The last few months have seen an onslaught of controversial posts, conversations, comments and editorials on the topic of sexism in EDM. Between the raciest comments concerning Krewella’s recent breakup and the backlash generated by Your EDM’s 30 Under 30 list, people on the internet have been accusing each other of sexism left and right.
The result is essentially a pissing match, as people shout in comment sections claiming that sexism in EDM is at an all time high and is degrading our scene.
Does sexism exist in EDM? Yes. Is it a problem that should be addressed and fixed? Yes. Is it solely the EDM community’s fault for allowing it to reach such a level? No. Should we be fighting amongst ourselves and constantly pointing fingers? Absolutely fucking not.
Sexism has been a global issue for centuries. Although women’s rights have been addressed or discussed throughout the last century, we as a global society are still fighting an uphill battle. Almost every industry in the modern world continues to face the challenges of sexism, the EDM industry included.
EDM is not unique in its issues stemming from sexism. Take the tech industry for example. In the current tech sector, sexism is a much larger issue than it is in EDM. Microsoft’s engineering and tech departments consist of just 17% women. Google’s tech department also has only 17% women. Even at Apple, women only make up 20% of the tech department.
Beyond just lower employment, the tech industry is riddled with sexual harassment lawsuits and top level engineers are saying things like, as reported by Business Insider, “It’s taking all of my self control not to grab your ass right now.” and “You look amazing in that bathing suit, like a rock star.”
In politics, the situation is no better. sexism against women is at a disgusting high:
You can name any industry in the world and you will find cases of sexism. So why is the EDM industry tearing itself apart over it?
Instead of fighting in our community, we should be working to create a more balanced scene that can set an example for other industries. The EDM community represents one of the youngest emerging markets and with millennials at the helm, we have the unique opportunity to do things differently than our older counterparts.
Be part of the positive change you want to see in our community, rather than pointing fingers and inflating the problem. Only together can we lead by example, and we are only as strong as our weakest link.