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Come join Living Liberally’s Annual Celebration!

Jill

Tomorrow, May 1st, is the Living Liberally annual celebration. Kerry Trueman explains why this event matters, and quotes the lovely Baratunde Thurston:

Around the country, people need this type of liberal network more than ever. As we hear about the Tea Baggers in the news, many of us ask, “Where is OUR Tea Party?” Well, the fact is there are liberals in over 300 cities that are drinking something stiffer than weak tea. Drinking Liberally chapters are often the first stop for candidates trying to reach progressive audiences and for local advocates looking to recruit for their campaigns.

In some cities, it’s the only event that welcomes “liberals,” providing a necessary destination for those who want to create a more progressive future for our country.
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The Living Liberally team is only able to create this network with your support. Each year, the Annual Celebration gathers allies, honors partners and pulls in the necessary resources for the work ahead.

Get your tickets now! And if you come, Baratunde and I will give you a complimentary Christian Side Hug.

7 thoughts on Come join Living Liberally’s Annual Celebration!

  1. Hmm, I don’t live in America any longer so maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but this is the first time I’ve heard of Drinking Liberally and it strikes me as kinda awful that what is being described as “OUR tea party” is associated with drinking alcohol, something that a lot of people cannot do because of disabilities or religious beliefs (and other reasons). I mean, I’m sure people will go to one of these “Drink Liberally” things and get a drink other than alcohol, but it still seems to me that to have drinking as the stated activity creates an atmosphere that is not overtly inclusive.

  3. Um, I’m really not a troll, I’m just a disabled woman who is incredibly sick of being unable to participate in almost every social event that ever comes up because I can’t drink, and is frustrated that these non-inclusive social events often blend into political activism, and is tired of being politely quiet about it.

    1. Yeah, I mean, someone bringing up an accessibility concern that you’ve never heard of before shouldn’t really be labeled as synonymous with “trolling.” And folks bringing up accessibility concerns is something we’d kind of like to foster, not label as trollish. And while tone should never be a requirement of being heard, that is especially so when the person phrased their objection rather calmly and while giving off every indication of trying to engage in a dialogue, not attack and rant and chew folks out (all behaviors not exclusive to trolls, but generally associated with them).

  4. Still Learning, just FYI, Living Liberallyl includes a bunch of different organizations — Drinking Liberally, Eating Liberally, Laughing Liberally, Reading Liberally, etc. The branch that focuses around meeting at bars is only one part. I do understand your concern, but I don’t think it’s inappropriate or really all that problematic to have alcoholic beverages at an event (which is the extent to which alcohol will be involved at the Living Liberally party tomorrow), any more than it’s inappropriate or problematic to have, say, pork at the event so long as there are other options. No one is being forced or pressured to drink; and, as someone who goes to Drinking Liberally events in NY regularly, I can tell you that there are people who come who don’t drink alcohol. And again, the organization offers a bunch of different options for participation that have nothing to do with drinking.

  5. That is good to hear! I guess I am just touchy on this subject because I have been involved in too many activist-type things where going out drinking afterwards or drinking together as part of the planning for the event was basically an integral part of the process. 🙂 Of course there is nothing problematic about simply offering alcohol, it just seemed from the quote above that drinking alcohol was the main activity.

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