This lack of explicit protocol is surprising given how vulnerable nightlife venues can be to this kind of behavior, according to Stefanie Jones of the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy organization that offers harm reduction advice onsite at music events, but has recently also begun educating partygoers about consent.“More than anywhere else, these are spaces where people are meeting each other and connections are being made,” says Jones. “They are sexy places. If there is going to be a grey area anywhere, it would be in a nightlife setting. It needs a more nuanced discussion around proper behavior.”There are signs of change, however. As Noisey’s reporting revealed, some New York clubs are beginning to tackle harassment more transparently, engaging actively with their customers and formulating explicit policies on how to stamp out such behavior."People think of this as an ‘anything-goes’ kind of club. But by ‘anything goes,’ we mean extreme self-expression, rather than extreme sexual harassment."—Anya Sapozhnikova of House of Yes
“All nightlife spaces should be thinking about this before it comes up.”—Neon Mashurov
Jones at the Drug Policy Alliance is unconvinced. “To be honest, I think they can afford to ignore it for a little while longer,” she says. “This is a weird case where the discussion around drugs is actually further along than the issues around sexual harassment.”That comparison may be a productive one, however. When it comes to the conversation around drug use, there’s been a shift from a culture of “just say no” towards one of harm reduction—a change at least partly driven by progressive policymakers, law enforcement officials, and healthcare professionals accepting that people take drugs and openly discussing it. In the music scene, for example, many festivals now offer drug testing facilities or free water, and in 2017, responding to drug-related deaths, a special Electronic Music Task Force convened by Los Angeles County drafted a list of health and safety recommendations for events attracting 10,000 attendees or more.And as the debate around harassment and consent encourages more and more people to speak out about what they expect from nightlife venues, organizers will come under more pressure to adapt, says Jafari of Caravane Gitane.“If you want to stay relevant in this industry you have to adjust,” she says. “More and more women are demanding these spaces. You have to understand their needs and adjust to that.”Still, navigating the line between creating an open dialogue about sex and consent and curbing harassment can be tricky. For example, though Lynn said she felt reassured by the way House of Yes handled her complaint about being harassed at the club, she also felt that part of the problem was the way the venue had marketed the party. The theme that night was “Friday the 13th,” and the same marketing email that detailed the club’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment began with the following words:“We have a platform to create change, and to not take that seriously would be pretty fucked up.”—Anya Sapozhnikova of House of Yes
Phrases like "try your luck" could be interpreted the wrong way, said Lynn: "I felt like they were enticing bad behavior," she said. "There's something about this being a place where you can express yourself that has gone the wrong way."Sapozhnikova told Noisey she was sympathetic to this view, but countered that consent and erotic imagery are not mutually exclusive. By continuing to encourage sex-positive behavior at House of Yes, and thereby fostering an open conversation about the nature of consent, she says she hopes the venue will curb incidents like those experienced by Lynn.“Just because there is sexual harassment, that doesn’t mean women should wear long skirts and turtlenecks,” she said. “We shouldn't be repressing our sexuality just because there are creeps out there. We should be educating and nurturing those creeps.”Music and nightlife have the ability to shape a society’s culture at large, she argued—and going forward, the most popular nightlife venues will be those where customers can not just have a good time, but feel safe while they do it.“We have a platform to create change, and to not take that seriously would be pretty fucked up,” she said. “I’m not hindering my attendance by focusing on consent—I’m increasing it.”Will Caiger-Smith is a writer and reporter based in New York. Find more of his work on Twitter.Dance into your own divination through devious hedonism. Auspicious premonitions of chance and circumstance brought to life in a night of mystical intuition. Paranormal serendipity and esoteric erotica. Try your luck. Find your light and offer your essence to the darkness of chaos, floating in the sacred cacophony of sound.