Samhita, thank you so much for this post. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and I have always been extremely wary of the burning man crowd. A bunch of privileged white people going out to the desert to drop acid, listen to trance music, and dress up in "tribal" garb and "burn" the "man?" Please. Most of the people who go out and spend the thousands of dollars to get in and set up their art are, in fact, "the man." What is the quote I am looking for - something like "rebellion" is usually just white men behaving badly. That basically sums up my reaction to burning man.
Your post hit on the topics that every single article I've ever read on BM avoids like the plague: why is everyone out there white? What's up with the huge entry fee? I've often thought about the role of women at burning man, since it seems that every photo printed of a woman there is some white thin "babe" who happens to have dreads and tribal tattoos wearing big platform boots and shiny hot pants. I guess what really gets me is that, as you alluded to, there is a definite possibility for outreach to artists who are not privileged and white, considering the amount of money coming in at the door. The fact that there is no outreach at all really speaks to the fact that the people who run BM don't care about being more inclusive, they are perfectly happy sitting on their laurels and raking in the dough, which brings into question how progressive a scene like BM actually is. Answer: not very. Privilege remains with those in power, everyone else is excluded. Way to burn "the man," man.

Hi Samhita, thanks for your thoughtful post. I'm a long time burner and I love reading all the different takes on the event.

I would love for there to be more "variety" on the playa as well, but I'm curious as to what YOU would have the organization do to be more inclusive.

Unfortunately I don't think the ticket cost will be able to be reduced. Average ticket running about $275 means that for a week, you pay roughly $40 a day. When you think of what it takes to run a city, infrastructure wise, it really isn't so much. And then add in the $ that this cost provides in the form of art grants, well, when you think of it, it's quite a bargain!

I remember one instance at a burning man about 7 years ago, that completely inspired and empowered me as a woman. I rode out alone to watch the construction of one of David Best's temples. I pulled up on my bike and saw about 8 cherry pickers ( those things you normally see the PG&E guys in, high up working on power lines) in each one was a woman with a power drill. I watched as they rose up and began raising what ended up being one of the most awe inspiring structures that has ever been seen on the playa.

It may sound trite to you, and I regret that I'm not as eloquent a writer as you to try to convey the emotions I felt that afternoon, but that vision stayed with me for some time and showed me that even as a girl I could be instrumental in making beautiful shit happen! After that experience, I went back to my hometown and immediately began plans on building MY camp the next year. Cut to 7 years later, and watch me as I help build domes, huge shade structures, kitchens, showers... 10 years ago I wouldn't have been able to tell you what a phillips head meant. Now my tool box makes men drool. ;-)

I would love for you to join my camp in 09. Perhaps you'll feel more at home with us, people of ALL sizes and colors. We have folks from all over the world; male, female, black, white, brown, yellow but heck we're ALL white out there after the first white out blows through. ;-) We also have a few skinny bitches but I bet you'd like them.

I got involved with the burning man organization for a while and found that while Larry Harvey and his buddies started it, it's the women in the org who made it what it is and make it all happen. (shout out to Harley and Action Grrrrl)

I believe that everyone would love for the burn to be more inclusive as it could only broaden the experience for everyone. And I realize that complaining is a way or organizing your thoughts but move to the next phase of disgruntledness (is that a word?) and help make those changes you'd like to see.

I'd like to help!

Hope you return next year and do let me know if you'd like to join my camp.

This is the best post I've read anywhere in quite some time. Like the first commenter, I agree. I've never been to burning man, and I've always given the environmental issue as a main reason. But there's more than that... I always think of Ken Kesey's Mountain Girl and the very limited roles assigned to "cool" "counterculture" women. They (we?) are supposed to white, thin, sexually adventurous , bisexual (but tending to date men and only sometimes sleep with women), and uninhibited... but still seeking male approval.

All of that makes me uncomfortable, especially because I sort of fit the bill. I'm a dancer and the group that I dance with is physically and racially diverse (we have fat women! fat women who expose their stomachs when they dance! OMFG!). But the larger dance community, especially those who dance to the same electronic/trance music that we do, looks a lot like Samhita's description of the women at burning man. We're supposed to be bad ass... but bad ass in the sense of wearing really sexy boots and revealing clothing. You're supposed to be comfortable with your body, but only if that body is "pretty."

