Happier days for some, but a lot of us, those "haylcon days" were really not all that. Transgender people and gays and lesbians having to hide who they were, or not able to dance with (let alone marry) their partners for fear of retaliation, or having to go to their own separate dances to feel safe and accepted; women with no recourse if they were touched inappropriately or made to feel unsafe; and more that I don't have a gut sense for, not being part of those groups. For myself, I much prefer the current time.
I'm sure it must feel jarring to experience this sort of contention and discomfort, but I promise this is only a fraction of what minorities and vulnerable groups have experienced in the dance scene over the years. I hope that folks who have mostly coasted through a dance world built for them are willing to endure a little proximal discomfort and change for the sake of the people only just finding safety and community here.
I know email and especially large group discussions are a pretty lousy way to have discussions and convey nuance; if Jon or anyone else yearning for these "simpler times" is interested in having a one-on-one conversation about this, drop me a line off-list.
Take care,
Maia
--Maia McCormick (she/her)
917.279.8194