In August, the DJ and show promoter TIIIIIIIIIIP started a program in the Twin Cities called the Nightlife Safety Initiative with the help of a team of interns. This initiative aims to create a safe environment, free of harassment at nightlife events.

Too often in my life I've had friends leave an event earlier, or refuse to return to a venue because of harassment from attendees or staff at the event. This problem isn't an easy one to solve, but there has been a real shortage of many promoters even stepping up to try, or taking responsibility for the issue.

For TIIIIIIIIIIP, the NSI is a first step in the direction of improving the tenor of events he presents. It was an honor to speak with him and understand how to communicate using the NSI text line, as well as to get a sense of how this initiative might improve the experience for all Twin Cities show goers.

The initiative's mission statement reads, in part:

The majority of the nightlife community often neglects to address a detrimental
problem within itself: sexual harassment at events. The overall safety of the attendees at these events is usually a topic that gets washed over and not taken seriously. We are hoping to change that. As even organizers, we are responsible for the safety of our patrons. We must be held accountable to prevent harassment in the spaces we curate. In order to spark the conversation on the prevention of harassment at events, we are proud to announce the Nightlife Safety Initiative. The NSI outlines a series of guidelines that, if implemented properly,
would help prevent harassment from occurring at events.