Beloved techno DJ and producer Rebekah has launched a new campaign called #ForTheMusic. She announced the campaign on Instagram last week calling on her followers to sign an open letter on change.org.
"After all the reports coming out from women who have been sexually assaulted in the industry at the hands of powerful men, it really made me analyse the scene and how it really is fucked up," she said. "We have turned a blind eye, stayed silent and let things carry on how they have always been for far too long."
In the letter she shares her meaning behind the name. "I love music and the long nights and the things that come with it are something that I know I signed up for," she wrote. "But tonight, I want you to know that when I put my dancing shoes on, I’m doing it #ForTheMusic and nothing more."
"I say this because it isn’t the first time I’ve hit the decks and had to face sexism as I play my set," she continued. "I say this because it isn’t the first time I’ve had to dodge through the wandering hands in the artist area which insist on systematically trying to visit unconsenting places across my body as I do nothing more than try to finish my shift with grace. I say this because its isn't the first time I have heard girls from my country are easy. I say this because it isn’t the first time I’ve been told to submit or never work in this industry again. I say this because it isn’t the first time I’ve tried to tell the bouncer that as I dance away to that night's entertainment the guy behind me who I’ve had to say no to four times now, is following me out the venue and eventually home."
She went on to dive into her thoughts on the industry's current mindset and how many rely on it as a safe space. "Music was born from the desire for a safe space. A place for freedom, for love, for artistic expression. A place that stood for something. In music, we found purpose, a higher calling. But somehow along the way, through our journey we let DJs become Gods and suddenly they stopped becoming accountable for their actions."
"We can no longer excuse the behavior of high profile artists because they are high profile anymore. That is corruption," the letter continues. "Sexual harassment, assault, and rape can no longer be accepted. Not in our culture, not in our places of work, not inside our venues, festivals, or after parties. And if for a moment my friend you think that you are not as responsible as I or any other to combat this and protect your friends, myself, or each other, then you are definitely no friend of music."
Rebekah is also calling on all dance music companies to sign up and pledge the following:
• Ensure that artists, employees, and audiences are protected against sexual harassment.
• Guarantee employees of the industry a safe workplace.
• Demand artists and performers to end the culture of silence, be allies, and to speak out when they witness sexual harassment happening.
• Hold clubs accountable for ensuring a safe space for performers, employees, and audiences free from sexual harassment.
You can sign Rebekah's open letter here and see her recent post via Instagram below.