RAVERS READY TO FIGHT 'ELIMINATION' OF DANCES

Subculture Has Received Bad Rap, Participants Say

Raves and rave culture have received a bad rap for their reputation as drug
havens and corrupters of Toronto's youth, participants say.

And they want police Chief Julian Fantino and Mayor Mel Lastman to know
they won't allow them to shut down Toronto's rave scene without a fight.

"Chief Fantino, Mel Lastman, it's not all right for you to try to eliminate
my culture," Kim Stanford, chair of the Toronto Dance Safety Committee,
told a crowd of about 75 young people during a panel discussion yesterday
at the Art System on Spadina Ave.

"If we want to dance, we're going to."

Recently, Fantino and Norm Gardner, chair of the police services board,
said they will request that raves no longer be held at Exhibition Place.

On Easter weekend, police seized drugs, including ecstasy, crack cocaine
and crystal methamphetamine, and laid 57 charges during a rave attended by
8,000 people at the Better Living Centre.

The panel discussion took place one day before the start of a coroner's
inquest into the death of 20-year-old Allan Ho. The Ryerson student died
last October after going to a rave and using the drug ecstacy.

The dance safety committee includes rave organizers and city officials who
are trying to implement a protocol for safe dance events that council
established last year.

The mainstream media don't portray the whole picture, said Victoria Shen,
organizer of the PartyPeople Project. They interview kids high on drugs and
as a result that's all people know about the rave scene, she said.

"For the first time, you're going to hear the word coming out of the rave
community. It's very articulate and a well-balanced portrayal of what's
happening in the rave scene."

Scapegoating a youth subculture isn't new, said Stanford.

"I hope what happens here, is that we all learn how it feels to be
stigmatized and oppressed."

The panel discussion was one of many events at the 10-day Mayworks 2000
festival, which ended yesterday. The 15-year-old arts festival celebrates
workers' culture in traditional and emerging industries.