Samhita, when you noted the absence of women from the quotes about America, I thought immediately of June Jordan's "Poem for My Sister, Ethel Ennis, Who Sang The Star Spangled Banner At The Second Inauguration Of Richard Milhaus Nixon." I can't find it online, and my office copy of Norton does not have it, though later versions (like my mother's, that I grew up on and where I first read it as a teen) include it.

The poem closes, "Oh say can you see, my sister?/Say you can see, my sister /And sing no more of war."

Oh man, I completely agree with you about consumption out there. oof! It's a constant battle for me with some of my camp members.

But you have to admit that the leave no trace policy completely builds awareness. Most folks I know that have been to the burn really takes this idea to heart once they are back in the real world. Even if it's as small a gesture as not throwing their cig butts on the sidewalk anymore, the idea has already permeated their consciousness and that small step could have huge ramifications pollution wise if the rest of the community would follow suit.

I'm just not sure that there's a way to be free of consumption, pollution, and cultural commodification (*runs to look up commodification*.) even in the middle of nowhere. It's a human based event after all.

Plus Burningman is an event that cannot really happen close to normal civilization and to have it do so would take away so much of the magic.

Also, in case you weren't aware, some of the greatest art out there is provided by women. Lotus Girls fire art being one of the most spectacular installations each year.

Again I hope you keep coming, and I love the idea about outreach in communities of color. I think that could be a great idea for something our camp to do. A few of our camp members volunteer at lower income camps every year maybe we should try to bring a few of those member with us! But you know how it is! Just trying to get food in your belly and keep your tent from blowing away is all consuming. Those grander visions take some time before they can come to fruition.

The Burning Man organization can only do so much, the rest is up to all of us to try to reach out.

Again thanks for the essay and your response. I love it that you actually went instead of complaining from the sidelines like so many people do. If you haven't experienced it, your voice just doesn't hold any weight.

Thank you!

Having gone to Burning Man several times you bring up some good points and it's interesting to see the harshest comments here from those who haven't gone.

The one comment about how all the photos are of the dreadlocked skinny white woman somehow dodges the question of the photographer and possibly editor entirely. I've seen women of different ages and colors and sizes at BM, but when a skinny white woman decides to bare it all the cameras come flying out.

At one life drawing event in Center Camp various people were taking turns modeling for the artists. When one woman got up on stage topless and held a pose a few photographers were elbowing others out of the way and blocking the view of several of the people drawing.

As for the cost of it, it costs a lot to have a major event in the middle of the desert for a whole week where everything has to be brought in. They're pretty upfront about that.

This was my second Burning Man, and my sixth burn (I've been hitting my native regional, Flipside, for four years now.) I really liked this write-up. It's good to get both the positive and the negative out there about the event.

Diversity is definitely an issue at Burning Man (and most burns, really). It's generally a sore subject among many burners because, honestly, we're mostly a bunch of white people that don't really know what to do about it.

Outreach is a good idea, and something that should be worked on. The best thing about Burning Man, though, is that it's a do-ocracy. You know, the whole "if you think something needs to be done, go ahead and do it". Organizing a burner outreach group would be an excellent project for those who want to increase the diversity.

In fact, if you got enough volunteer steam behind the project, you could probably even get a chunk of that ticket money in the form of a grant from the BMORG.

I've never actually been to Burning Man before, but I did have a piece in the WDYDWYD (Why do you do what you do?) Art Project that was on display. So, there was a least one other feminist there, albeit in spirit.

Thank you for the original post and the comments about BM--I haven't gone and it's educational to hear the variety of perspectives.

I do see echoes of your critique of "Stuff White People Like" in this post, which has stuck with me in a good way.

And a hearty thank you for pointing out electronic music's origins by working class, people of color.

Thank you for your post, and I couldn't agree more.

Although I have never been to burning man myself (but I have been to the burn that happens locally) I have many friends in the burning man community where I live.

You are correct, there is no diversity, especially when it comes to women. Although the men come in all shapes and sizes, the women are all willowy and thin, with a few rare exceptions. Being a bigger girl myself I have found that for the most part I am completely invisible to many of the men of the BM community (not all mind you, just most). Every party is dominated by one, and only one, "acceptable" body type for women. Tiny, skinny, and willowy.

Everytime time I hear them pay lip service to being open and tolerant I snort inwardly and think "Really? Maybe you should try dating a woman over 120 pounds."

The timing of this post is incredible for me. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier this week about burning man. I admit I did not know much about it, but after visiting the site, and doing my own quick and dirty research on it, I had some reservations that you've all but firmly confirmed here.

