schools, and feeling that their sense of anger, fear, and loss is not seen by progressives. I’ve also heard from my Palestinian friends, who are horrified by what is happening in Gaza and fearful of what’s to come, and who feel that their own prolonged injustices and violations are not seen by leaders in the Democratic party. I know these agonies, anxieties, and losses are not mutually exclusive.
Because I don’t know what else to write about what’s happening, here’s what I’ve been reading:
The Tangled Grief of Israel’s Anti-Occupation Activists by Masha Gessen
How Many Innocent People Must Die Before Revenge Is Served? by Chris Cannon
The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza, an interview with Human Rights Watch by Isaac Chotiner
What Hamas Wants by Yair Rosenberg
Explanations Are Not Excuses by Sarah Schulman
I think the most immediate needs are humanitarian aid, and while I learn more about longer-term advocacy and building for justice and peace, here’s where I’m sending money:
Anera works in West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, and Jordan to provide emergency relief for refugees and people displaced due to conflict.
Dror Israel provides day care and school programs for Israeli children who have been evacuated and traumatized by terrorism, and youth counselors for families that have to spend time in shelters.
MECA (Middle East Children’s Alliance) provides emergency assistance, including food and water, medical aid, and mental health services to families and hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank.
2023 Israel Emergency Fund has been organized by some of my Bay Area friends to provide medical car, emergency services, evacuation support, transport, housing, and trauma relief through key partners in Israel.
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is only of the primary medical and humanitaian relief organizations working to support children and families throughout Gaza.
Plus, standbys like Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross are doing vital work.
Upcoming Events
So many events! TL;DR: I have upcoming events with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) and Cory Booker (New Jersey); Senator Maria Cantwell and Congresswomen Kim Schrier and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington); former congresswoman and senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Florida); Jaclyn Friedman of EducateUS, State Senator (and congressional candidate) Sarah McBride (Delaware). Read on for details for each.
On October 29 at 4pm, I am hosting a reception with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Senator Alex Padilla of California. At 5:30pm, Senator Gillibrand will join us for dinner, alongside Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. The event will benefit both Kirsten’s re-election (and her work to reclaim US House seats in New York), and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (which works to protect our incumbent Democratic majority in the US Senate). You know this event is special because I am hosting two men. Contribute and RSVP here.
I will be hosting a virtual event with Jaclyn Friedman of EducateUS on October 30th at 1pm PT/4pm ET. I believe EducateUS is doing work critical to developing a progressive strategy to reclaim our public schools and ensure healthy curricula for our young people. This is the antidote to Moms for Liberty. As right-wing extremists are attacking sexual health and wellness education (calling it indoctrination, pornography, grooming, etc.), EducateUS knows that sexual health and wellness education has been repeatedly proven to reduce child abuse, gender-based violence, LGBTQ+ bullying and rates of suicide. It drives young people to the polls, and supports critical thinking and education broadly through dynamic exchanges that recognize the interconnected nature of issues vital to growing active, engaged citizens. Please register here to join the conversation.
Remember, remember on the 5th of November at 5pm I am hosting Senator Maria Cantwell, along with frontline Congresswomen Dr. Kim Schrier and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, all of Washington. I am a huge fan of both Maria and Kim — Kim was the first woman physician in the US House — and looking forward to meeting Marie. Kim and Marie are both in very competitive House district (honestly, we’re still trying to figure out how Marie won last time, so that we can make sure she does it again). This event is co-hosted with Electing Women Bay Area. Please contribute here to join us.
Former congresswoman and current Florida senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will be joining me for an Electing Women Bay Area lunch on November 29th at 12pm. Florida remains an uphill climb, but with the abortion ballot measure likely to be in play, Debbie can get within striking distance. Her personal story of arriving in Florida as an Ecuadorian refugee makes her uniquely capable of speaking to her state’s Latin@ population, and her experience in Congress ensure she will be a strong legislator in the Senate. (And remember that Rick Scott only won this seat with 50.05% of the vote in 2018.) This race is a tough one, but I think worth a shot. RSVP here to join us.
On December 4th at 5pm, I am hosting a reception for Sarah McBride, a state senator in Delaware who is for Congress, and would be the first trans woman to serve in the House. This event will be at Manny’s in the Mission. I have been glad to get to know Sarah a bit over the last year. She’s been an incredibly effective legislator in Delaware, advancing progressive causes and providing a critical voice for this moment. I am sure she will be a champion in Washington, and an important figure for our reflective democracy. I hope you’ll come meet here. RSVP here.
Donor, sociologist, researcher. Board member at WDN Action and Emerge America, and steering committee member at Electing Women Bay Area -- but all content here is mine alone and not on behalf of any organization. My goals are to help others find their networks and feel more comfortable and informed participating in the political giving space.
Currently reading: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy.