Canadian alternative artist, Alex Calder, has just been dropped from his record label, Captured Tracks. The decision comes as a reaction to Calder’s forthcoming statement on his Facebook, which confirms that the recent allegations that he committed sexual assault are in fact true. According to The Fader, Calder’s upcoming self-titled album has been shelved indefinitely as a result of the incident, and his future shows have been cancelled. He is taking a break from music to focus on counseling.
In his statement, Calder addresses an incident which took part in 2008, in which he partook in a sexual encounter which he falsely believed was consensual: “In the last year, I have come to understand the sexual encounter I had with this person was non consensual and constituted assault. At the time, I had thought that my actions were consensual and now understand that this was not the case.”
According to the statement, Calder has come forth with the statement not to gain forgiveness, but in order to “reduce harm” to the victim, and to raise awareness of sexual assault and important of sexual consent. He even includes a link to Planned Parenthood’s explanation of sexual consent.
Calder made sure to leave the victim’s name as anonymous, in order to protect their privacy. He expresses his apologies to the victim and to his fans who are disappointed and goes on to encourage other guilty parties to come forward and take responsibility. He also discusses the importance of educational resources that discuss matters of sexual consent, and urges others to learn more: “Being ignorant of consent is no excuse…”
Calder mentions, “I have been shielded and protected from accountability or consequence by a community and a culture, that has prioritized my narrative over hers for years.” While Calder’s statement does not excuse his past actions, it is a welcome and necessary addition to the recent growth in dialogue about sexual consent.
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