YDSA Takes A Brave Stance Against Fascism on UGA Campus

In a frightening time period where the President of the United States inserts himself as a self-proclaimed, but unlawful King and dictator, today's generation of young college students refuse to back off in fear and use their voice to stand up for what is right for the future of not only America, but the safety of their fellow peers and friends.

Today at noon, at the University of Georgia, I had the absolute pleasure of coming across this assembly, where a crowd of students, politicians, activists, and motivational speakers alike came together to give their own speeches to the people on campus, to encourage them to speak up and fight against the discrimination going on in the world.

These brave people are part the YDSA (Young Democratic Socialists of America), which is "a national organization of recognized campus chapters and several hundred activists". They are young students who are dedicated to "organizing in [their] universities, colleges, and high schools to fight for the immediate needs of workers and students while building [their] capacity to fight for more radical and structural changes".

It was incredibly important for these young students to come together and use their voice, as American citizens, and speak out against the injustice that is currently going on. It is understandable that many people may be too afraid to speak up, in fear of deportation or facing some sort of discrimination against those who want to take away their basic human rights.

But assemblies like this shows millions of young Americans that they are not alone. And they have allies right on their side.

"If you believe in the future and tomorrow, then stand up and show them that they will not win," one activist boldly stated. "We will protect what they would destroy. We will survive their onslaught. We will remind them what it means to he human."

It was especially essential on the ground of the UGA campus. In the 2025-2026 school year, UGA made a significant change to the Non-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment Policy (NDAHP) to remove "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as protected classes.

This caused massive backlash from many students and people in the community, especially in the current political climate. This wasn't a small removal or accident. This one change sparked fear and uncertainty among many UGA students, especially those who were members of the LGBT+ community, whose lives were already in danger from Trump's policies.

While UGA has issued a formal apology, words aren't enough to spark change. Real action must be done in order to protect young students from unlawful discrimination.

There is currently a petition in place, endorsed by a number of activist movements in the area, to convince UGA to take a real stance for their students and reinstate their anti-discrimination policy with more than just words.

You may sign the petition here. Even if you're not in the UGA area, every voice, no matter how small, matters.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRzHbwcgEpIUQHlr18uPoCuH8ltThDoPGWVFIzlQ8XKSt2Qg/viewform

One important speaker that came here today was Tim Denson, educator and Athens-Clarke County Commissioner, who will be running for Mayor of Athens. As a father and activist against social injustice, Denson's goal is to make Athens, Georgia and UGA a safe and affordable environment for all the members of the community, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, income, and religion.

I was incredibly impressed at how confident and willing he was to stand by the people of UGA, despite the difficult time period. And that is something that the people of America really need right now, even when things get tough. The citizens must look to their leaders for change, hope, and optimism, without needing to worry about what will happen to their home or income.

I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with him about his mission, and when asked if he was confident about succeeding in tough times, he said, "Yeah. I mean, I know that in the face of this kind of stuff, [this is] the best time to be able to organize and get people out. I was on the county commission before. We formed a local government organization called Athens for Everyone, and we ended up sweeping the elections and getting progressives in the office, to the point that the Republicans and legislators redistricted us and actually forced a bunch of us off the committee because we were doing so much. So, we [are reorganizing] again [...], so I feel confident we can win."

With Denson's 15 years of experience in public service, he came across as incredibly confident, but also humble and down to earth with the people in the community. I certainly had that humble feeling when he spoke to me about his vision and high hopes for Athens' future. Even if Denson's change is local to UGA and the broader Athens-Clarke County area, at least a little bit of progressive change is necessary in order for the people to survive.

With the Athens-Clarke County Mayoral Election coming up on May 21, 2026, Tim Denson is ready to stand by the young students in UGA.

For those who wish to learn more about his campaign, you may visit his official campaign website here.

I wanted to share some more videos I took from this important event, from a number of students and  activists who are also part of this brave movement for liberty and justice for all.

For those who wish to get involved in YDSA, you may check out their website here. You can find ways to get your own university or student body involved in the fight against discrimination and dictatorship.

In a world of darkness and hardships, moments like these remind us that there is still hope in the world, and that we are not alone in this fight.