Shawna Potter is the singer of a hardcore, feminist punk band called War on Women. Last year she released a book called Making Spaces Safer: A Guide to Giving Harassment the Boot Wherever You Work, Play, and Gather. She discusses what a safe music venue should look like, how staff should be trained, and how patrons can respond to harassment.
We also hear from Sadie Dupuis of the bands Speedy Ortiz and Sad13 about putting Potter’s book into practice while on tour. She also talks about her hotline she created for fans to use if they are feeling unsafe at a show.
“We set up a phone number you could text if you were experiencing harassment at a show and it would forward to every member of our touring party and the hope is we could get someone to safety,” Dupuis says.
