The organiser of a bondage show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival has been accused of racism and anti-Semitism after he was pictured in a Ku Klux Klan-style costume.
A picture of 50 Shades of Fringe organiser Shayne Budgen circulated online, showing the 45-year-old in white briefs, pink suspenders and hood worn by the white supremacist group.
A change.org petition was created and more than 1,000 people are calling for the Adelaide Fringe Festival Board of Directors to condemn the behaviour.
‘It has come to the attention of the arts community that Shayne ‘Rax’ Budgen, producer of 50 Shades of Fringe (Acts One & Two), routinely wears inflammatory anti-Semitic and racist costuming, and parading this as kink,’ the petition says.
A picture of 50 Shades of Fringe organiser Shayne Budgen circulated online, showing the 45-year-old in white briefs, pink suspenders and hood worn by the white supremacist group. The picture, taken on Friday evening, was shared in a private Facebook group before it was taken from the chat without Mr Budgen’s permission, cropped and spread on social media
‘This individual clearly has little care for the health and wellbeing of others, nor the empathy for those who witnessed and suffered horrors during the Holocaust or persecution of People of Colour.
‘As artists, we will not stand for anti-Semitism or racism in any form. We respect our entire artistic and wider community, regardless of race, religious beliefs, sexuality, gender and many more beautiful and celebrated features of human beings.
‘We call on Adelaide Fringe and its Board of Directors to condemn the behavior of this individual and remove this event from their program.’
But Mr Budgen says the controversial costume is ‘nothing to do with a political statement and the power of the KKK and the white influence’.
‘This is a dress-up party, it’s a message for people to not take life so seriously,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘If we’re taking the p*** out of a movement, we’re taking the power away from it.
‘Bad taste, bad humour but there is no other political statement ever.’
The picture, taken on Friday evening, was shared in a private Facebook group before it was taken from the chat without Mr Budgen’s permission, cropped and spread on social media.
A change.org petition was created and more than 1,000 people are calling for the Adelaide Fringe Festival Board of Directors to condemn the behaviour
Mr Budgen, who is originally from New Zealand, said he was ‘born and bred’ in a multicultural community, adding there is ‘no bigotry in me’.
‘[I’m] ‘100 per cent not a bigot. I’m a supporter of open and alternative lifestyles. Very open-minded,’ he said.
‘It comes down to bad taste, yes I wear bad taste. But does that mean someone’s a bigot for what they wear at a dress up party? Absolutely not.’
Mr Budgen has been organising events at Switch for 10 years and each year he tries to ‘up the anti’ to deliver something new to guests.
Mr Budgen says the controversial costume is ‘nothing to do with a political statement and the power of the KKK and the white influence’. ‘This is a dress-up party, it’s a message for people to not take life so seriously,’ he told Daily Mail Australia
He describes Switch as a ‘club night of kink and BDSM where we offer a safe place for people who are curious’.
‘It’s simply about coming to an event and getting dressed up if you want to.’
He said he first got into BDSM about 15 years ago because of its fashion.
‘We do them [the costumes] big, we do them loud,’ he said.
The event description for 50 Shades of Fringe describes Switch SA as the ‘kink and BDSM event of Adelaide’.
‘With no holds barred and often leaving our crowd members triggered and thrown well into the deep end of what some play scenes can consist of, in a very quick and brief look into a very fringe and alternative lifestyle.
‘All the language, art, nudity and content warnings… Mum would not approve!’
Adelaide Fringe said they met with Mr Budgen to discuss the issues raised online.
‘By its nature, the Adelaide Fringe is very liberal and makes every attempt to give priority to artists,’ a spokesman said.
‘While Adelaide Fringe is open access, the Fringe terms and conditions state that it can not accept any event, content or material that is liable to promote or incite misogynistic, racial, ethnic, religious or homophobic hatred, or any content that promotes hatred of any particular community or persons.
‘In reviewing the situation, the Board of the Adelaide Fringe has made a decision to remove this show from the Fringe and ticketing platform.’
were looking into the allegations and would be speaking to the parties associated, The Advertiser reported.
‘As stated in our artists agreement, Adelaide Fringe reserves the right not to accept any event content or material that is liable to promote or incite misogynistic, racial, ethnic, religious or homophobic hatred.’