About us
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
6
Civil Disobedience and The Limits of Protest
Unitarian Universalist Society of South Suffolk, 28 Brentwood Rd, Bay Shore, NY, USCivil disobedience has always involved a kind of moral friction. To protest unjust laws is to break them. In the tradition of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., nonviolent resistance has long claimed moral authority by refusing harm - physical or verbal, even while resisting power.
But today, that foundation is being questioned. Across the political spectrum, people increasingly feel that the stakes are urgent, even existential.
Some argue that nonviolence is essential - that once a movement turns to violence, it risks losing both legitimacy and purpose. Others ask whether nonviolence is always sufficient, especially when injustice feels urgent, when institutions seem unresponsive, or when harm feels immediate and entrenched. Yet others contend that speech itself can be a form of violence - that words can wound, exclude, dehumanize, and create real psychological and social harm. If that is true, then the boundary between “nonviolent” and “violent” becomes far less clear.
This conversation invites us to wrestle with difficult questions - without assuming easy answers:
- Is civil disobedience defined by its willingness to break the law - or by its refusal to harm?
- Is nonviolence a moral principle, a strategy, or both? And what happens when those come into tension?
- What changes when one side becomes violent? What changes when both sides do?
- What happens to a movement’s moral compass when leadership is unclear or absent?
- Can a movement maintain legitimacy - and effectiveness - if it abandons nonviolence?
- What happens to a society when different groups operate with fundamentally different definitions of harm, violence, and justice?
Participants are encouraged to come prepared not just with opinions, but with reflection - drawing on history, personal experience, and a willingness to listen across differences.
Some useful links:
- You’re Not Protesting Like Dr. King by The Free Press
- Is Violent Protest Ever Justified? By The Prindle Institute
- Gen Z Is Much More Supportive of Political Violence by NewsWeek
Join the Crossing Party Lines discussion and have a voice in our nation’s conversation! People of all views are welcomed, appreciated, and heard.
9 attendees
Birthright Citizenship: What Does It Mean Today?
·OnlineOnlineThis event will be held online May 10 at 5pm-7pm PT/8pm-10pm ET
Because we have been having issues with the correct date/time not showing up on Meetup, we encourage you to register at the link below to receive your Zoom link and confirmation email.
********************REGISTER HERE!*********************
Birthright citizenship—granting citizenship to individuals born in the United States—has long been part of U.S. law, rooted in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. In recent years, it has become a topic of renewed discussion, with people expressing a range of perspectives about its meaning, purpose, and application.
At this meeting, we’ll explore how people understand birthright citizenship and how it fits into our country today.We’ll ask questions such as:
- What does birthright citizenship mean to you, and how do you understand its purpose?
- How does birthright citizenship shape your sense of national identity or belonging?
- What benefits or challenges do you see associated with birthright citizenship?
- What do you think about the idea of exceptions or limits to birthright citizenship, if any?
This will be an opportunity to explore different perspectives on citizenship, identity, and how laws evolve over time.
Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news!Follow us on:
- Instagram @crossingpartylines
- Twitter @crosspartylines
- Facebook @crossingpartylines
1 attendee
Book Club: The Whiskey Rebellion
·OnlineOnlineThis event will be held online May 16 at 2pm PT/7pm ET
Because we have been having issues with the correct date/time not showing up on Meetup, we encourage you to register at the link below to receive your Zoom link and confirmation email.
********************REGISTER HERE!*********************
The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s Newfound Sovereignty, by William Hogeland, 2006, 302 pages
William Hogeland’s The Whiskey Rebellion (2006) provides a gripping, detailed account of the 1790s Western Pennsylvania uprising against federal excise taxes, portraying it as a crucial, violent struggle that established federal power. The book highlights how Alexander Hamilton's financial plans fueled class conflict between elite Easterners and rural Westerners, leading to an armed rebellion that prompted a massive military response from George Washington.
Key Aspects of the Book:
The Conflict: Small farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania felt the federal excise tax on whiskey was a weapon for creditors and industrialists to exploit their rural economies.Radical Movement: The book explores how organized "insurgents" used violence, such as tarring and feathering tax collectors, to resist the tax.
Hamilton's Agenda: Rather than just raising revenue, the book argues Hamilton designed the tax to force industrial growth and centralize power.Washington's Response: Washington, influenced by Hamilton, viewed the unrest as a threat to national sovereignty, deploying a 13,000-man army—a larger force than some Continental army units—to suppress the uprising.
Focus on Key Figures: It highlights the role of figures like Herman Husband, an eccentric leader aiming for broader radical change.The Whiskey Rebellion argues that while the tax was eventually repealed, the federal government's firm, disproportionate, and somewhat violent response permanently established the supremacy of federal authority over local resistance.
1 attendee
What Should Environmental Protection Look Like Today?
·OnlineOnlineThis event will be held online May 17 at 5pm-7pm PT/8pm-10pm ET
Because we have been having issues with the correct date/time not showing up on Meetup, we encourage you to register at the link below to receive your Zoom link and confirmation email.
********************REGISTER HERE!*********************
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to protect human health and the environment, but its role and scope continue to raise questions across the political spectrum. Some see it as essential for safeguarding air, water, and land, while others question how regulations affect economic growth, local control, and personal choice. At this meeting, we’ll explore how people think about environmental protection and the role of government in shaping it.
We’ll ask questions such as:
- How do you personally experience environmental protections (such as clean air, water, or land use) in your daily life?
- How will future generations experience the effects of today’s policies?
- In what ways do environmental regulations help or hinder communities, businesses, or individuals?
- How should decisions about environmental protection be made—at the federal, state, or local level?
- Do you think the EPA fulfills the role it was originally intended to?
This will be an opportunity to explore different perspectives on environmental responsibility, government involvement, and how we balance competing priorities.
Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news!Follow us on:
- Instagram @crossingpartylines
- Twitter @crosspartylines
- Facebook @crossingpartylines
1 attendee
Past events
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