Statement Festival is a newly launched festival that was created as a response to the countless sexual assaults towards women that has occurred at several music festivals. The festival will be Sweden's first large music festival free from cis-men, and the purpose is to make a clear statement towards the sexual assaults in our society.
From the Statement Festival FAQ:
The two-day festival was formally condemned by the Swedish Discrimination Ombudsman in 2018 because of its "man-free" ethos, but will return to Gothenburg on September 4-5.
The ombudsman found the festival in breach of anti-discrimination laws, but was unable to issue any sanction because in practice no men were physically blocked from buying a ticket or attending.
"We were condemned over the communication about the festival, not any actual discrimination in place," Knyckare explained.
From the Statement Festival FAQ:
What is Statement Festival?
Statement Festival is a newly launched festival that was created as a response to the countless sexual assaults towards women that has occurred at several music festivals. The festival will be Sweden's first large music festival free from cis-men, and the purpose is to make a clear statement towards the sexual assaults in our society.
Why do we need Statement Festival?
It is inexcusable that so many of us feel like we need a free zone from cis-men to make us feel safe. However, it is what reality looks like and therefore we would like to create an alternative for people who are not cis-men, and who wants to visit a festival without being scared. We are going to create a festival where safety and security is not a dream, but an obvious and something indisputable.
Why are you excluding cis-men?
We are excluding cis-men because we want to create a festival where women, non-binary people and trans people can enjoy awesome music without the fear of assaults, violations or threats.
Do you believe that all cis-men are rapists?
No, of course we do not believe that. On the contrary, we don't know which men are guilty of the sexual offenses towards others at for example music festivals, and that is why we are creating a free zone where people who are not cis-men can feel safe. We simply want to be able to visit a festival without being scared, so during these two days cis-men will have to find something else to do.
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