Harm always sucks. Gender-based violence is never okay. However, there is something particularly harmful when violence occurs in your "safe place", in the environment which brings you joy and comfort.
At Leading Authentically, we are dedicated specifically to fostering safer spaces and preventing harm in places which have been deemed "safe" (e.g. the dance floor, your classroom, etc.).
What does safety mean to you? What do you want your community to look like?
We believe survivors. We prioritize joy and rest.
In Lexi Salt's own words:
"I fell in love with Latin dance from the moment I started. It quickly became my place of joy, release, and rest from my busy life. When I began to witness and experience gender-based violence in my Latin dance community, it was devastating on multiple levels. But something that hit me the hardest was the idea of harm occurring in your “safe space”; the ironic and painful juxtaposition of great comfort and great pain happening in the same place.
Despite the systemic gender-based violence in the scene, I refused to leave as I loved Latin dance too much. Therefore, my alternative was to start working to change the system. Not just for me, but for all the other women and marginalized folks who experience this systemic violence on and off the dance floor. Using the model from my existing consent and healthy masculinity workshops, I came up with the idea of a dance-based consent workshop, and
Leading Authentically was born!
I truly believe that the emphasis needs to be placed on education and prevention of sexual harm. I am excited for our workshops to positively impact more people in the broader Latin dance community and beyond."
Leading Authentically