Many Burners would tell you that hallucinogenic drugs play a big part in why art “thrives” in Black Rock City. Others might point to Silicon Valley having too much money. Decide for yourself…
Aug
17
2019
Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man
Snarky. Cheeky. Grumpy. Dopey. Never Bashful.
Our sympathy to the family, friends, and coworkers of Lonnie Richey. I, of course, will not link the letter, but, his teenage daughter penned a heart breaking letter. It was stated he was working Burning Man, perchance, for the BMOrg, within some manner that is not published.
Also, a fatal crash occurred on Pyramid Highway, near to Spanish Springs, on Saturday, as Burners were driving Pyramid Highway for gate opening. Numerous Burners were halted on Pyramid Highway in due of the fatal accident, of which, intoxicated driving was of the belief to be the cause of the accident. Might any person have more details in regards to this fatal crash?
The BMOrg does not permit the word fatal to be penned on their social media accounts, and their traffic twitter does not state the twenty mile backups that occurred at the Empire General Store, at gate opening, and, at the fatal accident. And, of the same manner the BMOrg does not describe the most unethical behaviour of the police on the playa, they do not state of the many other Burner accidents on the highways. My belief is better communication, by the BMOrg, including of the details of these matters, would assist numerous Burners from being most horribly hurt.
In addendum, our sympathy to the first responders whom work these most horrible accidents. Also, by appearances, the BMOrg deleted Work Access Passes, and camp placement, to Burners whom were working for the K street plug and play camps, driving their RVs onto K street, and building their unplaced camps, and by appearances, the BMorg did not permit RVs to be driven to the playa might the RV not be placed within a placed camp. Kudos to the first responders, and to the BMOrg, upon these matters.
https://www.salon.com/2019/08/20/one-year-ago-burning-mans-sex-assault-and-labor-issues-were-exposed-has-anything-changed/
AMANDA MARCOTTE
One year ago, Burning Man’s sex assault and labor issues were exposed. Has anything changed?
A blinded volunteer left to suffer. An ignorance around sexual assault. Will Burning Man face its demons?
NICOLE KARLIS
AUGUST 20, 2019 11:30PM (UTC)
(excerpts)
Yet the renowned gathering is not as utopian as it might appear. Two Salon investigations in the past two years have revealed that the supposedly liberating environment has also provided cover for predators of all kinds, including some who work for and even run the event. It has also fostered exploitation of its most vulnerable workers, in a manner that rivals any corporate machine in the “default world.”
Now that these harrowing stories of exploitation and abuse on the playa have been made public, we were curious if the organization had sought to reform itself or merely doubled-down on denying and protecting its abusers.
Back in August 2018, my coworker, Keith A. Spencer, and I published the results of a year-long investigation into claims of labor abuse within the Burning Man organization. We spoke to former and current employees and volunteers for the festival who painted a picture of a dangerous and stressful work environment. Some shared stories about a toxic management culture which they claimed was ignoring and creating a serious mental health crisis among workers within Burning Man’s Department of Public Works (DPW), seasonal workers who build the bulk of the infrastructure that allows the desert festival to function.
[Read our exclusive investigation into how Burning Man abused its volunteers and seasonal workers]
Between 2009 and 2015, seven DPW workers died by suicide. That number is statistically significant enough to be alarming, according to Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, a psychologist and the lead of the Workplace Task Force for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. “To give you a benchmark, in a community of 1,000 people we would expect one suicide death in one decade,” she told Salon in 2018.
From hundreds of documents reviewed, and dozens of rangers and victims spoken to, it became clear that, contrary to Burners’ perceptions of the playa as a safe, welcoming space, women are at considerable risk of being sexually assaulted there. Moreover, their false sense of security is due in part to the disorganized way that Burning Man discloses sexual assaults— and the improper instructions and training that the all-volunteer internal security force known as the Black Rock Rangers and their supervisors, called Khakis, receive.
[Read Salon’s exclusive investigation into how Burning Man minimized reports of sexual assault on the playa]
The inadequate self-policing system has the effect, intended or otherwise, of silencing and dismissing victims of sexual assault and other forms of abuse before they have an opportunity to report the crime to law enforcement.
