DSA leader says Zohran Mamdani poised to 'seize state power' for party, boasts group helped create trans policy

Socialist candidate for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in a position to help socialists "seize state power," a socialist organization leader has said. The admission came from Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organizer Daniel Goulden, who also said the activist group helped craft Mamdani's transgender policies, which include tax-subsidized sex change surgeries.

DSA was hosting a panel titled "United Struggles: Resistance to Bodily Autonomy Restrictions" in July, and Goulden said that the socialist organization and activist group has been heavily involved in Mamdani's campaign for mayor and even writing portions of Mamdani's political platform.

"With Zohran, we're in basically the best possible position to seize state power that we can be in because, you know, we're like this," Goulden said at the event, holding up two crossed fingers, indicating that the campaign and DSA work very close to each other. 

He then added, "One of the things that made Zohran really successful with his policy rollouts is specifically relying on DSA."

"DSA has regular meetings with him, let alone his team. His policy director is my friend. I've been working with his campaign manager for well over a year. You know? I have friends who are in his staff," Goulden added. The DSA leader then went onto say that the socialist organization helped to draft his "trans rights" policy, which Goulden said would see New York City resources go to fund sex change operations to not just for those in in the Big Apple, but throughout the whole country.

"We wrote the platform with him. The team was so happy to work with us on this," Goulden added. "What we explicitly wanted to do was use the power of New York City to provide free gender-affirming care – and I say free in case insurance companies decide to boot us off – free gender-affirming care, not just to people in New York City, but across the country."

He suggested that the resources could also go to those seeking sex change operations in states where the treatments have been made illegal. "There's no reason at all that we can't use telehealth and mailing prescriptions to people across the whole country to undermine state bans," the activist added.

Mamdani's campaign page says that his administration would "make NYC an LGBTQIA+ Sanctuary City" as well as give out $65 million to help expand "gender affirming care" access. $8 million of that funding would go to pro-sex change operation groups for adults and minors.