Post by @hopestarxxxx

Last Thursday, BLACKSTAR hosted its 3rd event ever in the Backroom of Pianos. Everything was going fine, until a man I did not know came onto the stage and began insisting that it was “his event”. Even after explaining to him that I had booked this space for the entire night, he still insisted that it was his event. I tried to ignore him and focus on my set, but his presence on stage made me deeply uncomfortable. He was overly close, touched the decks, tried to play his own music, started recording my track IDS, and took pictures of me and another DJ as we were playing. These clips are only 2 and a half minutes of a 25 minute interaction. For the safety of myself and the other DJ, I tried to be polite and attempted to diffuse the situation on my own. I did not want to cause a scene or disrupt the party, especially as I was playing my set. I continued to ignore him in hopes that he would leave, which he did for a short period of time. However, he eventually returned during the next DJ’s set. The situation escalated when he began touching the decks. At this point I pulled him aside so that the next DJ could play her set without his disturbance. I then learned that he was the event organizer of the event happening upstairs that night. People had left his event upstairs and came to my event in the Backroom. He insisted that because “his collective” was now at my party, that the event was now “his”. After going back and forth, I realized that he was unwilling to leave. I informed him that I was leaving to call security. I then returned with security who had him removed. It’s frustrating enough navigating nightlife as a young black woman let alone a new event organizer. I don’t doubt that he would had conducted him the same way if we were men. Female DJs and event organizers deserve to do their jobs in nightlife without being concerned for their safety. It’s really a shame that the night had to progress this way.