Coachella Fest launches ‘Every One’ campaign, promoting safety and inclusivity
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival is just three weeks away and the usual preparations are well underway. However, festival-goers can expect some changes this year in terms of the event’s policies on discrimination.
The festival is launching a brand new initiative this year called the ‘Every One’ campaign — an effort to create a festival culture that is safe and inclusive for everyone. Goldenvoice has created a special committee for the task, spearheaded UCLA-graduate Veline Mojarro .
” There’s a big groups of folks behind this…a team of folks from Goldenvoice . We brought in some specialists in the field… Planned Parenthood, Our Music Our Body, Coachella Valley Sexual Assault Services… Trans Community project, ” said Veline Mojarro , the festival’s Director of Safety, Equity and Inclusion.
The campaign is designed to ensure that ” persons of any gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, age or ability are welcome, ” according to the website.
Just last month, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California sent a letter to the Coachella festival on behalf of two transgender siblings who say they were refused access to restrooms corresponding to their gender identities at last year’s festival.
Goldenvoice issued a statement to News Channel 3 saying in part, ” this is unacceptable ” and ” we are challenging ourselves and our patrons to do better and be better. ”
” Goldenvoice takes the safety of all their festival goers very, very seriously. They started this initiative to make sure that we’re addressing all the identities and all the situations that could happen at the festival, ” said Mojarro .
Festival-goers can look for the ‘Every One’ logo and will have access to tents throughout the venue equipped with counselors offering support for any one in need. ” Folks can go and have a quiet moment away and connect with a licensed therapist if that’s something they need, ” said Mojarro .
Additionally, trained ambassadors in identifiable shirts will be available throughout the grounds and festival-goers will have access to all-gender restrooms.
” We hope that folks learn through the ‘Every One’ initiative about active consent and about looking out for each other and holding each other accountable. [We hope they] they take this away with them in their home, in their workplace environment, and when out with their friends. This is supposed to be a culture shift, ” said Mojarro .
