There are very few conversations about Ten Walls that bring up the idea that there’s a deeper cultural issue going on. This uproar provided us a massive platform for discussion, and thus far, we’ve squandered it by doing the exact same thing to him that he did to the LGBTQ community. We made him nothing, but by doing so, we’ve done nothing to promote our core beliefs—merely reinforced the idea that when provided the opportunity, people are absolutely horrible to each other.
So, what do we do? That, in the end, is the ultimate question. The juggernauts of the scene don’t have an easy answer—but maybe that’s how it needs to be. Our culture’s stance towards this controversy, our ultimate reaction, is entirely up to us. Indeed, the leaders of dance music are almost completely leaving the issue in our hands; even Sean Majors, Q Nightclub’s creative director and prominent equal rights advocate, reiterated the importance of a communal response to Ten Walls’ behavior.
“As soon as the rage subsides, I think it’s important to think about what we want to do with someone like Ten Walls. Do we cut him off entirely from this culture or do we create a path for him to have a career in this industry? I hope there’s a way he can be used as an example of rehabilitation and change. It’s tough though. What he said is awful and I don’t see a path for this culture forgiving him at this time.”
Be better than Ten Walls. Prove that PLUR is more than a pipe dream. The topic is going to come up in conversation, and you have the power to steer it where it needs to go. You can turn his hatred into a way to promote real, positive change by addressing the unacceptable cultural stigmas held against LGBTQ people in society as a whole—not just the bias held by one individual.
You want your thoughts heard? You want to combat homophobia on a larger platform? We’d be glad to host that conversation. Just make sure that you’re confronting the problem, not merely the person. We’re better than that.
We need to be better than that.
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