Banned Together

Share your experiences with SPG anonymously (or not) through this blog. Please redirect questions & comments to my main @BannedTogetherAdmin Still not a hateblog. We stand behind ALL victims of SPG. Follow us on twitter @_BannedTogether

[majorpenalties]

Hello.

Since MR and SN are no longer with SPG since their shitty behavior has come to light- I want to share my story since I’m seeing a lot of people saying “it was just them being friendly, who cares?”

I was a fan of SPG back from like 2012(?)-2015(?) maybe 2016. I remember that SPG was coming to my town in 2013 for a holiday special and I was SO excited to have a chance to possibly meet the band.

I was friends with the host of the event and asked if I could help out which was granted. During the setup for the meet and greet the band had come in to sit down. I was busy walking by to get everything set up but apparently SN and MR had asked me to come over. I just assumed they needed some of the waters I hadn’t put out yet, so I obliged.

The conversation started out casual: just the simple “how are you? What’s your name? Do you live around here? What’s your favorite song? Etc” before the guys eventually asked “how old are you?” Now, I have a baby face. At the age of 17 I probably looked about 13-14 with makeup on. Cheekily, I asked “how old do I look?” Since people usually guessed wrong. I was told that I had to tell them so I did. 17. 5 months away from 18. I was met with a laugh and a “too bad.” Before being shoo’d away to work. I didn’t think much of it because I was a DUMB TEENAGER. Later, I was asked by SN if I would be attending Y*umacon, the local convention. I said yes and he said he would “make sure to visit me there.”

Finally it’s October and Y*umacon has come. I’m 18 now. SN had kept his word and immediately recognized me working. He called me over to their booth where I greeted everyone before starting a conversation with him. I don’t remember much as this was 6 years ago and it was a loud convention dealers room. But I do know this ended with him giving me his phone number and asking to hang out after the show. I agreed.

I attended the show that Friday night and we talked until nearly 5am as I was on patrol duty. He walked with me. At around 4:45am he asked if I wanted to come back to his hotel room, which at the time i said no. He insisted and said “it’s only me staying there. I always get my own room.” I reminded him that I was working until 8am. He tried convincing me to skip out on part of my shift which again, I declined. Before he left, he kissed me and told me not to tell anyone. I, of course, texted all of my friends who were fans. They were supportive- except one who thought it was weird that a grown man would go after such a young girl. But I didn’t want to listen.

The night that followed was the same, but instead my shift ended early. The difference was: had sex that night. This would become a regular occourance at that covention each year until they got banned from the convention for hooking up with convention staff. At least that’s what the rumor was.

In between conventions we would text regularly. Talked about me going out to Cali to stay with him for a week or two. I said I wouldn’t unless I was his official girlfriend or he paid for me to fly out. He chose the latter. But I was in college so it never happened.

Eventually I got a boyfriend and SN and I stopped talking. As an adult in her mid-20s I now know how disgusting this was. How I was not the only person. I’m glad (ugh) that at least they waited until I was of legal age, but was there anyone they didn’t wait for? I can strongly and safely say that as an ADULT at the age of 24 I view anyone under the age of 20 as a child still and I would NEVER look at them in a sexual manner. That’s gross. Because the emotional maturity isn’t there. It isn’t. And it isn’t right what happened to me. I didn’t understand I was being taken advantage of. That’s disgusting.

And I know I’m going to be met with backlash for telling my story. I know some people are going to call me a liar because they don’t want to see their “faves” in a negative light, even if it’s their true colors and not the ones you’re seeing in rose-tinted glasses. I know some people are going to say “why would you come forward now?” Because I was scared and it took me years to process that I was taken advantage of.

I’m sorry to anyone else that this has happened to. And I’m sorry to anyone that really enjoyed the character those two people portrayed to the public and are now finding out who they really are.

I literally came back on this app to post this. That’s how strong I feel about this subject and my story.

I think the band has done a phenomenal job addressing this and moving on without those members. I do sincerely want to thank them and apologize for any trouble.

[mprjanedoe]

Hi there folks. I really did not intend to make this blog a regular update situation. I intended for the information to be out there for those to read and that really be the end of it. But a number of noteworthy things have happened and I feel they are worth talking about.

Please repost this if you see this.

Nothing in this post is legal advice directed to anyone or from anyone. I am not a lawyer. I know lawyers, I have spoken with lawyers, I am reading what lawyers have to say – but this is not legal advice.

I am here expressing my opinion on this situation and how it has been handled.

At no point in talking about this, in any correspondence on this blog, my twitter, or my Instagram, has my intent been malicious. I am not talking about all of this with the intention of saying any of it to harm Michael, or any members of Steam Powered Giraffe. And I would venture to say that Bunny and David, when they’ve spoken about what Michael’s done, also had no intention of harming Michael by speaking about this. It is a pervasive and toxic myth that the vast majority of people who would ever speak out about abuse have something to gain from doing so. I have absolutely nothing to gain from this. Even in my personal life – non-anonymously, I have nothing to gain from this. I am putting myself at risk of retaliation in various forms. I am doing this because I care about the people Michael harmed, myself included – and they all, we all, deserve the respect and dignity of people knowing what happened in our path to healing and recovery from the lasting harm caused by Michael.

