World Burlesque Day Statement – Stand Together In Challenging Times

The world is facing increasing uncertainty and challenging times with economic instability, political unrest, the rollback of freedoms.

In times like these, people seek spaces that they can be connected and express themselves without fear of judgment or hostility.

The transgender community in particular, with rollback from the Trump administration, must be very vulnerable and feel very vulnerable right now.

This is not just about dignity. It’s about freedom, self expression, the core of identity.

That’s why a safe space is so important.

And at the same time, we are seeing a corrosion of safe space around communications, collaborations, and confidentiality not being adhered to online.

This isn’t what our community stands for.

We are fostering a voice of unity in community.

Burlesque has always been a place to be a rebel and to have a different opinion, And yet, it seems we’re losing the opportunity to have dialogue, differences of opinions, to learn and just be human and make mistakes.

I myself, in particular, have felt the brunt of this in the last seventy two hours with calls to deplatform me, silence my voice, roll back my contributions.

It’s been incredibly hurtful to watch values circulating and strong voices against things I stand for whatsoever with no truth, all based on rumour.

And I think this is not what we stand for in World Burlesque Day and in the wider community of burlesque. Now, yes, as disruptors, agitators, Producers are always going to come potentially under attack.

Performers too. We’re trying to try different things and give different voices and different messages in our very nature.

However, we need to foster a space that’s safe to also make mistakes and have those acknowledged without it turning into vitriol and online denigration of people.

Mental health is the reason World Burlesque exists, and the part of the mental health that works in Burlesque is the freedom and the fact there’s no rules. And it’s wonderful that World Burlesque Day now is reaching so many countries. Look, it’s not my day. It’s OUR day.

It’s simply an awareness day like International Women’s Day or Valentine’s Day.

So I encourage you to unite on this day.

While there is so much going on around the world that could divide us, this is a chance to have unity in community at all tiers of industry  no matter what gender you identify as, your race, your beliefs, your location, or ethnicity, this is for everybody. I invite you all to celebrate in your own way on World Burlesque Day the 26th of April. You don’t have to participate in the class the day after.

You can do it privately. You can stay offline.

It’s going to go ahead, and we would love forevermore that World Burlesque Day is a celebration to show that self expression and uninhibited invitation to be yourself will always outshine fear and division.

In a world that is seeking to divide us, let’s unite on World Burlesque Day.

Thanks.” Sapphira