“I didn’t ask for any money back,” he says. “I didn’t ask for any part of the profit, I’m very much glad it worked out for me.”
It is also important to realize these are not isolated incidents. They have occurred during many professional and social events including music festivals. An article in the Independent titled “How to avoid being abused in a rave” includes examples. One student was repeatedly assaulted in a bathroom while playing the guitar (which is not illegal). The article also cites an incident where a photographer who was trying to document several people at a rave was taken advantage of by “sophisticated” women who “rifled through his gear [and] stole many items, including his expensive camera.” One partygoer was nearly decapitated in a scuffle on one of the festival’s central stages.
Many times, women try to act as bystanders by shielding or keeping others away. “Even during my time [with the rave parties] people tried to help other people,” says Lacy. “It’s just kind of the nature of things, but sometimes it is a struggle. I know it’s not a nice thing to see women do that because it’s a part of the culture.”
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“The problem at EDC was that they didn’t have security guards,” she says. “That would have kept the situations safe.”
It is also important to understand that there were women and men in every country of the world who were at that party who probably didn’t enjoy the experience and would not want to go back. “I think that that is a good thing—having everyone there will help people come to terms with their own body. It will help you get over that feeling of being in control,” says Lacy.
The way the rave community handles situations like these has definitely proven to be an experiment. Many of the women involved tell me it is important to remember that EDC was first created and operated as a non-commercial party. The reason why the authorities don’t strictly enforce those laws is that parties like this are not organized under the auspices of criminal organizations. People have been coming to EDC since 1999 without any issues.
In the end, though, rave culture has a long history of harassment, rape, and violence. It is time for everyone to learn to look a little more critically at the events we all agree are the best party ever. There are probably still