Listen to my experience as a female DJ since the late 90s!
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The teaser slides are quotes from my artcle.
Below that, are two photos of the actual article!
Or listen here 👇 (6 minutes 15 seconds)
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Photo Credits: Chris Thompson - Horse Creek Imaging / J. Gavin Photography
DJ Sprout, I'm so glad you are writing and speaking on this ubiquitous and demoralizing topic.
I am amazed and disheartened to see so many gigs continue to be men on decks and women on the floor.
I have inquired about this on more than one occasion, in my local scene, and the short term response is generally one form of tokenism (one woman added to the lineup) or another (one all women DJ's event per year, while all other events are all or mostly men).
I received an email this past week advertising upcoming gigs in my area. *ALL* of the artists (with one exception) are men. And all of those men are playing at the same medium size venue. The one woman's gig is at a significantly smaller venue.
I have tried to discuss the gender gap with local promoters, for years. Those promoters get defensive and give me all the same reasons for why they continue to book men over women (at an average rate of 6 to one or worse) and virtue signalling at their token women DJ's.
It invariably leads to not addressing the problem (the lack of women on deck) and a scapegoating misdirection casting me as the problem for bringing it up and supposedly fuelling a gender split. 🙄
Actually, noticing a problem does not make the one speaking about it the problem.
I am so grateful you are speaking and writing about this lack of women and femmes on deck.
I will continue to notice and support which promoters lift women up. I will continue to avoid promoters who engage in tokenism and/or leave women (and people of colour, queer folks, trans folks, *indigenous women*) out entirely, or only booked into small rooms.
The only response I can see is for people to boycott promoters who routinely leave the floor (or small venues) as the place they want to see women.
If any promoter (or anyone) reads this and feels defensive on this matter, I ask you to sit with and get clear on whatever story you are telling yourself that keeps you from seeing the *fact* that women and other genders are routinely left out of your line ups.
If you are sincere about changing this I would be happy to help you figure out how to do better. Otherwise don't bother telling folks how complicated it is, how people don't pay to see women, or other nonesense excuses for your lazy and inherently sexist ways of thinking.
Rant over
Thank you for bringing truth to the decks DJ Sprout!