U.K. techno figurehead Rebekah Parmar (known mononymously as Rebekah) has launched an anti-sexual abuse and harassment campaign called #ForTheMusic.
“After deciding I would like to mentor people to help bring them in to the industry it became apparent I was unable to do this unless I stood up and tried to fight to make the industry a safer place all round,” Parmar shared in a statement on the catalyst behind the campaign. “How can I mentor women and members of the LGBQT++ community, knowing they will face sexism, harassment and at worst, assault and rape and stay silent on this issue?”
#ForTheMusic will share stories of sexual harassment and assault survivors in the dance music industry to “raise awareness and combat a culture of silence which turns a blind eye to the presence of violence and abuse.” In addition to drawing attention to the issues, the campaign will pursue “drastic change in nightclubs, venues and festivals across the globe in hope that these places of work and entertainment adopt a zero tolerance policy to harassment by creating a safe space for all to be enjoyed without the threat of sexual predators.”
Community Effort
To ignite a grassroots movement, Rebekah has asked her social media followers to sign and share a petition on Change.org that demands accountability on sexual assault and rape allegations from the dance music industry. “We all must be accountable and speak up about the abusers, allow people the benefit of the doubt when claiming abuse, as many stay silent for fear of retribution,” Parmer stated.
The petition presses action specifically from clubs and artists. It appeals to holding venue owners accountable for ensuring a safe space for performers, employees, and audiences free from sexual harassment. Artists and performers are called on to end a culture of silence, be allies, and to speak out when they witness sexual harassment happening.
#MeToo Resurgence
Following its 2017 viral breakthrough, the #MeToo movement saw a resurgence this summer in the electronic music community as accusations emerged against high profile artists like Derrick May, Eric Morillo, and Billy Kenny.
As Morillo’s death was met by tributes from major artists like Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Steve Lawler, Sven Väth, and Carl Cox earlier this month, Rebekah was outspoken on the lack of acknowledgment of his alleged misdeeds. It presumably galvanized her to launch the #ForTheMusic campaign.
New Normal
The #ForTheMusic campaign comes at a time where dance music events are at a standstill amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While many wonder what the new normal for live music events will look like, Parmar hopes it will come with positive, industry-wide changes on sexual harassment.
“We have a great opportunity to now assess what kind of industry we want to return to when it opens back up, what kind of people we place in these powerful positions and how we can we make clubs, festivals and after parties a safer place,” Parmar said.