I was informed by multiple people, publicly, and privately/anonymously that Michael has threatened legal action against Steam Powered Giraffe LLC and has used the word “libel” to describe what legal action he may choose to take. This is likely the reason Bunny chose to delete her tweets about Michael. I have been asked to remove the public conversation around this. I am not going to do so. The person who publicly mentioned this to me deserves no negative attention for doing so. The access fans and supporters get to SPG when becoming patrons is merely a paywall.

So let’s talk about Michael’s response, and let’s talk about libel. Libel is the legal term for written defamation of character. The legal definition of defamation is as such: “Generally, defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someone’s reputation, and published “with fault,” meaning as a result of negligence or malice. Libel is a written defamation.”

Steam Powered Giraffe has mentioned on public posts on Patreon that Michael has “denied everything”. Steam Powered Giraffe has mentioned on public posts on Patreon, verbatim: “The evidence is far from unfounded. It’s all damning and there is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The evidence is overwhelming.” (sic)

I do not know who all has reached out to Steam Powered Giraffe’s members and what they have all come forward with about what Michael has done. I only know what I have experienced, what I have personally witnessed (in person, and online/over the phone), and what I have been told (and shown, in photos, texts, chatlogs, etc) from other victims. I have no reason to believe Steam Powered Giraffe is hyperbolizing, exaggerating, or making anything up about the situation. I also have made no hyperbole or exaggeration. To my knowledge, there is a significant amount of evidence and a significant number of victims to prove that Michael has caused the harm that has been spoken about. There is no indication that Steam Powered Giraffe has posted anything that is not true about him in this situation. That in and of itself, nullifies the idea that there is libel occurring.

In addition to this – as I said earlier, I have nothing to gain from this. I am at risk of more harm in this. Steam Powered Giraffe as an entity also has nothing to gain from this. From what they’ve said, it appears they have not been working with Michael for a while, and while I imagine some sort of legal residual financial situation for royalties will have to remain in place, what I cannot imagine is that Steam Powered Giraffe is paying Michael so much in royalties that they would lie or seek to tarnish his image just to find a way not to pay him. Steam Powered Giraffe is also at risk for talking about him, and it is a financial risk to put their reputation on the line for being associated with him for a number of years to talk about this.

In my opinion, Michael’s threat is at best, an empty one, and at worst, a foolish one. Legal action of any kind is expensive. From what I’ve read, a libel/defamation lawsuit can cost on average $15,000, over a process of at the least $1,000 a month to pursue. Not to mention Michael is not in the US anymore, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic where legal cases are not as easy to just initiate and process. In addition to this, much of what Michael has done, that I can personally state I know there is proof of, was and is illegal. Statutory rape, possession and distribution of illegal drugs, providing alcohol to minors – all of these things were and are illegal. To initiate a process where Steam Powered Giraffe would be in a position to present the burden of proof of what he’s done, would be a significant risk to “open up a can of worms”, so to speak. It would not be in Michael’s best interest financially or personally to pursue legal action against Steam Powered Giraffe LLC or anyone talking about the things he has done.

It is not uncommon for perpetrators of abuse to threaten legal action in an attempt to silence victims and those who would bring their actions to light. In the case of directly attempting to silence victims, there are laws called Anti SLAPP laws. SLAPP stands for “A strategic lawsuit against public participation is a lawsuit intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition. In the typical SLAPP, the plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. “ These laws and these types of lawsuits typically are talking about domestic violence cases wherein an abusive spouse threatens legal action to try to prevent a victim from seeking help and talking about the abuse they’ve experienced or are experiencing. This does not apply directly here, but it is an indicator that these behaviors from abusive people are not necessarily a rare occurrence.

I have some grievances about how Steam Powered Giraffe – namely David and Bunny, are handling this situation. Is it reasonable for the Bennetts to make sure to cover their brand and their *assets*? Absolutely. But not everything is black and white. I believe that not enough is being done by David and Bunny to appropriately make it known the harm Michael has caused. This is a morality issue, and I know not everyone has the same morals as I do, but I would hope with the things David and Bunny appear to stand for, that they would care more about Michael’s victims than Michael’s threats or the potential at Steam Powered Giraffe being looked at negatively by being associated with Michael. Here’s the thing – Michael’s harm cannot be divorced from his associated with Steam Powered Giraffe, and Steam Powered Giraffe handling this appropriate and respectfully would make people who care about things like this respect and admire SPG more. Currently, it feels as though SPG is more committed to doing the absolute bare minimum and focusing the rest of their attention on protecting themselves from a perceived threat as opposed to caring about the severity of the situation and doing their part to help the victims.

