In the wake of the Orlando tragedy, questions have been raised about the ability of the gay dance scene to overcome the fear bred by such senseless, yet targeted, violence. A piece at THUMP by VICE argues the importance of dance culture in affirming the right to congregate, unafraid and proud:
Will fear drive us back to the days of blackout tape over bar windows, speakeasy-like password entries, underground nightclubs? Or will be be so afraid we will not go out at all? No fucking way. We’re a resilient lot, because we’ve always had to be. Already on Sunday, even as I was nearing despair, I began receiving notifications from various Pride event promoters. While this Friday’s benefit party for Orlando’s GLBT Center of Central Florida understandably had to be cancelled, Masterbeat’s Brett Henrichsen and Justin David Presents both announced that their LA Pride dance parties would go on as scheduled. In New York, a Heritage of Pride spokesperson told THUMP that the massive Pride march Pier Dance would most definitely take place as scheduled on June 26. The vigils and demonstrations will be crucial to collectively mourning what happened this weekend, but so will the parties filled with men and women defiantly asserting their right to congregate and celebrate.
