This won't be one of those blog posts with a lot of terrible puns. This won't be one of those blog posts that are lighthearted and fun. This is a blog post about a serious matter which needs your undivided attention.
Recently, a group of 5 girls started a campaign to help tackle the ever-growing problem of groping at gigs. As an active concert goer myself, this is an issue I feel strongly about. People go to gigs to lose their minds in the music, but losing your mind does not mean losing your morality or any form of decency in the process. Groping, sexual harassment and sexual assault are all the same thing and one is not less serious than the other. You wouldn't accept any of these anywhere else, so why are dark, crowded concert halls different?
There are several reasons why this campaign needs to be backed. First and foremost being for the fans sake. Girls should not feel frightened to go to gigs and have a good night in case they get unwanted physical attention from a guy. Also for the artist or band those girls have gone to see. No musician wants their fans in danger at their gigs because, again, people go to gigs for a good time and are meant to feel safe there. Bands such as Slaves, Peace and Wolf Alice are already behind the campaign stating that anyone who thinks this kind of behaviour is ok is not welcome at any of their future gigs.
Another reason this campaign should be backed is to stop the idea that Showsec, the security company who mans most concert venues in the UK, even at venues the aforementioned girls have had the traumatic experiences that triggered launching the campaign, have around the issue. In a recent BBC NewsBeat article, a spokesperson from Showsec said that he "doesn't believe that it is a widespread problem and should not change how Showsec operates" For that, I have one important question - when does it become serious? What traumatic situation does a poor, innocent girl have to go through before it changes the way security operates? I ask this with the utmost severity. They followed this up by stating that people who encounter this kind of issue to "give them a good description and an account of what happened, they will do everything they can to take it further"
And most importantly the reason this campaign should be backed is to stop ludicrous, ill minded people from thinking that this is kind of behaviour is ok, because sadly, there are people trying to justify this.
For overall attitudes on this issue to change, it is up to other music fans and musicians to be aware of the campaign. Because, let's face it, musicians are very influential people and everyone listens to musicians when they say something is not acceptable right? For that reason, I want everyone reading this to do something simple.
Tweet the twitter handle of the campaign @girlsagainst to all of your favourite bands and artists. Anyone you have or are planning to see live, tweet them too. Even if you just tweet them the @ it will hopefully bring them to the account and let them see the incredible work these 5 girls are doing to make a change.
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