est. 2023
Systems of Release is an evolving multimedia project presenting fragments of New York City's underground electronic music communities.
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HARM REDUCTION:
Andrea Rodriguez |
DanceSafe NYC
We spoke with the Community Cultivation Coordinator for DanceSafe National & NY Chapter Lead, Andrea Rodriguez, to get a better idea of the intersection between harm reduction and nightlife; and to learn how organizations like DanceSafe can be a source of information to ravers.
May 31 2024
ZOOM
AUDIO AVAILABLE
ANDREA RODRIGUEZ:Andrea (they/them) is the Community Cultivation Coordinator for DanceSafe National and the NY Chapter leader. They are also a nightlife liaison for OutSmartNYC, which is a collective that provides training to nightlife, party and hospitality spaces for sexual violence prevention in NYC. They are a Mexican trans immigrant whose life experience gave them purpose to help the community that showed them what belonging is.
DANCESAFE:DanceSafe is a drug checking, earplug slinging, party servicing nonprofit that was founded on social justice principles. Our programs include drug education, sexual health and consent deep-dives, political advocacy, and event outreach, where our amazing volunteers distribute information and resources at the fabled DanceSafe Booths.
DANCESAFE.ORG
*Some words have been cut or jump cuts made for readability’s sake
SOR: To start, can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to become involved with DanceSafe and harm reduction efforts in the dance community?
Andrea Rodriguez: I’ve always practiced harm reduction since the early 2000s. I’ve been raving since 2001 or 2002. Even back then, I would take vitamins, hydrate, and mitigate harm after parties. I truly realized the power of harm reduction after a two-year chaotic meth use period. Coming out of that through a 12-step program and seeing how long it took others to recover from what’s called the “meth fog,” I recognized the importance of harm reduction in my own life.
Before the pandemic, I started a mindfulness personal development group called Anjuna for the AnjunaFamily, which blew up internationally. During the pandemic, the group kept growing, and I realized how much our community needed spaces beyond parties to come together. Eventually, someone sent me a DanceSafe job posting. I didn’t get that position, but they were impressed with my work in the community, so I started doing Spanish translations for them. A year later, they offered me the role of Community Cultivation Coordinator, where I work to implement cultural initiatives and develop chapter leaders and volunteers with intrapersonal skills, social justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
SOR: Shifting focus to New York, can you speak a bit about the history of the New York DanceSafe chapter?
Andrea: I don’t have much history, but I know Mohawk was one of the pioneers for DanceSafe. They did great work but eventually stepped down. Jared and I were co-leaders of the New York chapter for a time after Mohawk stepped down, but Jared later left to do their own thing. Now, I’m the sole leader of New York DanceSafe, which is a lot for one person. We’re working on a volunteer drive because we need more volunteers and people to step into leadership roles. Typically, a chapter should have three to five leaders.
SOR: A friend and I recently attended an event at Knockdown Center and picked up some of the fun, informative drug information cards. Can you talk about the work you’ve done in drug education at events and what those interactions are like?
Andrea: When we’re at events, it’s really important to keep our information factual. If we don’t know something, we’ll say, “Let me check on that,” and consult someone with better knowledge. Our mission is to provide unbiased information—neither glorifying nor stigmatizing substances. One of our main goals is to destigmatize drug use.
For example, when people look through our cards and see the heroin card, they sometimes react with, “Why is this here?” because it’s a rave space. That’s when the most important education happens. By labeling drugs as either “good” or “bad,” users may internalize that they’re either a “good” or “bad” person. When there’s shame and stigma attached to drug use, it often leads to chaotic use and isolation. We want to teach people that drugs are neutral, and it’s our responsibility to manage the consequences.
SOR: What services do you offer to people who want DanceSafe present at their events?
Andrea: People need to go to the DanceSafe website and submit an event request form to see if we have the capacity to support it. Right now, we’re collaborating with The Psychedelic Assembly in Manhattan. We’re also hosting volunteer drives this summer, so stay tuned on social media. If anyone wants to volunteer, they can sign up at dancesafe.org/volunteer and complete our training online.
SOR: Do you find that DanceSafe serves bigger institutions more, or do you also cater to smaller collectives and individual parties?
Andrea: Jared, our former chapter lead, still has a presence at venues like House of Yes and some Knockdown Center events. But I really want to focus our volunteer drive on bringing in more diversity, especially queer BIPOC folks, as they are often underserved. It’s important to support big events, but it’s even more crucial to serve queer BIPOC communities where there’s often less information and more stigma around drug use. They need harm reduction services just as much, if not more.
SOR: What challenges have you encountered working with New York’s dance community, whether with city politics or community interactions?
