Female DJs Reveal 'Blatant Misogyny' as Men Interrupt Sets, Make Sexual Comments and Intimidate Them

Female DJs have spoken out about experiencing sexism, intimidation and harassment while performing. Some say they have been treated as 'guests' in spaces where male performers are accepted without question.

DJ Anna McAteer, Andrea Shearer and Julie Dunne described incidents ranging from men interfering with their equipment to aggressive confrontations and inappropriate sexual remarks. Their accounts were reported by BBC News NI, with the DJs saying the behaviour can make performing feel unsafe and, in some cases, affect how they view future bookings. Dunne said she eventually stopped DJing in bars.

Women Say They Are Not Taken Seriously

Shearer said she had noticed a difference in how male and female DJs were treated, noting that women can be viewed as though they do not fully belong behind the decks.

'I just still think that there's a bit of an attitude that women are somehow guests in the space rather than DJs that have earned their place there,' Shearer said. 'Whereas whenever it comes to a man in the booth, it's just not even a question.'

She also described online abuse in which a man questioned her ability as a DJ and made an allegation about how she obtained bookings.

'It's just insane to have someone kind of boil all of my hard work that I've done towards this down to who I've slept with,' Shearer added. 'And it's just blatant misogyny.'

Belfast DJ McAteer said she had repeatedly dealt with people entering the DJ booth or interfering with her equipment. In one recent incident, she said a man came up behind her and started rewinding one of the decks while she was performing. She also recalled another man being removed from the booth several times before returning and looking through her music collection. 'He was just insisting that he's a DJ as well,' she recalled.

Sexual Comments and Intimidation

McAteer also recalled an incident involving an older man who approached her while she was DJing, asked her explicit questions and then touched her equipment. She described the experience as 'very uncomfortable'.

'I've been quite lucky not to have too many physical encounters whenever I've been playing, but one did stand out to me,' McAteer said.

Dunne said an incident at a Christmas booking had a lasting effect on her confidence. After she told a man that she could not play the song he requested, she said he became hostile, shouted abuse and moved into her personal space.

'I was really polite to him and said, 'Look, I apologise, I don't have it on me,' she shared, adding that the man moved into her personal space during the confrontation, leaving her in tears. 'It got quite physical, he was up in my face and I was in tears.'

'When it's actual physical intimidation or sexual harassment, it's not the same at all,' she said, noting that workplace interruptions can affect both male and female workers, but saying that women may encounter a different kind of behaviour when those disruptions occur.

The DJs told the BBC they did not blame the venues or promoters involved. McAteer said venues and staff had supported her when they became aware of incidents and continued to check on her when she later returned to venues as a customer.

She said people should recognise that performers are doing a job and that entering a booth without permission can be intimidating and potentially dangerous.