ASK Musings

No matter where you go, there you are.

Thursday

2

July 2020

0

COMMENTS

Making Spaces Safer by Shawna Potter

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Four Stars

Best for:
Anyone who runs a club, organization, group, or works at a bar, club, or venue. Basically people who are responsible for other people.

In a nutshell:
Author Potter offers suggestions for ways to keep event spaces safer for participants.

Worth quoting:
“When approached by someone who has experienced harassment, being their advocate is your number one priority.”

Why I chose it:
I recently stepped into a leadership role in an organization I’m in, and I want to make sure its a safer space for all involved.

Review:
I’ve been harassed. I’m a woman – of course I’ve been harassed. I’ve also been present when other women have been harassed, and when people of color have been harassed. In those moments, we want to do something – but do most of us know what to do? The best ways to respond? How to care for the person who has been harmed?

This book looks at ways to create safer spaces, including being very clear about the values your space / organization supports, what is not tolerated, how to respond, and ways to be accountable. There are many different options here, so you can try out what you think will work best for the people you are looking to ensure are safer.

This book is definitely best for the places it was created for – that is, music venues, bars, defined spaces. But there are a lot of good lessons in here that can translate to other spaces.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it and Pass to a Friend

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.