David said, in a tweet on July 3rd: (I have not checked to see if this tweet is still up) “I’d trade everything with Steam Powered. Giraffe if it meant I could go back in time and stop Mike from joining the band in 2009, so he might not hurt anyone”

David said on a tweet on June 30th “I feel sick having hired him for gigs in 2017, knowing this all now” and in another tweet “To know what he was actually doing sickens me”

Bunny has also stated a number of emotional and remorseful things which have mostly since been deleted:

She stated that she “almost couldn’t” love him anymore (in the past) because of “the sheer panic attacks” she got “around him and fans”

She said “I know the band wasn’t harboring an abuser knowingly or anything like that, but it’s hard not to feel like I was. I will be asking myself that for. The rest of my life. I should’ve said something. I should of stood my ground. We had nothing to go off of except an irate fan and a girl who didn’t want to press charges or do anything about it”

Bunny also said – presumably on behalf of SPG as a whole: “We’re talking, we’re listening, and we’re horrified at the accusations against Mike”

She also said “I can’t express my disgust. I can’t express the rage and hurt I have inside of me boiling up” and “I will fucking tear down this band and burn it to the ground if that gets the fucking bile out of my mouth” and “I’m watching this bastion of hope we created be sordid by someone we let in… gave the benefit of doubt to… MULTIPLE TIMES. I don’t know if SPF will ever be the same for me – every guitar lick… every phat beat he wrote. Tainted.”

David said in a tweet “We stand with the victims who have come forward to us privately, publicly, and those that haven’t.”

Bunny said “This is something that will haunt for years. I’m personally energized to spend the remainder of my life contrary to what Mike and people like Mike do. When the world heals and touring begins again, know that if you take advantage of our audience, we will be there with other performers like us to hold you accountable. And our audience. And your audience.”

On July 12th, Bunny said “The best part of this is that Steve and Mike get away scot free. They don’t get their comeuppance. I dunno if “vengeance” is the way to live life, but I know for a fact the next decade is going to be spent finding my own happiness in truth and loyalty.” “Mike has denied it all, even in the fact of damning evidence. We gave him the benefit of doubt too, and we contacted his family. No regrets, no justice in the slightest. And there are still people singing his praises”. She goes on: “Trying to describe my feelings on Steve and Mike’s behavior and how for years I’ve defended them… all the while being lied to is… heartbreaking to say the least. I know things are confusing, but you can’t make this shit up”

On the specifics of Michael’s behavior: “Mike’s stuff is so much worse. I was afraid Mike’s underage grooming habits would be somehow lessened or forgotten in the wake of Steve’s behavior back in the day… which while deplorable, have at least been owned up to.” “Stringing together tweets is the worst way to address all this, but I suppose a video about it or something down the line is called for. Right now I’m far too upset and rattled to reflect on it all. I don’t know how SPG will be salvaged from all this”.

Why am I repeating all of this? I want it to be cleared that David and Bunny expressed remorse, disgust, regret, anger, grief, shame in all of this. I see that. I acknowledge that. And in seeing these statements, I trusted them to handle this in the best way they could manage. But it also needs to be acknowledged that there has been a harmful failure on their part in how they’ve responded beyond these tweets. I am not the expert on how best to handle horrible situations like this, but as both a victim and an ally to other victims and a person who has been a fan of SPG before, I think I know enough to say that not enough has been done, and inaction in and of itself causes harm as well.

I’d also like to address the unfortunate situation that David and Bunny maintain they had no prior knowledge of Michael’s behavior. Here’s the thing: while I 100% believe they did not know all of the details of all of the harm Michael caused, there were definitive patterns and red flags and there needs to be actual accountability around this. Bunny said that the band gave Michael the benefit of doubt multiple times. She also said that Michael was caught and reprimanded for kissing a teenage fan in 2011. If my math is correct, at the time Michael would’ve been 25 and the fan was 17. That’s nearly a decade of difference, despite the fan being almost 18. On top of this, this was a fan and a minor and not only is there a power dynamic at play with age but also setting and influence. Bunny also mentioned Michael had been reprimanded for being “too friendly” around fans as young as 14. As an adult in my 20s, if I had a peer and friend my age who had a pattern of getting friendly with teenagers and minors of any age, that would be a huge red flag. Let ALONE a bandmate, a coworker or sorts – or technically a contractor level employee. I would see anyone like that as a liability I could not take the risk of associating with, and as a likely dangerous man to be around. That was an entire decade ago, and nothing was done beyond a slap of the wrist. On top of this, as someone who was Michael’s friend, I went to multiple Steam Powered Giraffe shows to support him. I also was apart of online fan communities as well. I saw how visible he was with his predatory “friendliness” towards young fans, and I saw fans gossip about his friends and give them a sort of adjacent celebrity status as well. While I was young and being manipulated myself and not in a position to prevent harm – I am saying this to state that I witnessed the public visibility of Michael’s predatory behavior. I take issue with the claim that there were no signs and that no one could’ve prevented this sooner. I’ve seen some fans say that Michael would’ve “always been this way” and found ways to harm other people had he not been in Steam Powered Giraffe. While this could be true, it cannot be denied that being apart of a successful band like Steam Powered Giraffe that gained a cult status online and in the local scene and had a significant YEARS of DAILY exposure in a family setting to minors, cultivating a fandom of a significant amount of younger fans, giving Michael the upper hand of minor celebrity and influence, travel, etc, cannot be divorced from this situation. This is not inherently Bunny or David’s fault. But it is a factor in the breadth of harm Michael was able to do, and it is a factor in knowing there were opportunities for him to have had the resources he gained and used to cause harm pulled from him much sooner than now, when he has already removed himself from the band as it stands.