In trying to express these concerns to him, I felt a bit dismissed as being reserved and skittish, but in reading about it through your lens also as a woman of color, I felt quietly validated for everything I tried to convey. I've shared this post with him with hopes he'll perhaps see what it's like to regard this event from a different angle.

Excellent, excellent post.

great post!
i've never been to burning man myself but i know some burners and it was interesting to get a different perspective on the experience.

I really appreciate this post.

I did want to say that I disagree with some of the previous posts. There is a sense of "Well if you want more people of color than it is up to you".

I think it should be up to EVERYONE to get more people of color involved to create the free and diverse environment BM claims to have. How many times are POC called on to be the token representative for change? Being as white as can be, I feel that my experience would suffer greatly with the absence of diversity and maybe *dare I say it* we could take on the responsibility of creating a safe, diverse, space.

I went for the first time this year. I had the exact same reactions as the ones you describe, from the frustration at the lack of a SINGLE woman quoted on the way in, to the general lack of people of color, and a good amount of sizeism..

although I did see a good number of women of size, as well, mostly out in the edger camps and not near the center or the biggest scenes. Not everyone was rail thin or porntastic (although that was definitely over-represented).

I did have one super-annoying experience where the thongs&chaps&cowboyhats were clearly selected for participation over the non-bikini-wearing crew.

However, somehow, I also left excited to return, for several reasons. For one - our camp did provide a sound system and music that reached (& represented) a larger spectrum of people. There were several hip-hop sound systems that I came across.. of course, that's not the same as having lots of people of color, but since the music styles had been a block for me going before, it made me feel like things were opening up a tiny bit.

and the extreme conditions in themselves create some of the magic --although they are what make it so costly, and also my feeling is that white people or folks w/privilege are just more likely to seek out physically uncomfortable situations and be willing to put themselves through it.. perhaps because many of us know it's only temporary and by choice? --

anyway, setting that aside or taking it into account, the improbability of the experiences there are something I found agood deal of pleasure in.

And even though it is expensive to make happen, there is far less of an exchange system there- making many experiences totally voluntary on all sides (like the steampunk high tea & biscuits, the sno-cones and house music, or the bbq dance party in a dust storm), which is just a delightful experience..

I've been going to Burning Man since 1997, and the event has changed dramatically in that time, moving more towards "giant desert rave with art" and away from "intense spiritual catharsis" (for me, anyway). Keep in mind, however, that what is out there (and what has not changed) is what people bring with them, and that's it. There is no outreach to attendees, no advertising--the people who show up do so because, like you, they've heard about it and want to check it out. Without question, the event has gotten more expensive over the years as the fees to the BLM and the state and local authorities have gone up, and as the infrastructure required to support so many people has increased. The organization does make money, but a lot of it goes back into the event and to sponsor artists to create some of what you saw on the Playa. As to the subsidiary expenses, there's no question that just showing up takes a fair amount of cash. I challenge you to find a workable solution--it's easy to complain about the expense, rather more difficult to solve.

On that point, I take specific issue with your phrase, "When I wake up dreaming of freedom, I am not thinking there is a massive door charge." That's because you are dreaming. Freedom always has a price, usually one paid in blood. In this case, the price involves evading the watchful eye of authority, which grows ever more difficult as the event grows larger. The Black Rock desert was chosen for just that purpose, but a big chunk of the money paid out annually by the Burning Man Organization is, to my mind and speaking strictly as an attendee, essentially a bribe to get that eye to turn away for awhile. It is, admittedly, a shortcut which cannot achieve true freedom, but it's cheaper than the alternatives, which involve substantially more time, effort, and risk than a trip out to the desert. Burning Man emerged from Larry Harvey's need for catharsis; in the past decades, it has grown to be much more than that, but it is not, at its heart, revolutionary.

I will agree with you that it's very easy at Burning Man, as in life, to be scantily clad while young, sexy, and female. That said, I feel far more free as a hirsute, flabby male to bare my gleaming, pale flesh than I ever do back in the real world, even at places like the beach. I've also seen plenty of scantily-clad or entirely naked women on the Playa who don't conform to typical American standards of physical beauty, but they're certainly a minority.

