Girls Against Groping
Callum Thornhill
A Twitter page has been set up in the hope of combating
sexual assault at gigs.
“Groping at gigs is too common to go unnoticed,” says Bea; one
of the five creators of @girlsagainst.
"It is a campaign with a motive to abolish groping at
gigs, as well as general sexual assault." Since saying this the page “are
in the process of contacting bands, security companies and venues to establish
a solid safety plan.
Victims are invited to send their experiences into the girls
in confidence, but if the sender wishes they can have their story posted
anonymously for followers to see.
“Running the account alongside Bea (@fioat4eva) are Anni (@queenkruie), Hannah (@hdans1975), Ava (@vanmcann) and Anna (@l0vesick) - a group of intersectional
feminist friends that have been victims themselves.
The page has already attracted over 2000 followers in under
a week. Those getting involved are “music magazines such as NME and DIY as well
as bands such as Peace, Swim Deep and Spector.
Bea adds: “they (Sam & Harrison Koisser and Sam’s
girlfriend Nancy) have been a wonderful help to spread awareness, helping us
gain nearly 500 followers in under 48 hours.”
Harrison even used one of the experiences featured on Girls
Against’s page and wrote: “If you think this is ok then please I beg you do not
come.”
From October onwards, gigs are constant events and this is
the perfect time to set up the page explains Bea: “Hannah experienced this (groping)
at a Peace gig in Glasgow not too long ago, we thought now, with gig season
fully underway, would be the best time to raise awareness about these issues.”
The idea is simple, but the effects could be revolutionary. In
just a week so many bands have got on board with the page and seem genuinely
concerned about what is happening below stage. “We aim to inform members of
bands where cases of groping are present so that they know what is happening,
and can hopefully get on board and hope us to eliminate it.” She continues: “We hope to get more celebs’ support in the
near future.”
The page is open for anyone to use, but as with any successful
idea there will be those trying to abuse it. The account posted a Tweet clearly
stating this: “we promise we're here for every victim, male or female, but if
you joke about harassment you will be blocked. It’s not funny.”
A recent Tweet makes the whole campaign clear: “We are not
just here for female victims, we support all other genders including non-binary.”
~
KEEP UP WITH GIRLS AGAINST ON:
TWITTER - @GIRLSAGAINST
INSTAGRAM - @GIRLS.AGAINST
TUMBLR - GIRLSAGAINST
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