venue with the head of security by our side, making sure everyone pays attention. Standing in front of 60 security staff in full attire to explain these details can be challenging, but everyone has always been incredi- bly supportive and open.”
Sophia shares, “Last year, Dockyard Festival gave us one of the nicest compliments. After the show, they told us how much they had learned from the points on the form and expressed their intention to incorporate those ideas into other festivals. It’s rewarding to know that other clubs have adopted some of these practices for their own events. It’s not about enforcing a ‘
HE.SHE. THEY. policy’ or gatekeeping; it’s about making positive changes across the industry.”
THE PRIDE
With Amsterdam Pride Week just around the corner, from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, August 4, the city will be more vibrant than ever. In a liberal country like the Netherlands, where gay marriage was first ever le- galized in 2001, is Pride Week still necessary?
“In a world where rights we think are unshakeable can go backward, Pride Week is more necessary than ever. Take abortion rights in America, for example. In the same way as gay people, as well as we see in the trans community, we need to unite. The fact that we have gay marriage now doesn’t mean it can’t be rever- sed. Similarly, just because being queer isn’t illegal at the moment doesn’t mean it can’t be again. We’re only ever one election away from losing everything.I think it’s also really important to demonstrate that you can be gay and happy, or trans and happy. Pride Week also shows you that you’re not alone. The Pride parade, in many ways, is incredibly significant,” Steven explains.
THE FUTURE
With
HE.SHE.THEY. working to normalize equality, di- versity, and inclusion around the world, will they ever be ‘done’? Will there ever be a world where the messa- ge is as widespread as the nostalgic dance music cul- ture, known for breaking down barriers and just being friendly? Sophia believes the job is never truly finished. I don’t know if the job is ever truly done,” Sophia says. “It will continually reinvent itself and evolve. There will always be ways to improve. How can we improve on the welfare side of things? How can we ensure more repre- sentation on security teams? There will always be new aspects to address. There will constantly be new waves of ravers joining the scene.
“One thing I’ve particularly noticed is the importance of teaching people about the origins of the scene and who started it. Dance music was pioneered by queer, Black, and Latino communities in North America. Ravers from the ‘90s likely understood these origins better becau- se it was contemporary and discussed in magazines. Today, if you’re a 19-year-old raver whose first dance tracks were from Skrillex, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, or Swedish House Mafia, do you truly know about the 15 years that before that? We have a responsibility to educate the younger generation about the communi- ties they should respect for the music they love. This responsibility extends to everyone in the industry, not just those on the dance floor. It’s crucial for everyone to remember why the scene was created—it was born out of protest, a response to societal rejection, and the stigma of the AIDS crisis. Continuous education is es- sential if we’re all going to thrive in this industry.”
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