Overall, I think that the one point about Burning Man that this article misses is that Burning Man is the stone soup of events. It is the role of the Burning Man Organization to provide the basic ingredients, but everything else is hauled in by the individual participants. The nature of the attendees, including the artists, is shaped by who has heard of the event and wants to attend. The art, music, and costumes reflect the culture through which Burning Man has spread by word of mouth. If you want Burning Man to be different, then change it. The quick and dirty route is to convince the BMorg to sponsor some sort of outreach program; the Burning Man approach is to reach out yourself, talk to your friends and community leaders and artists, get organized, and take Black Rock City by storm and show people what a difference you can make. If you don't care enough to do either, why should anyone else?

This was my 4th Burning Man. As a white feminist woman of nearly 40, heavy, and a little shy, I am most certainly not Playa Barbie. I do know, from volunteering with one of the BM organizations this year, that there are reduced ticket prices available if requested.

But having said those two things, I have to say that some of the very same thoughts occurred to me this year. I noticed that the "radical self expression" that the organization espouses seems to take the shape of large groups of people all pushing feminine stereotypes even further than they usually would. Part of it is the hootchie-ization of the women (of all shapes and sizes), as well as the feminization of the men. Did you notice how many of *them* interpreted radical self expression as wearing skirts?

I found myself noticing more and more how this radical expression was so often actually very narrowly defined... lingerie, platform boots, colorful hair extensions, utili-kilts, cowboy hats... non-conformist conformity.

I didn't know what to make of it and I don't claim to have figured it out. But it - combined with the lack of POC - did make me a little uneasy.

The last thing I will say is that there are some positives that will probably keep me going every other year or so. We have an art car - it's a true community art car. We let anyone jump on and I've met some really great people that way. I also had an art piece out there 3 years ago. It was fairly inexpensive - steel frame of a person, with medicine bottles filled with lights strung through it (Better Living through Chemistry?). It was only 8 feet tall, placed on the playa, and it really made me feel part of the community to contribute like that. I think I will submit another idea next time, done with materials I already have or can easily find.

So I encourage everyone to try it once, see what you think, contribute to the "scene". Maybe all of us together can get some true radical self expression out there :)

I'm Caucasian so I can't comment on the racist aspect from personal experience, but I am female and in either case, this article screams of projecting your own insecurities onto the event. Maybe you just chose not to go into details to back yourself up, but,

"What i saw was thin, white bodies... I immediately realized that I wouldn't feel comfortable naked. I would stick out, because I was curvy and brown. That didn't feel very feminist."

You wouldn't feel comfortable *why*? Were there other people telling you that your body wasn't allowed? That your body wasn't accepted or as beautiful as other bodies? Were people making comments or sending you clear signals that only the beauty of thin white girls were appreciated? Because if not, and there is absolutely no evidence in your article to suggest that there were *any* outside sources confirming that you would be made to feel uncomfortable, then it's just your own trip. Period. It's like the anorexic girl telling everyone that she's fat and ugly, and, "OMG, everyone is looking at me because I'm so hideous!" when really no one is fucking giving a shit about what she looks like. In fact, no one is even really looking at her. Everyone is too caught up in worrying about their own shit, but she's so concerned about her image that she's looking for validation of her own insecurities were they don't exist. Remember that whole drama over some contestant on The Apprentice saying to Omarosa, who is black, "Look who's calling the kettle black," because she was being hypocritical, and next thing you know Omarosa is aaaall up in arms about how the woman was making racist comments? Yeah. She wasn't. Let's not dilute real racism (and/or sexism) with stories of the boy who called the kettle black, okay?

"Beyond the expense of the trip, they don' do much to make it appealing to people of color. It is not the kind of space where we are made to feel welcome, it is not our space and it was not meant to be."

Maybe this is because I'm white, but I don't understand this. How is it to be designed to make people of color feel more welcome? Other than your concerns over the music, which I have my issues with and will get to below, I don't think there is anything specifically racially geared at Burning Man. There is art. There is music. There are camps that people set up independently. None of these components seem at all concerned with race. Why is it even entering into the picture? Last I checked, art and music transcend cultures and is to be enjoyed by anyone. I don't walk into a hip hop event and go, "Eh... they should really make this more welcoming to white people. This is all about black people and I am clearly not welcome. Look at all the black people. And everyone playing is black. And all the music talks about black culture. This is offensive because they're totally not making this appealing to ME as a WHITE PERSON." No. I go, I listen, I dance, I shoot the shit with people, I jump around and shout out the lyrics, and I go home because enjoying music and appreciating art doesn't depend on my skin color.

