On Tuesday, The National Union of Students (NUS) Women's Campaign announced that it would be banning clapping at their feminism conference in Solihull, England, in favor of using "jazz hands" instead.
Some delegates are requesting that we move to jazz hands rather than clapping, as it's triggering anxiety. Please be mindful! #nuswomen15March 24, 2015
The initial request came from the Oxford University Student Union's Women's Campaign, in order to avoid provoking stress in some of the attending members.
@nuswomcam please can we ask people to stop clapping but do feminist jazz hands? it's triggering some peoples' anxiety. thank you!March 24, 2015
Whooping at the conference was discouraged for similar reasons.
Whooping is fun for some, but can be super inaccessible for others, so please try not to whoop! Jazz hands work just as well #nuswomen15March 24, 2015
The initial reaction to the motion on social media was predominantly of a...how shall we say...mocking nature.
What about attendees with no hands, @nuswomcam?? #JazzHands are inaccessible to those people. This seems very problematic and exclusionary.March 24, 2015
Some delegates are requesting that we move to jazz hands rather than clapping, as it's triggering anxiety. Please be mindful! #nuswomen15March 24, 2015
Right, I try to create a safe space at my lectures. No clapping--only jazz hands.And no hissing--that marginalizes people with lisps. @NeroMarch 24, 2015
And some believed the regulation undermined the idea of feminism altogether.
Nothing says empowered like a fear of applause. Way to go, ladies! #nuswomen15March 24, 2015
"Jazz hands are used throughout NUS in place of clapping as a way to show appreciation of someone's point without interrupting or causing disturbance, as it can create anxiety," Nona Buckley-Irvine, the general secretary of the London School of Economics Students' Union, told the BBC. "I'm relatively new to this and it did feel odd at first, but once you've used jazz hands a couple of times it becomes a genuinely nice way to show solidarity with a point and it does add to creating a more inclusive atmosphere."
Just...leavin' this here.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
You should also check out:
The New Hollywood It Bag Looks Like a Capri Sun and Costs $1,600
5 Beauty Hacks You've Definitely Never Heard of Before
10 Very Serious, Very Important* Ways to Spend Your Tax Return
My writing has regularly appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, Salon, VICE, Guernica, The New York Observer, BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Esquire, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and many more publications.
I was previously the Senior News Editor at Best Life Online and the Viral Content Editor in the Newsroom of Hearst Digital Media. My portfolio consists of a vast and diverse body of work that includes personal essays, lifestyle articles, breaking news posts, and viral content. My areas of expertise, however, are Russia, sex and relationships, and mental wellness.
-
Sydney Sweeney Admits She Only Needs About Two Hours of Sleep Per Night—and Has Never Tried Coffee
Okay, but how?
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Zendaya Serves Two Tennis Looks to Promote 'Challengers'
She's dressing the part.
By Julia Gray Published
-
One of Princess Kate’s Secret Weapons During This Difficult Time? Her Sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews
The two sisters have a “tremendously strong bond.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy Last updated
-
'Firefly Lane' Season 2: Everything We Know
In the immortal words of Tully Hart, "Firefly Lane girls forever!"
By Andrea Park Published
-
31 Different Pride Flags and What Each Stands For
Inclusivity matters.
By Katherine J. Igoe Published
-
'Bridgerton' Season 2: Everything We Know
The viscount and his new love interest hit Netflix at the end of March.
By Andrea Park Published
-
'Bachelor In Paradise' 2021: Everything We Know
It's back, baby!
By Andrea Park Published
-
'Spencer,' the Princess Diana Movie: Everything We Know
"Every fairy tale ends."
By Andrea Park Published
-
Who is Abigail Heringer From 'The Bachelor' and 'Bachelor in Paradise'?
The 25-year-old, who first appeared on Matt James' season, is a financial analyst with an inspiring backstory.
By Andrea Park Published
-
What Does "ROC" Mean at the Tokyo Olympics?
It's a temporary workaround in the aftermath of Russia's massive doping scandal.
By Katherine J. Igoe Published