Since Salon’s investigation was published, the organization has implemented a new resource called the “Survivor Advocacy Center.” “You can decide who you want to talk to and when you want to leave,” Burning Man explains on its website. “Should you wish to speak with law enforcement, your advocate will make sure they are available when you are ready.”
The Center will be open 24/7 from Monday, August 26, through Monday, September 2. However, forensic exams for victims of rape are still not available. Kristen Houser, a spokesperson for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), there are creative ways in which festivals like Burning Man can provide this service.
It is unclear if Burning Man as an organization has changed how it responds to reports of sexual assault and treats sexual assault survivors. The company did not respond to requests for comments last week.
Several sources told Salon Burning Man, intentionally or otherwise, went to great lengths to depress the number of sexual assault complaints associated with the event.
“Burning Man has an incentive to keep the number of sexual assaults reported to law enforcement and the numbers that hit the media are low,” Bryce Shields, Pershing County’s District Attorney said. “If they want to go to law enforcement, we kind of feel like victims have been dissuaded from taking that route and from taking advantage of those resources because Burning Man has an incentive to do so.”
This year, Burning Man does appear to be more vocal about encouraging sexual assault victims to report the assault to law enforcement if that is what they would like to do.
Despite the internal chaos at Burning Man detailed by Salon’s investigations, many Burners this year have been organizing to preserve what are perceived to be bigger threats to its culture. For example, as part of the new standards proposed by the Bureau of Land Management, dumpsters around the perimeter and security checkpoints at the entrance, Burning Man said, are existential threats to the event.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/03/2019-14231/temporary-closure-and-temporary-restrictions-of-specific-uses-on-public-lands-for-the-2019-burning
https://z9hbb3mwou383x1930ve0ugl-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-Signed-Stipulations.pdf
https://z9hbb3mwou383x1930ve0ugl-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-Signed-Special-Recreation-Permit-.pdf
https://z9hbb3mwou383x1930ve0ugl-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-CO-Map_Phased-1.pdf
Burning Man begins this week, kudos to the numerous awesome Burners on the playa building the art, and the camps.
On 17 July, the BLM stated they finalized the EIS for Burning Man for the next ten years, in despite of the objections of the BMOrg, and they stated the 2019 Burning Man Festival Permit would be signed, and it would be the same conditions as the 2018 permit. I am not able to find the 2019 permit on the BLM website. Might the BLM, and their Pershing County mates, be playing more games with Burning Man, and desiring to gain as much cash, and power to abuse, and harass, Burners as they might, thus the delay?
In June, the BMOrg published the Burning Man Project Annual Report, of which, it included numbers from the 2017 financials, and the BMOrg stated of they would publish the 2018 financials report in July. I must have missed it, has anyone seen it? I am most curious of their disclosure of the cash paid to purchase the Burning Man trademarks from the six founders of the Burning Man Project. Or, might the BMOrg not have success in talking
JennyJennifer Kane, of the Reno Gazette Journal, into publishing their rubbish ‘Where does your Burning Man Ticket Money Go’ again?Might any reporter desire to report upon these matters, most especially in comparison to the little amount of cash the BMOrg pays towards the construction of the art, and towards DPW workers, here is the proper manner to gain the story of the Burning Man Project buying the Burning Man trademarks, and the queries to present to the BMOrg.
The Burning Man Project Annual Report stated of Will Roger (Peterson) retired from Chairman of the Board, and Dennis Bartels, whom was the Executive Director of the SF Exploratorium, is the new Chairman of the Board of the Burning Man Project. It, also, stated Larry Harvey is the President (Executive Director), and Chief Philosophic Officer, of the Burning Man Project. Kudos to Dennis, and to the ghost of Larry. The President (Executive Director) is a most important position in due of he is the boss of Charlie Dolman, and in charge of the Black Rock City LLC, of which, it controls the Burning Man event on the playa. Whom is the new President (Executive Director) in charge of the Burning Man event on the playa?
For the Burning Man virgins, when the ACLU pens instructions on the proper manner to protect yourself, from the police, for a specific festival, you must know the harassment, and abuse of rights, is very bad.
Nevada ACLU Burning Man Know Your Rights flier
Nevada ACLU: Burning Man: Know Your Rights
Also, How to Deal With Cops At Burning Man, 2017, and
24 Tips from Burners on Gate Safety