"This lack of a POC presence also had a strong impact on the music. The majority of the music was trance (mostly psy-trance) house and breaks. Almost all of these forms of music originate in either world of American black music, but there was a total lack of recognition of this fact. More working class, people of color oriented forms of electronic music (dub-step, drum and bass, techno, electro-breaks, hip-hop or reggae) was not to be found, except in a few key places, my people and I were very happy to find. This total lack of inclusion to world music and the music of working class people and people of color felt strategic, even if it was simply an oversight."

The majority of music was trance, house and breaks because that's the type of event it is. It is primarily an electronic/dance music event and those are the most popular forms of it right now on a commercial level. Stop trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Again, I don't go to a salsa club and think, "WTF. What's with all the fucking Latin music. This is totally exclusive to me as a Caucasian individual and reeks of narrowmindedness." I went to the fucking salsa club to hear salsa music. I'm not going to go up to the band and say, "Eeeeey.... I know this is a salsa club and I knew that coming here... but could you play some Dolly Parton so you're not catering only to Latin people? I'm white, and this sucks for me." Again, let me clarify that these cultural music examples are not to imply that these types of music should be associated with any one race or culture. Once more, I believe their enjoyment crosses all cultural and racial lines. I'm using them to illustrate that even if you labeled these forms of music and art as "white", it shouldn't matter.

Also, a lack of recognition? Again, maybe I don't understand because I'm Caucasian, but how is this supposed to be recognized? Signs saying, "Give it up for [insert name of POC here] who originated this!"? A moment of silence? I don't see anyone getting recognition for any type of music there, regardless of its origins. It is just enjoyed. Why is it so necessary to make it clear that a POC came up with these ideas? There were art cars driving around everywhere; I didn't see people giving thanks to the Europeans/Americans for inventing the automobile. Did anyone else see this? No. It's just there to be enjoyed by everyone. Doesn't matter who came up with it.

Finally, "As much as BM wants to exist in a bubble, let's be real, nothing that happens in the US is in a bubble. If you are having a party and everyone is white, something is not right. Right?"

Something is not "right"? So let's say that something appeals to white people more than other people... suddenly this is not right? There is racial exclusion going on? Part of celebrating cultures involves embracing these differences as something beautiful. By default, certain events will draw certain people, depending on the focus. A Native American pow-wow might appeal more to Native Americans because it resonates with them culturally. Chances are, most people showing up to the pop-wow will be Native American. Does this mean they are trying to deliberately exclude other cultures and that's why they didn't show up? Or that it was oversight on their part for not ensuring it appealed to more cultures? Does this mean it's not "right"? If not, then why does this only apply to white people? That's racist if it does. And no, it's not "reverse racism" because that shit doesn't exist. Racism is racism. Period.

Burning man attracts people who like electronic/dance music, have a certain set of ideals, can afford to go (and yes, unfortunately this aspect *does* tend to cater to Caucasians) and enjoy a particular type of art. This has nothing to do with color (or gender). If this were "a white thing" then you'd see all types of white people there. But you don't. I don't see droves of line-dancing cowboys and gun-totting hunters kicking it at Burning Man because it doesn't appeal to them. Does this mean that Burning Man is being exclusive? That we should try to cater to these people so the event can be all inclusive? After all, they are apart of world cultures as much as a POC is, correct? No. The event doesn't set up hunting ranges and massive western music stages because it's just not that type of event. Again, this has NOTHING to do with gender or color.

Now, that's not to say that I don't have my criticisms of Burning Man. Trust me, I will be the first to point out its flaws and didn't go for years because of these shortcomings and hypocrisies, but I think that racial and gender discrimination is not high up on the list. I'm sorry that you felt uncomfortable, but seems to me that it was due to your own personal, internal issues and you should take responsibility for that.

Yikes, etoile.

I'm hesitant to even comment on your comment because it seems kind of pointless to start a back-and-forth, but I think all Samhita was trying to (rightly) do was discuss her feelings of feeling isolated in a supposedly inclusive atmosphere.

I've never been to Burning Man and I don't have any strong opinions on it, but I was pretty surprised to see you write that if people aren't "making comments" about my body or pointing at me and laughing, then I can't possibly feel self-conscious or isolated. It must be in my head. And in terms of race, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that people of color make art. So if Burning Man is a pretty well-known destination for artists, then the fact that it is mostly white SHOULD raise some questions.

I think you need to look at the big, structural things Samhita and others are talking about. I don't think you quite "get" it (I mean, the personal IS political!) and I also found your tone to be a little bit hostile.

