Movement Electronic Music Festival’s 11th year kicked off to a start on a beautifully sunny day this past Memorial Day Weekend.
Ahead of the festival, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggen had officially declared the week of May 22nd-29th as ‘Detroit Techno Week’. This is the one exciting time of the year that people from all around the world come to celebrate and take part in Detroit’s culture as the birthplace of techno music.
At a time when inequality and discrimination are rejected by current societal standards, what is the real state of women’s rights in this country? Ladyfest Philly, a festival of music, arts, and activism, challenges the notion that equality is a reality for all individuals, and aims to take some of the necessary strides to make it so this weekend, Friday, June 7th, through Sunday, June 9th.
A primary issue in this fight for justice, and one that Ladyfest intends to vocalize, is the notion that women, in addition to other underrepresented groups, should have the right to choose what is best for themselves.
I asked Sara Sherr, who co-organized the event and was active in the public relations and booking committees, about this standpoint. She explained: “On paper we have more opportunities than we’ve ever had, but there are people trying to take away that freedom.” This relates to the issue of “reproductive rights”, one of the most controversial topics of the past decade.