DJing Has a Sexism Problem: This Account is Exposing The Rot

Just yesterday, @2ManyMenEire had 8 followers, now it has over 1000. The Instagram page sets out a clear aim: exposing sexism and making positive change for all Irish DJs. The account has called out collectives and promoters who haven’t booked a single non-male act in months. It’s inexcusable, but it’s sadly much more common than expected. A google form is also linked, allowing people to submit anonymous testimonies about sexism within the scene. Hundreds have used it already to share their story, with many more flying in by the hour.

“I realised that this was a problem everyone was brushing under the rug out of fear of ruining their career.”

@2ManyMenEire

One anonymous Dj described how she had to put up with “men taking videos of my tits”, multiple others outline instances of sexual assault from those within the scene, belittling and bullying. One testimony describes how a female Dj was subjected to creepy messages and advances from certain promoters, until she got into a relationship with a male Dj, and was suddenly treated “like an actual human”. However, not long after breaking up with her boyfriend, the creepy messages and ‘being felt up in green rooms’ returned. “Why do I only deserve respect if I’m off the market?” One of the earliest posts on the page is from a black, female dj, who describes how she has been subjected to “men questioning my integrity and my talent”, “disgusting” comments about her appearance, and overhearing whispers such as “do black people listen to techno?”

Examples like these are just a fraction of the sheer scale of shocking testimonies posted to the page over the last day. Sexism, bulling and gender-based abuse are clearly rampant. But why is this the first time so many people are hearing about it? The answer is simple: a culture of silence which prevents victims from speaking out, in fear that they won’t ever get booked again. Evidence of this is clear from the abuse the page has received, with some people taking to the DMs to voice their anger and, even, send violent or threatening messages.

@2ManyMenEire has posted some of the hate messages and attempts at intimidation. They’ve also responded to accusations that the tone is too angry: “If I’m coming across angry, that’s because I AM”.

“fuck this predator shit”

Ema – Irish DJ

However support for the page has been huge. Hometown legends like Ema have taken to Instagram to express their solidarity with the page, writing ‘fuck this predator shit’ and calling for a zero-tolerance policy to collectives continuously booking an all-male lineup. 22 year old Irish DJ Becky has also spoken out in support of the page. In a statement to District, Becky said “It’s empowering to see so many people finally get things off their chest. This account is so brave, it’s extremely overdue, and it ignited a conversation we should have had about discrimination in Irish nightlife a long time ago. In the mere 24 hours it’s been active, I’ve finally settled an issue with a promoter that i’ve been trying to resolve for months. It’s sad that this action was only taken because of promoters fear of being “called out” but I think this account has really opened up peoples eyes about the reality.”

“It ignited a conversation we should have had about discrimination in Irish nightlife a long time ago.”

Becky, Irish DJ

Safety, equality and respect are clearly not always maintained when these vast imbalances of power are at play. We spoke to @2ManyMenEire about why accountability is the first step in bringing about positive change, and why the talent of non-male DJs is being deliberately ignored.

Why did u decide to set up this account?

Since I started djing I heard so many horror stories from other female djs, and when I started to experience it firsthand I realised that this was a problem everyone was brushing under the rug out of fear of ruining their career. When I saw Becky Stone recently post about the way she was treated by men at a recent gig, I realised that FLINTA djs needed a platform to voice their concerns without fear of being ostracised.

⁠ It’s grown a huge amount in just over 24 hours – were you expecting this much of a reaction?

I definitely expected to hear a lot of stories but the level of backlash was extremely shocking, I didn’t think that in 2024 people would still dismiss sexism as not being a serious issue.

⁠Some of the testimonies are horrific, why do you think so many people cant speak out?

The number one reason I’ve heard from so many women especially is the fear of being labelled as ‘angry’ or ‘difficult to work with’. The scene is completely dominated by male promoters, if you get on their wrong side they can easily ruin your career and for many people its just not worth that risk.

⁠You’ve called out collectives and clubs who haven’t booked a non-male in months. Have you had any positive responses or accountability here?

I’ve had an extremely positive response from one smaller collective who was more than happy to take my criticism and completely understood where it was coming from. Similarly, one person who sent hate to the account later apologised and said they were also fully supportive of my message. Unfortunately one collective not only ignored my stories but actively got their friends to send targeted hate messages both in my dms and anonymously through google forms which was extremely disheartening.

I know youve had some threats, do you think these people are scared of being held to account?

I’ve found it difficult to comprehend a lot of the threats I’ve received but at the end of the day I think it is purely coming from a place of fear. I think when people realise their position of power might be in danger they panic and attack without thinking.

What needs to be done to improve the issue?

So many different issues have been raised on the account so far that I think there’s a whole lot of work to be done. For a start all I can hope is that promoters, venue owners and djs will read the accounts and seriously take all of the stories into consideration and actively try to improve. Specifically I think there’s a serious issue regarding ‘diversity for the sake of diversity’, I really hope that people will start recognising the talents of marginalised communities and respect them for their work. I also hope that people in positions of power come to realise that their actions have consequences, and that issues regarding sexual assault will eventually come to light.