The past is the past. It cannot be changed. As David and Bunny both lamented that they’d go back and stop things if they could’ve, well yes, to a degree, there were opportunities to prevent further harm, but it’s too late now. Now is the time to make things right, and to prevent the potential for further harm.

Currently – there is absolutely not enough publicly visible and available information on the harm Michael has caused on Steam Powered Giraffe’s social media presence. This is made worse by the fact that consistent promo and every day band stuff creates a wider and wider gap between the leftover posts about Michael’s abuse on Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon. It is now becoming a game of chance whether a fan of Steam Powered Giraffe will know what Michael has done. I have seen numerous posts and tweets from fans asking what happened, saying they are confused and in the dark. It has been less than 3 weeks since Bunny first tweeted about this, and it cannot fade to memory.

It is unfair and grotesque for fans of all ages, including children and parents of children, to unknowingly hold Michael dear in their hearts as an admirable, safe, kindhearted person – without knowing what he has done. It is unfair to not let people decide for themselves whether they still look up to him, whether they still admire him, whether they still support him. Michael’s victims cannot safely have a platform to speak openly about his violence without harming themselves by being exposed to backlash and being triggered by repeated exposure to their traumas out in the open. However, Michael’s victims deserve to have their voices heard, their grievances aired, and deserve to get some slight respite after years of abuse at least knowing that what they suffered is no longer a secret and people are not *unknowingly* offering praise and fame to someone who has done such disgusting and lastingly harmful things.

Bunny expressed that Steve and Michael got off “scot free” and that there was “no justice”. I am not advocating that SPG or myself or any of Michael’s victims be the ones to make any attempt at giving Michael consequences for his actions or enacting justice. However, Bunny and David can do things to make the burden of harm lighter.

Here is what I believe can and should be done, at the least, to do the right thing in this situation:

-SPG needs to make public statement(s) about Michael’s harmful actions on ALL public social media. Not just Patreon and not just the statements that have already been made. These statements should not be deleted.

-Michael’s likeness should be removed from all SPG’s media, within the realm of whatever royalties or residual contractual obligations will allow

-SPG should take a moratorium on normal fandom posts: promotion posts, art prompts, casual band updates on band specific pages. Every promo post, every art prompt, every band announcement will detract further and bury the information if not given the space and respect to allow the information to be seen and processed. The moratorium should at the very least last a week, if not more.

-I and Michael’s victims that I know would appreciate the original statement of harm reposted on Steam Powered Giraffe’s social media.  I remind David and Bunny that doing so does not make them legally liable for MY statement, and some fans who have read this statement have also directly encouraged SPG to repost. David and Bunny’s words cannot properly convey the direct harm caused to Michael’s victims. The victims deserve to be heard directly. Using Steam Powered Giraffe’s platform to make this known, the same platform that helped enable Michael to cause harm, is a respectful course of action.

-I also encourage David and Bunny to reflect on their role in allowing Michael to “get away scot free” in this. I have no specifics of personal accountability to ask of them, but I do encourage them to not focus on guilt or shame that cannot be fixed, but to really process this and do what they can to learn and grow from this and not allow the chance of letting harm occur again.

I know this was an extremely long post, and if you stuck through it all, thank you.

I hope that actions are taken in the right direction, and I hope I will have less commentary to offer on the situation in the future so I can focus on healing.  

[mprjanedoe]

Statement of Harm & Abuse caused by Steam Powered Giraffe’s former bandmember Michael Philip Reed

I am making this post after reading Steam Powered Giraffe’s recent tweets about Michael and also seeing another tweet circling around from a fan/friend of his as well. This statement is being posted publicly to make the Steam Powered Giraffe fandom and community aware of the breadth of Michael’s harmful actions. Steam Powered Giraffe also tweeted encouraging victims to come forward privately with more information, and because of this I have sent this statement directly to SPG so they are aware of this now as well. 

This post is formed by input from victims, occasionally about each other, and occasionally through observations about themselves directly, that occurred over a span of roughly 10 years, informally through text and private messaging, as well as casual conversation at parties and during socializing. His victims should not be subject to more retraumatizing or identification due to fear of retaliation. Along this vein, I also do not wish to identify myself. Frequently his victims of abuse are non-romantic partners.

