Matt Baume dot com: Fight over Ma rave bill turns cooperative

In the span of just a few days, a group of entertainers, event promoters, and city officials have sprung into action to address safety problems at electronic music dance parties, prompted in large part by a surprise attempt by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) to ban a broad range of music events altogether.

Ma's proposed legislation, known as Assembly Bill 74 or the Anti-Raves Act of 2011, would have criminalized events on public property at which prerecorded music is played for longer than three and a half hours. The bill was necessary, Ma said, to address a spate of drug-related deaths and injuries at massive dance parties held at public venues such as the Cow Palace.

Critics overwhelmed Ma's online social network sites with protest, and her office was deluged with calls. Within days, Ma announced that she would withdraw the bill and instead pursue a collaboration with stakeholders.

"The bill definitely needs more work," admitted Nick Hardeman, Ma's Capitol director. "The broad language in it right now impacts a broader spectrum of the nightlife community than we had intended."

The overwhelming response was coordinated in part by Save the Rave, a brand new organization that quickly amassed thousands of Facebook fans and directed them to protest.

According to organizer Liam Shy, Save the Rave has been in the planning stages for some time as an advocacy organization for fans and producers of electronic music events. Ma's unexpected announcement hastened the group's formation, he said.

Shy is a local DJ whose performances have included Pride, Pink Saturday, Castro Halloween, and LovEvolution. He met with Ma this week to discuss next steps, which he said could include a task force and public hearings.

"It's very necessary for all the different sides to have input on this process," Shy said.

John Wood, an event manager who has helped produce Castro Halloween and Pride, agreed. "No one heard about this whatsoever prior to the introduction of this legislation," he said. "We could have dialogued with her."

Wood pointed out that the gay community effectively addressed a mid-1990s spike in GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) use through outreach and education, rather than by banning events.

At a January 3 meeting of the San Francisco Youth Commission, Shy called for increased education. He acknowledged that drug abuse at raves is a problem, but argued that banning events would shift the abuse to settings that could potentially be more dangerous.

"We'd much rather have young people in permitted events. ... If we don't have them, they go underground, where there's no protection," Shy said. Promoters are already willing to assist with outreach, he said, whether in the form of fliers handed out with tickets, booths at events, viral videos, or partnerships with the Department of Public Health.

Several youth commissioners expressed interest in holding joint hearings with the Entertainment Commission on the topic.

"One of the things we're battling against is this mentality that 'rave' is a four-letter word," said Shy, himself a former youth commissioner. "These are the primary events for young adults, particularly the ones who can't go into nightclubs, for having fun and celebrating and feeling connected with their peers. ... We're trying to embrace the word 'rave' and turn it into something positive."