Andrea: One challenge is that some venues and promoters fear that harm reduction services will attract attention, especially for underground events. They worry it signals to cops that drug use is being endorsed. For us, it’s about getting the venues and promoters on board. Some are totally fine with it, but others need convincing.
Another challenge is transportation—getting everything from the storage unit to the event can be tough since our setup is pretty big. DanceSafe isn’t just about drug education or testing. We also promote overall safer partying. For example, we have a “We Love Consent” section with bystander intervention cards and consent guidelines for the dance floor. We also provide information on preventing heat stroke and protecting hearing. We start with what people are comfortable with, and as they see the value, they often request more services.
SOR: What are your hopes for DanceSafe in New York?
Andrea: I hope we can build a diverse, robust volunteer base with several chapter leads, allowing us to serve all communities, from burner and queer parties to drug education in gay bars. My dream is to bring harm reduction to places like Jackson Heights, Harlem, and parts of the Bronx. We’re starting to develop more Spanish-language materials, so I’d love to see us support more Spanish-speaking communities and BIPOC spaces.
It’s going to take time, probably one to two years, but we understand volunteering is free labor and can be a big commitment in a city like New York. We aim to have a large enough volunteer base to make shifts smaller and more manageable, so volunteers can enjoy the party too.
SOR: What are one or two things you wish people knew about harm reduction education?
Andrea: The way we approach people with chaotic drug use has been institutionalized. Media like “Intervention” and 12-step programs give the message that people aren’t “good enough” until they’re sober, which can be really harmful. Instead of pushing people away, we should meet them where they’re at.
For example, when someone is in chaotic use, I’d suggest asking them, “Do you have food? Water? Are you testing your drugs?” Providing resources like fentanyl testing strips, needle exchange programs, and safe consumption sites can reduce harm and offer better quality of life without judgment. Shame only leads to further isolation, but love and support can help bridge the gap.
SOR: What’s your biggest concern with New York City’s dance community and its relationship with substances?
Andrea: The fentanyl crisis has been devastating, especially since the pandemic. Newcomers to the scene who aren’t familiar with harm reduction often go from zero to full without understanding the risks. We have a responsibility to make sure everyone is safe, not just those with experience in the scene.
There’s also been a rise in incidents of roofies, which ties into the importance of consent work and sexual violence prevention. We need to train nightlife staff and partygoers in bystander intervention. Collectives like OutSmartNYC are doing great work in training venues like Elsewhere and Avant Gardner on sexual violence prevention, consent, and how it intersects with racism and gender violence. Harm reduction is connected to all of these issues.
SOR: Conversely, what brings you the most joy in working with this community?
Andrea: There’s so much joy in seeing how harm reduction has positively impacted people’s lives. People come up to me and say how it changed them, or how they got involved after losing someone. I love my co-workers and feel incredibly supported by DanceSafe and OutSmartNYC. Working with people who have the same passion and the same drive, who want to leave the world a better place through recognizing people’s humanity is extremely powerful and fulfilling.
SOR: To start, can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to become involved with DanceSafe and harm reduction efforts in the dance community?
Andrea Rodriguez: I’ve always practiced harm reduction since the early 2000s. I’ve been raving since 2001 or 2002. Even back then, I would take vitamins, hydrate, and mitigate harm after parties. I truly realized the power of harm reduction after a two-year chaotic meth use period. Coming out of that through a 12-step program and seeing how long it took others to recover from what’s called the “meth fog,” I recognized the importance of harm reduction in my own life.
Before the pandemic, I started a mindfulness personal development group called Anjuna for the AnjunaFamily, which blew up internationally. During the pandemic, the group kept growing, and I realized how much our community needed spaces beyond parties to come together. Eventually, someone sent me a DanceSafe job posting. I didn’t get that position, but they were impressed with my work in the community, so I started doing Spanish translations for them. A year later, they offered me the role of Community Cultivation Coordinator, where I work to implement cultural initiatives and develop chapter leaders and volunteers with intrapersonal skills, social justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
SOR: Shifting focus to New York, can you speak a bit about the history of the New York DanceSafe chapter?
Andrea: I don’t have much history, but I know Mohawk was one of the pioneers for DanceSafe. They did great work but eventually stepped down. Jared and I were co-leaders of the New York chapter for a time after Mohawk stepped down, but Jared later left to do their own thing. Now, I’m the sole leader of New York DanceSafe, which is a lot for one person. We’re working on a volunteer drive because we need more volunteers and people to step into leadership roles. Typically, a chapter should have three to five leaders.
SOR: A friend and I recently attended an event at Knockdown Center and picked up some of the fun, informative drug information cards. Can you talk about the work you’ve done in drug education at events and what those interactions are like?