Michael and I were friends for a number of years. We became friends when I was 18 and he was 26. During the entirety of our friendship I watched him make friends with young women and notably - minors, as well as pursue relationships with them that blurred the lines of platonic and romantic behavior. I watched him emotionally manipulate multiple young women + minors in their teens he had as friends, often causing animosity between the people he was manipulating, which he then used to his gain whenever confronted on his behavior by scoffing it off as jealousy. Part of the emotional manipulation that contributed to this that I witnessed and was also victim to was a deliberate effort on Michael’s part to be secretive about all of the people in his social group who were in the category of young women and minors, despite all parties involved knowing each other in some way because they knew he was “friends” with them. Michael specifically had no problem chatting about mutual friends who were adults and men - however there was a notably distinct difference when talking about young women/minors. He groomed multiple minors that I knew, engaging in physical affection and romantic/sexual emotional manipulation. In some cases he waited until they legally became an adult to make sexual advances. In others, with victims as young as 15 years old, he did pursue and act upon sexual advances. In case it is not abundantly clear - this is sexual assault and in the context of engaging in sex acts with minors is rape.

Even in the case of victims Michael did not form an ongoing intimate relationship with, Michael was consistently friendly around young women and minors (predominantly met through Steam Powered Giraffe and before and after shows) in inappropriate ways, often openly flirting with them upon meeting them and encouraging them to keep in touch. There were many instances he initiated obtaining direct contact info with fans after meeting them, some he was privy to were minors at the time. I have witnessed this in person, Steam Powered Giraffe has received reports of this, and I have been told this directly by fans and friends of friends who have met him in passing. He regularly held chat rooms with young women and minors and in those chatrooms often made innuendoes and flirty jokes. 

In addition to Michael being manipulative to many young, impressionable people, he was also an irresponsible friend - which in the context of having a social circle filled with young women and minors, was negligent and dangerous. He actively participated in peer pressuring and coaxing his young “friends” into illegal recreational drugs - predominantly psychedelics and alcohol and encouraged friends his age who did those drugs to peer pressure his young companions into these behaviors as well. He not only peer pressured and coaxed his victims into using illegal recreational drugs, but also personally offered them as he had them in his possession. He also would solicit his “friends” to hang out with him at night and drink (most if not all of whom were under 21, so he had to supply the alcohol) and then disappear or offer to let people crash at his place and then rescind his offer last minute. This put his young victims in danger and at risk, especially when under the influence of alcohol. On a number of occasions where I wasn’t directly affected by this, I was one of the people with a car who would pick up our mutual friends left hanging.

As evidenced by another tweet circulating, Michael has also said a number of racist things. He has wallowed in his white guilt openly and unproductively with multiple people of color, seeking comfort and to unburden his conscience. He has frequently made his white guilt a focus and expected emotional labor from POC, and has said some very offensive and distasteful things, like repeatedly saying he wished he was a black man, and that part of that desire was because he felt his music should be sung with a black man’s voice. His wishing to be black is grotesque for a number of reasons: - because he wanted to be absolved of his white guilt without taking any personal action to dismantle white supremacy, and also fetishizing black people as there is no monolithic black voice, black people are all individual and unique and to fixate on an idea of something they may have that he wanted is racist and inappropriate to say the least. He also made comments in front of friends and at parties to a POC he was romantically involved with repeatedly saying this person was white passing enough for him, as he wasn’t normally attracted to women of color. He also boasted to multiple friends that much of his friend group were people of color.

All in all, after years of knowing Michael, seeing his behaviors towards myself and towards others, these very clear statements need to be made. 

1. Michael is a pedophile who has a long history of actively and physically preying on minors and young women. Michael has preyed upon minors and young women, and has coerced minors (under the age of 17) into sexual activity - which is sexual assault and rape. He has calculatedly manipulated young women 5-10 years his junior to be his “friend”, often treating them and implying they were in a relationship, and lying to other people involved, creating an extremely toxic social circle of gaslighted young people being manipulated and abused. He cyclically pulled from this group of individuals one at a time and withheld attention from the others to maintain control and silence of the entire group. This is sexual abuse, in any context. He has used his fame and social capital and his brand of charming and kind dude to make excuses for his behavior and seem like he would never be the type to commit it. When called out on this- he directly lies. Lying about his behavior even when presented with evidence is frequent. 

2. Michael is racist. He has made multiple racist comments to people of color who were close to him over a number of years, he has sought out emotional support for his white guilt without addressing how he should personally fight against racism and white supremacy. He has fetishized people of color and fixated on them. 

Those who have gotten close enough to Michael know that despite his kindhearted exterior, he can be shockingly cold and lash out in very cruel ways unexpectedly. He has done this to every single one of his victims that I’ve known, including myself, and his victims are anticipating the potential that he will retaliate in response to being called out for his actions. Private and informal testimonies from sexual partners and friends of a variety of ages, forms of relationship, and gender indicate severe emotional abuse. 

