Recent news has come forth and regretfully, yet again, information has come to light about another electronic music artist being involved with sexual assault. Sexual assault is a sensitive topic and it has become all too regular of a discussion in the electronic music community. Rather than discussing the most recent allegations in the media with DATSIK, its time we address the more systemic problem. It’s time we rid the EDM community of the ideology that fuels the hate behind sexual misconduct.
Fame does not excuse sexually assaulting someone EVER.
This is not about choice in attire, substance overuse, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is about being ethical human beings and ensuring we have a safe environment for our experiences with the music we love. No one should have to worry about being sexually assaulted. The only way we get rid of this is holding those violators accountable for their actions. The electronic music community has become desensitized to the issue even though we all know this has been a problem.
I’m going to call everyone out and say WE AREN’T DOING ENOUGH ABOUT IT!
PERIOD!
This recent case is not an isolated issue. Unfortunately, it’s not the first, and definitely isn’t the last we will hear about. Vigilance and reporting is the only thing that is going to affect these abusers. This is a social justice issue.
The question becomes how we get more proactive about change in our music communities?
This can be one of the most difficult questions for a victim of sexual assault. Many times they may feel defeated, powerless, or harmed psychologically in a way that may prevent from ever reporting the incident. It is 2018 and its time that we start empowering each other. This means more than just posting about it on Facebook.
Here are some resources for how to protect yourself.
Support for Victims of Sexual Assault
RAINN Network; 800.656.HOPE
CDC For Prevention of Sexual Assault
Become an Active Bystander
How Can You Help Get Rid of Sexual Assault in the Electronic Music Community?
- Holding abusers accountable.
- Holding production companies who book these artists accountable.
- Looking out for your friends and community.
- Minimizing risk by realizing the artist you think you know may be someone completely different behind closed doors.
- As a victim, know that you have support, you have resources, and you are not powerless. Speak out and fight back!
It’s time to send a message to all abusers that this behavior will not be tolerated. It’s time to boycott companies that book artists found guilty of sexual misconduct. Yes, this means getting the fu$k over missing so and so artists at your favorite festival. The point is we’ve been silent too long and its time to for real change. You can’t expect anything to change with a social media post. If you truly feel that sexual misconduct is an issue then you need to go above and beyond.
We as an electronic music community are responsible for each other’s wellbeing and safety. That means continuously checking in with your friends when going out in addition to ensuring your friends are drinking/dosing responsibly with substances from reliable sources. This also means staying in control of your sobriety when you can. A situation is seemingly ok until it’s not, so it is important to be diligent about each other’s safety if we want to make sure everyone makes it home safely. Inappropriate sexual behavior is a plague to our scene.
STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, AND BE ABOUT IT.
Posting “I’m not surprised (Insert artist) is involved with this” isn’t good enough anymore. Accountability, vigilance and maintaining a support network will help us beat this problem.
