This is part of our coverage of South by South West (SXSW) 2023.
South By Southwest (SXSW) has been described by the scandal-ridden consulting firm McKinsey as a “contradiction” for remaining forward-looking and innovative into its third decade. As a first-time attendee of the massive annual conference, I can’t speak much to how SXSW 2023 compares to the past or whether it’s truly maintained its youthful spirit in spite of its age. But even to my fresh eyes, contradictions presented themselves time and time again during my five-day stint in and around the Austin Convention Center.
Aside from the gap between the high ticket price and the low pay for participating musicians, the most notable incongruity of all was a glaring political contradiction that cast a pall over the festival: Less than a mile away from an event where diversity and inclusion are celebrated, Republican lawmakers at the Capitol discussed a terrifying slate of bills targeting LGBTQ+ people. And some of them are likely to become law.