I would like to acknowledge my role in accountability in this situation for those who may be wondering why I am privy to all of this information but have not spoken out sooner - 18 is not a monolithic age of wizened adulthood - and being that I met Michael when he was nearly 10 years my senior and he pursued friendship with me, I was also taken advantage of for my age and naivety. I was a consistent victim of his emotional manipulation, and felt vaguely uncomfortable for the entirety of knowing and interacting with him, but also personally looked up to him and was charmed by the kindhearted well intentioned image he cultivated both publicly and privately. Upon reading Bunny’s tweets on the matter and reflecting on all that I have been aware of has occurred, it became abundantly clear that it was crucial to make this statement. 

To all who have considered themselves friends and colleagues of Michael’s who are in his age group - do not mislead yourselves that there were no signs of Michael’s behavior. This should’ve been dealt with much swifter than nearly a decade down the line when great irrevocable harm has been dealt to Michael’s victims, and there were many publicly visible signs that Michael was way too close with young people - predominantly young women and minors, even if the deeper grotesque details remained in secrecy. The same things that enticed Michael’s young victims to believe being close to him was safe and exciting, are much of the same signs that should’ve been clear to his peers were deeply inappropriate. Based on Bunny’s tweets regarding Michael getting “too friendly” with young fans, and being caught kissing a minor after a show years ago, it is abundantly clear there was a pattern of harmful predatory behavior that was appropriately investigated enough to stop sooner. I ask that all those who have associated with Michael who were peers of him as adults to reflect on this and take open accountability for their role in enabling his behavior either actively or passively in turning a blind eye and/or not investigating his behavior/personally challenging it.

We are asking that this statement is posted on all of SPG’s public channels for visibility - and that fans spread this information and that Steam Powered Giraffe does everything they can to deplatform and demonetize Michael. We are also asking that there is space for this information to spread and breathe and that things do not immediately or quickly return back to status quo within the Steam Powered Giraffe fandom. People have been seriously impacted by this and the trajectory of the lives of many youths has been altered permanently. Considering Steam Powered Giraffe’s success and fame was integral to giving Michael influence over his victims and the opportunity to meet them in the first place, it is only appropriate that there is a significant period of pause - in respect of the victims, and for those finding out about Michael’s actions to process this information.

[bannedtogether]

🌟I don't care being anon anymore

Steve kissing me happened in *2013*

IBB AND DMB WHERE RIGHT THERE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I made a very loud, audible sound when Steve kissed me so they knew what the fuck had happened. MR and MS were also right there, as seen in the picture which was taken RIGHT AFTER HE KISSED ME ON THE LIPS WITHOUT CONSENT.

https://official-lyzzystardust.tumblr.com/post/48100384114/myathesquishyoctopus-here-we-are-with-walter

KHOS

myathesquishyoctopus: “ Here we are with Walter Girl Paige and the humans! The last photo was taken moments before Steve kissed Lyz on the m

Second picture is at WRX right after he comment on my corset after liking all my posts for months and leaning on me while MR and MS are obviously not trying to touch anyone.

--------‐

Thank you for coming forward with more information, and off anon as well. It is absolutely disgusting that the twins have been covering for him for that long, probably longer, and they're acting as if they're only just now finding out and lying about it to their fans. This needs to be known, and we deeply appreciate your courage.

-X

[bannedtogether]

🌟In light of Steve's recent apology I do not accept it. Hi, I posted on PPG awhile ago and was tentative in how I spoke out about how Steve treated me but it's time to come out. Steve kissed me without my permission when I was barely 18. He didn't know me, he didn't know my age, but at a meet and greet he complimented my cosplay, asked for a kiss on the cheek and then switched to a full on mouth kiss. At the time I was 18 and super excited about it but now I'm 25 and I realize that was super

🌟not okay. I posted the whole story while fangirling I. Tumblr and he found it and messaged me asking how old I was because he "didn't want to get in trouble". He continued to talk to me over tumblr, comment on, and like all my corset posts since I was getting into waist training at the time. When I said I would be at Walter Robotics Expo, he started to private message me, telling me that he couldn't wait to see me there in my corset. At the time I didn't know he was seeing someone. 🌟I was 19 at the time of wrx and was unaware he had a steady girlfriend until during the convention. The only time he gave me any notice was when I went to get a photo op with him and MR and MS and he had me stand by him and he whispered, "I like your corset" and then leaned on me in the picture. I thought his girlfriend was super nice and I thought him still talking to me during was unfair to her. He prayed on me (who looks young for my age) not knowing how old I was, continued talking to me 🌟and continued to talk to me through having a relationship. I am so sad to now know that he pulled the same shit on young fans and fans that were younger than me. So no, I don't forgive him because he got caught and NOW he's sorry. I am so proud of his ex for breaking up with him and calling out his shit right after he burned me. Thanks for resigning but fuck everything you've done to this community. He's the reason I could never go to shows after WRX. 🌟so yeah that's the end to my SN rant. He prayed on young and impressionable fans and he's only sorry he got caught.