Andrea: When we’re at events, it’s really important to keep our information factual. If we don’t know something, we’ll say, “Let me check on that,” and consult someone with better knowledge. Our mission is to provide unbiased information—neither glorifying nor stigmatizing substances. One of our main goals is to destigmatize drug use.
For example, when people look through our cards and see the heroin card, they sometimes react with, “Why is this here?” because it’s a rave space. That’s when the most important education happens. By labeling drugs as either “good” or “bad,” users may internalize that they’re either a “good” or “bad” person. When there’s shame and stigma attached to drug use, it often leads to chaotic use and isolation. We want to teach people that drugs are neutral, and it’s our responsibility to manage the consequences.
SOR: What services do you offer to people who want DanceSafe present at their events?
Andrea: People need to go to the DanceSafe website and submit an event request form to see if we have the capacity to support it. Right now, we’re collaborating with The Psychedelic Assembly in Manhattan. We’re also hosting volunteer drives this summer, so stay tuned on social media. If anyone wants to volunteer, they can sign up at dancesafe.org/volunteer and complete our training online.
SOR: Do you find that DanceSafe serves bigger institutions more, or do you also cater to smaller collectives and individual parties?
Andrea: Jared, our former chapter lead, still has a presence at venues like House of Yes and some Knockdown Center events. But I really want to focus our volunteer drive on bringing in more diversity, especially queer BIPOC folks, as they are often underserved. It’s important to support big events, but it’s even more crucial to serve queer BIPOC communities where there’s often less information and more stigma around drug use. They need harm reduction services just as much, if not more.
SOR: What challenges have you encountered working with New York’s dance community, whether with city politics or community interactions?
Andrea: One challenge is that some venues and promoters fear that harm reduction services will attract attention, especially for underground events. They worry it signals to cops that drug use is being endorsed. For us, it’s about getting the venues and promoters on board. Some are totally fine with it, but others need convincing.
Another challenge is transportation—getting everything from the storage unit to the event can be tough since our setup is pretty big. DanceSafe isn’t just about drug education or testing. We also promote overall safer partying. For example, we have a “We Love Consent” section with bystander intervention cards and consent guidelines for the dance floor. We also provide information on preventing heat stroke and protecting hearing. We start with what people are comfortable with, and as they see the value, they often request more services.
SOR: What are your hopes for DanceSafe in New York?
Andrea: I hope we can build a diverse, robust volunteer base with several chapter leads, allowing us to serve all communities, from burner and queer parties to drug education in gay bars. My dream is to bring harm reduction to places like Jackson Heights, Harlem, and parts of the Bronx. We’re starting to develop more Spanish-language materials, so I’d love to see us support more Spanish-speaking communities and BIPOC spaces.
It’s going to take time, probably one to two years, but we understand volunteering is free labor and can be a big commitment in a city like New York. We aim to have a large enough volunteer base to make shifts smaller and more manageable, so volunteers can enjoy the party too.
SOR: What are one or two things you wish people knew about harm reduction education?
Andrea: The way we approach people with chaotic drug use has been institutionalized. Media like “Intervention” and 12-step programs give the message that people aren’t “good enough” until they’re sober, which can be really harmful. Instead of pushing people away, we should meet them where they’re at.
For example, when someone is in chaotic use, I’d suggest asking them, “Do you have food? Water? Are you testing your drugs?” Providing resources like fentanyl testing strips, needle exchange programs, and safe consumption sites can reduce harm and offer better quality of life without judgment. Shame only leads to further isolation, but love and support can help bridge the gap.
SOR: What’s your biggest concern with New York City’s dance community and its relationship with substances?
Andrea: The fentanyl crisis has been devastating, especially since the pandemic. Newcomers to the scene who aren’t familiar with harm reduction often go from zero to full without understanding the risks. We have a responsibility to make sure everyone is safe, not just those with experience in the scene.
There’s also been a rise in incidents of roofies, which ties into the importance of consent work and sexual violence prevention. We need to train nightlife staff and partygoers in bystander intervention. Collectives like OutSmartNYC are doing great work in training venues like Elsewhere and Avant Gardner on sexual violence prevention, consent, and how it intersects with racism and gender violence. Harm reduction is connected to all of these issues.
SOR: Conversely, what brings you the most joy in working with this community?
Andrea: There’s so much joy in seeing how harm reduction has positively impacted people’s lives. People come up to me and say how it changed them, or how they got involved after losing someone. I love my co-workers and feel incredibly supported by DanceSafe and OutSmartNYC. Working with people who have the same passion and the same drive, who want to leave the world a better place through recognizing people’s humanity is extremely powerful and fulfilling.