Brooklyn venue The Brooklyn Monarch is an indie, 1,500-capacity event space that Book Club Radio hired for their 38th gathering. Multiple attendees reported on reddit that they were, during invasive searches for contraband substances, non-consensually groped in the genitals by security on the way in.
Going by the handle KindheartednessSad55, one woman wrote, “the security officer conducted what I would consider an extremely invasive full-body search: she grabbed/squeezed my breasts and genitals, ran her hands from the very top of my thighs down my bare legs, and over my bare back.”
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Good party organizers (and I would include Book Club Radio in this category) often have clear rules about consent and do not hesitate to remove attendees who don’t respect others’ boundaries. In BCR’s “Librarian’s Manifesto,” “respect one another” is a core tenet of the event:
And yet the security team hired by the Brooklyn Monarch venue invasively patted attendees down to search for contraband such as weapons or drugs.
I too have been invasively patted down by security at various venues around the world, the worst being a certain Ibiza superclub where my testicles weren’t just touched, but cupped and twice-squeezed by a security guard that was enjoying his position of power and who knew any protest from me would give him grounds to deny me entry.
In the case of Book Club Radio’s August 8 event, other event attendees corroborated the original poster’s assertions:
“Yeah I think I mentioned in the discord as well. I came alone meeting people inside already. I was also wearing something skimpy and only had a small bag that had my phone, keys and lipgloss. I was fully groped all over,she even went through and emptied out my bag. When I got in and asked my friends if they had experienced this they all said yes. Witnessed the people in front of me get handled just as roughly on the way in too.”
Is this what any of us should need to consent to to enter a venue? When we agree to a pat-down, most of us aren’t agreeing for a no-holds barred fingerip palpation that would detect a Prince Albert or VCH inside our undies. And yet, that’s what’s happening when security teams aren’t properly trained and are given too much power.
In an era when we have clearer-than-ever understanding of appropriate and inappropriate touch, where the conversation around consent has been an omnipresent part of the political discourse thanks to an adjudicated actual rapist in the White House, why are venues and security teams in the dance music business getting away with this level of consent violation?
A lawyer going by the handle _JonCorbett responded to the thread, writing, “My law firm takes these kinds of cases because people shouldn’t be treated like this to see a show. In NYC, I’ve done cases against Electric Zoo, Schimanski, and Flash Factory, all of which reached a settlement or a judgment for the plaintiff.”
Despite the invasive searches, attendees reported that they had no trouble bringing in contraband substances, so the invasive searches didn’t even achieve their putative goal of discovering drugs.
It can be helpful to examine this pat-down effort in another context.
In airports, where the threat of weapons and terrorism isn’t unwarranted, we undergo a variety of security screenings, one of which involves standing in a machine that uses millimeter-wave technology to digitally remove your clothing to see if you’re hiding anything dangerous in your panties.
Being craven for touch and a weirdo, I always opt out of the invasive nude scanners at airports (did you know that you can do this?), opting instead for what I jokingly refer to as my “free government massage.” I greatly enjoy the pat-downs that airport security staff give. The standard script given by TSA agents prior to a pat down includes clear language about consent and privacy. I’m asked if I would like a private screening. I’m informed that they will only touch my “sensitive areas” with the backs of their hands, and that they will go up my thighs until they “meet resistance.” These TSA pat-downs are far less invasive than the rub-n-tugs power-tripping bouncers have given me.
I can’t believe I’m giving the TSA props, but here we are. If a venue believes they need to search for drugs, it should at least be done with a TSA level of civility and consent. Though the genitalia are often used for concealment, there’s a clear line here, and some by-the-hour security guard should not have the right to grab ‘em by the pussy (or balls) in the name of trying to find and confiscate some pills or powder.
We’ll see what comes of this alleged assault at the hands of The Brooklyn Monarch, but I’m rooting for the sharks who — having smelled blood — are circling the water around this situation. If venues need to be legally coerced into appropriate behavior, then that’s what needs to happen. Fuck ‘em.
Also, if there’s an truth to the ACAB political slogan, then a corollary is that pseudo cops such as ICE and venue security teams are also bastards, and need to be more closely monitored, regulated, and reformed. Sexual assault on your way into a venue should not be a requirement for entry. It simply shouldn’t. This is criminal behavior.
Full text of the original post to reddit follows, preserved here in case the original post disappears, as often happens when lawyers get involved:
Anyone else at the BCR on 8/8 subjected to extremely invasive/groping security? I’m posting to see if anyone else experienced this at the BCR event on 8/8 and whether I’m being overly sensitive.
At security, the security officer conducted what I would consider an extremely invasive full-body search: she grabbed/squeezed my breasts and genitals, ran her hands from the very top of my thighs down my bare legs, and over my bare back. I was wearing a short, thin cotton dress that was open in the back and low in the front, so there really wasn’t anywhere for anything to be concealed. The same thing happened to all of the women behind me.
I emailed BCR the next day, and they responded that they had received multiple similar reports, including from their own staff. They said they were working with the venue to understand why security was permitted to conduct searches like this.
I followed up asking what actually happened (ie whether the security personnel involved were identified, whether there was an investigation or consequence, and what would be changed for future events). Followed up again. I haven’t received a response to either.
Curious if anyone else was there and experienced the same thing. I’m honestly pretty bothered that BCR is seemingly claiming responsibility while also washing their hands of it.” -- KindheartednessSad55
The redditor then posted screenshots of her correspondence with the event promotor and organizer, Book Club Radio:
Correspondence between KindheartednessSad55 and Book Club Radio
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