Thank you for sharing your story, anon. We agree that he’s only sorry that he got caught. What they’ve all posted about it is not nearly enough. All of his victims, and all of the people that the band and their fans have harassed and slandered for speaking out over the years, deserve FAR more than a screenshot of a wishy-washy apology that leaves out the worst of what he’s done.

Non-consensual romantic and sexual interactions with fans, all very young, many even under age, for HOW long? Sorry doesn’t cut it. The way IBB and DMB have dealt with has been pathetic and unprofessional. They have no excuse. They’ve known about what SN been doing since 2016 at the latest.

We are so sorry that you had to deal with his disgusting behavior. You deserve better. Everyone who’s ever had the misfortune of being preyed upon by him does. Everyone who was hurt standing up to him does. We don’t accept his apology, either.

-X

(update)

[bannedtogether]

For anyone else blocked by DMB. (source)

[fuck-spg]

spg (S*eam p*wered g*raffe) came into my life when I needed it most. I was going through a depressive sprial last February (I had a three day breakdown at one point) and genuinely I just was not doing good.

Then a friend sent me Honeybee.

(she's actually my girlfriend now, but that's not very important to this story)

Suddenly, I was happy again, and the more I interacted with the fandom, the happier I felt. Them I learned about s*tve. That he had persued fans that were minors.

I was hurt. I wanted to leave. But people told me that it was in the past (I had also heard similar about M**hael, but not that anyone was underaged), and I hesitantly continued on, bc I liked how happy they made me. To go back to feeling violently depressed without my shiny new hyperfixation made me afraid.

But while being in the fandom, I came across some information that I should have shared, and did not. I'm sorry for not doing so, but it was asked of me. I will no longer be protecting this shit show of a band.

The truth is, b*nny b*nnett is a toxic, abusive, manipulative person. She emotionally abused someone I consider a friend. They have asked not to be named or be attached to anything involving her, and I am respecting their wishes, but I refuse to be silent on how shitty she is anymore. b*nny seems like a nice, good person, but she is a liar. She is a narcissist, and does not deserve a platform.

Unfortunately, they are not the only person who has been hurt by a member of this group. I have multiple friends who have been hurt by spg/the people around them, and I am disgusted by the behavior of these individuals.

I understand if you don't want to believe me. I've provided no proof, and I'm accusing a band known for anti drama of serious things. But I was genuinely a huge fan. I flew all the way to California to see them last Yulemas. They were my happy place for several months. I would not have turned against them if I didn't have any reason to. I am sorry to anyone I exposed to this group, and anyone who was hurt by her but forced into silence. I am sorry to anyone who will be hurt by this post, but I can promise that it is all true.

I will say that afaik E*in, the p*nyaks, and B*yan have been nothing but nice and good people, and that although S*m and D*vid have been problematic in the past they seem to have cleaned up their act as they've matured.

[bannedtogether]

(source)

Isabella Bunny Bennett #BlackLivesMatter (@Bunny_Bennett)

last few days I spent in self care, finally able to have time to process everything that went down. And then a thread I pulled back when this all started unraveled. And there were the messages, about Steve. Doing scuzzy behavior.

I don't see anything illegal. But what I see is a blatant disrespect for everything the band stands for, and what I can only call "the reckless rockstar." And in our line of work, I've met plenty of dudes who fit this bill and everybody turns a blind eye.

I want these dudes to own up to their bullshit. I know plenty of people who would defend their behavior. It ain't illegal, but your fans aren't toys. It has NEVER had a place in our band. I will not be working with Steve again. I'm done.

[bannedtogether]

idk if u know but by the sounds of some of ibb's latest tweets, sn is fired/let go? at least i hope he is. :x

We’ve heard, and can confirm that SN is no longer a member of the band. They will not be working with him again in the future.

-X

[bannedtogether]

I signed up to Tumblr just to share this story about an interaction I saw with Bunny towards one of my friends. I really hate having to think this, much less write about it.

Bunny was an idol, someone who was almost a role model, as I am also trans and at the time also polyamorous. I also had the biggest crush on her and would feel like a lovesick school boy when around her.

At an event she came up to me and two of my friends (both friends being trans women) and talked with us for a while. She seemed particularly keen on one friend and was extremely flirtatious with her, despite my friend looking and feeling uncomfortable. After the event we commented on how Bunny really seemed into her which my friend didn’t know how to feel about that.

It was something that wasn’t something I thought about at the time, but with more awareness seems pretty fucked up.

Thank you for your time and your submission, and I’m so sorry that IBB made your friend uncomfortable with her unwelcome advances. Do you remember how old your friend was at the time, and what year this happened? We have heard similar stories from others regarding IBB and her brother having inappropriate interactions (often with much younger) fans in the past, and I’m curious as to where this fits in the timeline.

