This Year, Coachella Will Have 'Safety Ambassadors' to Help Curb Sexual Harassment 

By Emily Alford  |  January 5, 2019 | 8:00pm
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At Coachella, sexual harassment is pretty much just as prevalent as flower crowns, but this year, officials are hoping trained safety ambassadors and a zero tolerance policy will fix the problem.

According to The Daily Beast, “The program will deploy trained safety ambassadors throughout the festival grounds and set up tents with counselors for anyone who needs ‘extra support or a quiet moment away,’ according to a new page on the festival’s website.”

The zero tolerance policy states that any forms of harassment and assault—verbal, sexual, or physical—will mean concertgoers forfeit their $600 wristband.

However, officials failed to explain what steps they’re taking to train the safety ambassadors or the specifics of the reporting system for violators of the zero tolerance policy.

This year’s festival will also include all-gender restrooms, which, as The Daily Beast notes, is ironic considering the fact that founder Philip Anschutz has been a big funder of anti-LGBTQ causes.

In 2018, Teen Vogue interviewed 54 women about their experiences at the festival, and every person they spoke to reported either having been sexually harassed or assaulted while at Coachella.

 
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