Thanks Samhita for posting this. I've rarely seen much comment by people of color, particularly women of color on this event.

What's really troubling me about this issue and a lot of comments on this article and even the whole notion of an American Dream theme, is that this all very much so ignores some hard realities of the situation: Burning Man is clearly no longer some underground event. It's a very well established cultural and structural institution. It's become the new Great American Holiday, like Halloween, but unlike the other holidays, it has a literal institution behind it.

I have a serious issue with a lot of the language I'm seeing that calls Burning Man and instance of radical inclusivity, promotes DIY, and then actively refuses to take action to insure inclusivity is taking place and in fact places the blame for lack of presence of people of color on the people of color themselves. Like they're the ones not being DIY enough.

You can't do that. That's about as much crap as the American Dream itself: A dream that stakes its claim on an "Anyone can do it!" motto, screams about "melting pot" dynamics, while the whole thing has been built by privileged, mostly white people.

If you go to Burning Man and embrace the whole idea and opportunity it represents, and you're not actively using the collective power to implement some kind of new radical vision of society in the event you're putting on, it's all a bit fake. I think people should take this opportunity to make things better, not get defensive.

It doesn't undermine the event or the legitimacy of your transformative experience at Burning Man, by lordy, get some perspective.

MaggieGlass,

I'm sorry if my tone was hostile. To be honest, in large part if it came across as that, it is because it upsets me when people allow themselves to feel marginalized, especially when there is no need for it. It was my frustration over years of women unnecessarily feeling uncomfortable due to societal/media/peer/etc. messages saying that we should hate our bodies, *especially* when we have curves. I think women of color have some of the most beautiful human figures on the planet. They epitomize the feminine form to me. I, for one, know many people who share this view, most of whom happen to be men. I'm sure many people would have loved to have seen all shapes, sizes and colors out there. Did she even give a chance to find out? It doesn't seem like it and that's disappointing.

That being said, for the record, I saw all sorts of women out there last year and was stoked by it. *shrug* Different lenses? Who knows.

Anyway, as it goes, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," and it sounds like in this scenario, Samhita consented to this without much evidence that she needed to. It's not fair to blame that on the participants/contributors of Burning Man. It feels like it's misdirected and like she carried some gender/race baggage into the event that could have been dropped at the gates.

I want in next because I want to create some distance... shift the energy... and say...

Samhita, I love you grrrl. Thank you and the many other talented and courageous women bloggers of colour for speaking your truth knowing full well that you may endure infuriating feedback that lacks even a whiff of understanding of internal and systemic oppression. Bless your souls.

For etiole and my sisters who are relating to her argument I encourage you to check out this resource. http://shemuses.net/2008/09/12/systemic-oppression-and-community-building/ I implore you to keep an open mind and give it a read. (I posted the resource on my blog because I didn't know another way to create easy access. Excuse the self-serving plug)

I think about and am in frequent dialogue with many white folks and people of colour on issues of diversity relating to individuals, organizations, events and movements. Personally, I have made a choice to move away from situations where people are increasing diversity because they think they should out of some moral imperative. I don't necessarily knock it, but it's not my thing.

I am more interested in transformation. What kind of communities do we want to live in? Each time we throw a party, make a hire, consider the leadership of an event, consider who we will ally with... each of these are moments where we can choose transformation. And not for it's own sake... but for the opportunity it presents for us personally, professionally and for our society.

Now that is a conversation worth having, a vision worth pursuing, and something to invest time and resources in, and to commit to for the long term.

I have your back Samhita. Thank you for shining your bright light.

j

Samhita,

I appreciate hearing your input on this subject. I've been waiting to read it.

I admit to having an initial knee-jerk mental response, but then, I remembered my first burn--I've been twice--and the mixed feelings I had at times. (here is a link to a post written after my first burn--and coincidentally, was inspired by something from Salon that had to do with Feministing, which is how I stumbled into this place...anyway...http://lorriet.livejournal.com/132326.html).

Let me start by saying, I'm an over-40, overweight woman. And yeah, it's easy to only see the pretty, thin, willowy girls...the eye candy, playa barbies, whatever. And, there were times that that colored my view of the event. Not being a person of color, I can't relate to how it would feel in your situation. I'll have to ask my partner, who is a POC if it ever bothered him (he's gone for years). The atmosphere can be very over-sexualized, it's true. And most burners recognize the irony in the radical self-expression being expressed in such an atmosphere of same-ness.

