11 Small Steps to Help Create Safer Spaces
Here are eleven easy steps that anyone can take to help create safer spaces:
- We all have boundaries. That´s a good thing. Accept other people´s boundaries and don´t judge. A heartfelt hug for you, might be harrassment for others.
- You like having a drink or two to unwind? So do we! What is important: know your limit with substances of any kind.
- You are (cis) male, white and straight? Be aware of your privileges! Not everyone can walk alone at night or go to the bathroom without being touched inappropriately.
- Use gender-sensitive language. Is it really “the guys” on stage? Or are there FINTA+ people as well?
- You’re able to see pictures on social media? Cool! Others might not be. Use image descriptions, even if you don’t need them yourself.
- You feel like everyone already knows about safer spaces? Talk to people outside your bubble. You’ll be surprised by what others might still need to learn.
- You want to raise awareness for problematic content, issues or concerns? Good! But be careful not to reproduce and give an even bigger platform to it.
- Is someone making a racist joke? Are you witnessing another person feeling uncomfortable on the dance floor because someone is getting too close to them? Think about how to deal with these situations and how you can intervene and then act!
- Someone is asking you for the bathroom. Tell them where the men’s, women’s and best-case unisex bathroom are. Don’t make assumptions about people’s gender based on their looks.
- You think you’re woke, left-wing and a nice person anyway? It never hurts to refresh your knowledge. Always read code of conducts, internalize them and talk about them with your friends.
- Promoters have to do their part too: bad lighting in front of the club? Booked a right-wing band “by accident”? Make promoters aware of these things. Both on social media and at the event.