Keeping Austin a Safe Dance Space
The Austin Swing Syndicate would like to join the international swing dance community in our support for Sarah Sullivan and all survivors of sexual violence in the swing dance scene. We admire Sarah for her bravery in publicly disclosing her story, which was especially difficult considering the influence of the person responsible within the international swing dance community.
As other local swing communities have begun to do, the Austin Swing Syndicate would like to take this opportunity to reflect and initiate an open conversation about sexual violence in our own community. We all deserve to feel comfortable and safe at our community dance events; especially, safe and free to speak out against any form of harassment.
The Syndicate board has created a Code of Conduct to express our dedication to providing a Safe Space for everyone; to condemn all forms of harassment; and, to delineate our expectations for all to behave with decency. We are also forming a Safety committee to ensure that this conversation continues and to pursue initiatives that increase the safety of our community.
We understand the necessity for survivors of violence to be heard and supported in the sharing of their experiences. In this way, we also encourage you to be inspired by Sarah’s courage to speak out about breaches of your consent. If you desire our support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Contact Austin Swing Syndicate’s Safety Staff: [email protected]; (512) 200-2467
Other resources for help:
Austin’s SafePlace: safeplace.org; 512-267-SAFE(7233)
Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): rainn.org; 1-800-656-HOPE
National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org; 1-800-799-7233