When my partner was first telling me about this, after I got done saying "I would never go to an event like that," he said "Basically, this is a big party in the desert--if you go in expecting more, you'll be disappointed."

The thing is, I did find some empowerment out there...but I found it in unlikely places. I found a really strong, amazing woman, one who I didn't know really existed. (http://lorriet.livejournal.com/121664.html)

Oh, and most burners really were not happy with this theme. It's one of the reasons I didn't go this year (that, and yeah, it's really freaking expensive).

I really have grown to love this event. Radical self reliance, radical self-expression and all that.

Thank you for the food for thought. Sorry if this is disjointed...I'm up way past my bedtime!

thanks so much for this post. i keep having encounters with folks about burning man, and you're able to state some stuff very eloquently that i've been grasping at for awhile. thank you for troubling things from inside the playa environment.

i'm also interested in the environmental effects of such a large scale free-for-all event. i know there's a certain amount of 'hey, let's clean up after ourselves', but you've got a massive group of people on a wilderness space. the idea that you can throw this big a party without the land being negatively shaped by your presence in some way is not something i think is possible.

it also brings to mind - re: your comments on expense of travel to BM - the whole aesthetic of wealthy white folks doing adventure/eco tourism to 'exotic'/remote locales.... like, if you've got the money, you should be able to go anywhere, without consideration of environmental or social impacts, especially if your travel is billed as 'eco' or 'alternative'. :-/

Samhita--

Thank you for writing this entry. This was my first burn, too. I've only started to process my thoughts about everything that happened.

I do know, though, that the Critical Tits bike ride was the most objectifying experience I've had. I've done Critical Mass in my hometown, which is supposed to be empowering (in a way) for bicyclists; I assumed that Critical Tits was supposed to be empowering for women -- a safe event where topless-ness was socially acceptable.

Instead I found myself surrounded by hundreds of leering men, many of whom were taking photos and some were even filming! What happened to all of the restricted photography and camera registration that I had read about? I could tell that some other women around me felt uncomfortable, but there was nothing we could do. Plus, some women seemed to be enjoying this kind of "attention".

On top of the cameras, there were men yelling things like, "Thank you! Thank you for doing this!" -- as if the ride was for their benefit. There were also a few men offering to mist the riders, but only there breasts; and one man had a sign that read, "I like your breasts the best!"

I left the ride, put my top back on, then went to my tent and got fully dressed. I felt so objectified and isolated -- the other women who had complained about the cameras had kept riding. I felt like I was the only one who had such a big problem with the photographers/videographers/etc that I had to leave.

So, as a broad question for the other Burners here: What is (was?) the actual purpose of Critical Tits? In the past was it an empowering event for women? Or were my assumptions totally wrong?

Man, am I happy to have stumbled into this conversation. Thank you Samhita for bringing it up, and for sharing your perspective. I especially appreciate, as others have, your raising your reservations after having had the experience – I tend to find myself caught between somewhat uncritical embrace from burners or harsh critiques from people who have never gone, so thanks for opening up the middle ground.

I of course have also noticed the dearth of POC, have struggled with perceived or real attitudes towards women and women’s bodies, etc. These can be deeply troubling even for a fairly skinny white woman; trust that anywhere that a single aesthetic ideal is seemingly upheld, even people who seem to meet that ideal are having a hard time (not to mention people who don’t). I dearly wish that BM were in fact a more body-diverse environment. The conforming non-conformity in general is a huge issue to work with - though my stance is that that’s what you do, work with it. Concede that anywhere where 50,000 people get together, not all of them are *actually* going to be radically self-expressive, there are going to be aesthetic norms and conventions that come up to create a sense of comfort and belonging, and work with your own reaction and response to that. Don’t complain, just don’t wear the frickin’ fur chaps, baby.

On the diversity subject, I am very aware that, being white, I lack the sensors to notice what you might be noticing. But I have to say that, putting her hostile tone aside, I share some of Etoile’s questions (please read them as actual questions rather than attacks, though). Namely these two: First: Other than appropriation of external signifiers of POC and the financial barrier, in what ways specifically is BM an unwelcoming environment to POC? (and, please excuse my ignorance here, but I’d love an explanation of how said appropriation contributes to a non-welcoming environment).

(Aside: speaking of the financial barrier, I know plenty of markedly non-wealthy folks who get themselves to the burn. It’s a question of p