What we're about
Civil, respectful conversation with people with different political views?
Yes, it is possible. We’re doing it and you can, too.
Crossing Party Lines is YOUR brave space to meet and talk with people you disagree with and may not even understand. You might even have fun!
Our events include:
- DISCUSSIONS: We meet as small groups where you can talk to real people about the issues that divide us. Share your unique insights, encounter new perspectives and new ways of looking at the world, and experience what it's like to feel heard and understood.
You'll find that it is possible to disagree in a way that leaves you feeling true to yourself and your beliefs without losing your friends or your cool.
- WORKSHOPS: We teach the skills you need to effectively talk across differences. You will learn ways to foster curiosity and invite listening, acquire strategies for overcoming common communication barriers, and develop the confidence to talk politics with people you know, live, and work with.
- COMMUNITY EVENTS: We’re not just about talking – we’re also about community. We host game nights, screen videos, share books, and offer many other ways of connecting across differences.
At all events, trained facilitators set the tone of the discussion and help the group build trust. Come see what civil, respectful conversation is like. Who knows, you might make friends with someone you disagree with!
More about Crossing Party Lines:
We are a national nonprofit with chapters in eight states. Because we believe that the success of America’s unique democracy relies on the diversity of our viewpoints, we encourage people of all political views and parties to join and participate.
Come learn, explore, practice, and grow with us. Join this grassroots movement and become the change in your community.
Note: Due to COVID, most of our events are online. Unless otherwise stated, events are open to all Crossing Party Lines chapters, giving you a chance to interact with people from all over the country.
Upcoming events (1)
One of the hallmarks of “adulting” in America is to move out of one’s parents’ house and have one’s own space. However, too often it can be extremely difficult because of a lack of affordable housing. Many young Americans are having to make a choice between not having their own place and moving far away from their families in order to find something affordable. Most Americans couldn’t afford to purchase their own home based on current prices. Nationally, a single-family home now costs a record 5.3 times more than the median household's income - double what is considered affordable, and the typical rental is almost $2000 a month.
Those of us living on Long Island can especially relate to this problem. Nassau and Suffolk Counties rank among the TOP 10 LEAST affordable metropolitan areas in the country and the rent-to-income ratio for NY in 2022 was 68.5 percent.
Join our discussion as we explore this issue and questions such as:
- Have you or someone you know ever had to choose between having a home & being close to your family?
- What stands in the way of Affordable Housing?
- What roles do, or should, local or state level zoning codes play in making housing available?
- Did you agree/disagree with Gov. Hochul’s NY affordable housing Act?
- Terms like NIMBY (Not In My Backyard), YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) and PHIMBY (Public Housing In My Backyard) are often used in these discussions - do you relate to them and why?
- Is the cost of housing driving up homelessness?
- What is the best way to resolve this problem?
Join our FIFTH in-person discussion at our NEW Long Island chapter and have a voice in our local (and national) conversation! If you are liberal, come & bring a conservative friend. If you are a conservative, bring a liberal friend. If you have no friends across party lines, then you know how entrenched the problem is, come so we can solve it together! Help us rebuild a culture where all views are welcomed, appreciated, and heard.
Please do your best to arrive 5-10 minutes before the meeting so we can get to know each other before we start the discussion.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Follow us on:
• Facebook @crossingpartylinesli (Facebook.com/crossingpartylinesli)
• Instagram @crossingpartylinesli (Instagram.com/crossingpartylinesli)
• Twitter @CPL_LongIsland (Twitter.com/CPL_LongIsland)
Sources/ Pre-Reads (Optional)
- WSJ: Kathy Hochul’s Plan to Force NYC Suburbs to Approve More Housing Sparks Battle
- Guardian: How finding a home in America became so absurdly expensive
- NY Times: The Typical American Renter Is Now Rent-Burdened
- NY State Governor's Office: The New York Housing Compact
- Nationwide Economics: Health of Housing Markets (HoHM) Report
- Cato Institute 2022 Housing Affordability National Survey
- Rakhee K.
- Rene B.
- Swati S.
- 5 attendees