[puppy-bandit091]

My friend was in her late 20s, so not particularly young in terms of fans but she has always felt awkward with flirtatious behaviour, even from her own girlfriend! She just isn’t that kind of person. This was back in 2018, where we attended an event in Lincoln, England (Asylum Steampunk Festival). We didn’t personally encounter any issues with DMB so wouldn’t want to speculate on anything for that specific event.

[bannedtogether]

2018! That's a lot more recent than I expected it to be. I am so glad you (presumably) didn’t have any other trouble with the band beyond that. 

In my opinion it seems unprofessional to flirt with fans while on the job, especially with people who are visibly uncomfortable with it, but I’ve never known them to be professional. Seems a bit hypocritical of them as well, all things considered. Thanks again for your time and your story, -X

[bannedtogether]

I signed up to Tumblr just to share this story about an interaction I saw with Bunny towards one of my friends. I really hate having to think this, much less write about it.

Bunny was an idol, someone who was almost a role model, as I am also trans and at the time also polyamorous. I also had the biggest crush on her and would feel like a lovesick school boy when around her.

At an event she came up to me and two of my friends (both friends being trans women) and talked with us for a while. She seemed particularly keen on one friend and was extremely flirtatious with her, despite my friend looking and feeling uncomfortable. After the event we commented on how Bunny really seemed into her which my friend didn’t know how to feel about that.

It was something that wasn’t something I thought about at the time, but with more awareness seems pretty fucked up.

Thank you for your time and your submission, and I’m so sorry that IBB made your friend uncomfortable with her unwelcome advances. Do you remember how old your friend was at the time, and what year this happened? We have heard similar stories from others regarding IBB and her brother having inappropriate interactions (often with much younger) fans in the past, and I’m curious as to where this fits in the timeline.

[bannedtogether]

If there’s a video of Steve doing anything bad can I see it?

Please refer to this post from Oct 1st, 2017.

[bannedtogether]

The only thing I did was follow him. What prompted a block? Did he see my pinned thread about SN? If so, I’ve gotta be honest... this doesn’t particularly make them look very good.

-X

edit: 7/7/2020 - So much for their “We stand behind all of you!” and “Believe victims!” tweets. Guess they just meant victims of MR, and nobody else.

[bannedtogether]

Update. Unfortunately, it seems that IBB has either chosen to ignore the messages she received about anyone other that MR, or to not publicly address them at this time.

I still believe that now, while this discussion is still relevant, is the best time to message the band regarding SN and/or the twins’ own abusive behavior. They say they’re offering love and support, and we should take them up on that. 

They need to understand that they’ve hurt people, and that they need to be better. That all the people who have concerns about them aren’t just the “haters” they so quickly misinterpret those who critique them as.

Can you imagine, their victims getting an apology? Getting closure? I don’t know if that’s even possible, but it’s always worth a try.

-X

[bannedtogether]

Speaking for those who can't speak for themselves. Not here for hate.

It’s official - we have twitter! In response to SPG’s latest tweets, we thought we should join the conversation. This is our brand new and very official account. Accept no substitutes!

[bannedtogether]

To anyone who is still faithfully following this blog, waiting every day for an update on the band of your nightmares: 

Hello. I’ve been keeping my distance from everything S/P/G for a while now. However, something from today that I have posted above, has caught my eye, and you may have seen it too. I think it needs to be acknowledged as soon as possible.

She says it was a shock, despite revealing in a conversation in 2016 that she knew MR was a danger to minors in a conversation where she defended SN... against minors coming forward with their stories about his predatory behavior... and she hired MR back anyway. 

She accuses victims who have come forward about SN of lying and, what, stereotyping? Racism? Shaming people who were literal teenagers at the time for the hurt they experienced and have to live with?

What about all she’s guilty of? It’s no secret that she picks favorite fans to be friends with and then throws them away once she gets bored of them, or they are no longer of relevance to her. Her brother wasn’t much better, using fans for sex and song inspiration.

This is a crack in their shield. If anyone who still follows this blog wants to confront her, now is the time. She's offering, and we should take her up on it.

As many of us as possible.

-X

[bannedtogether]

June 6th 2019

Sometimes it feels like, as a ND person whose special interest/hyper-fixation was S/P/G, I will never recover.

I can’t quite describe the experience of the thing you love most - a love so deep and all-consuming it’s practically all you care about - turning against you. 

I have been struggling for years and I have come to realize that if I continue to run this blog, it might end up killing me. (I know that’s what some people want, so for those that do, please hold your applause.)

I hope those of you who are still here can forgive me for letting you down - there are only two people left with access to this blog, and I’m the only one who still checks it. This is your notice that Banned Together is officially dead, until further notice. (There may not be a further notice.)

One day, I’m sure the band will slip up again and will have to actually take responsibility for their actions. Or they won’t, and we won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt ever again. 

Either way, thank you all so much for sticking around all these years. 

Never forget how strong you all are. 🖤 They haven’t won yet. We’re still alive.

- x (@bannedtogetheradmin)