The resurgence of feminism in the 1970s is not incidentally parallel in time to the punk movement in America. First-wave feminism had challenged the legal sexism of America, but during the 1970s, women began rejecting the social constructions of females in America. Many women turned to punk as an environment that welcomed alternative expressions of femininity.
Greg Graffin from Bad Religion defines punk as “ a movement that serves to refute social attitudes that have been perpetuated through willful ignorance of human nature.” Punk gave women a space where everyone was experimenting with a “personal expression of uniqueness that comes from the experiences of growing up in touch with our human ability to reason and ask questions.” In punk, women were amongst a greater whole that was rejecting the societal norms of the time.
However, punk was not as progressive as a subculture as it aimed to be. Punk was male-dominated and women felt it reflected the mainstream phenomena that they were trying to escape. Early punk applauded masculinity, and thus women had to prove themselves and demonstrate their toughness in a way men did not. Girls had to reject their feminine qualities and adopt masculine ones in order to fit in and receive respect all the while still retaining their sexuality. Over the next 15 years, punk changed for women. And in the 1990s, punk became exactly what they had been waiting for.
Unfortunately, aggressive behavior like slam dancing and rioting were typical at punk shows. But the response that came from women’s frustration lead to a very important moment that took place on the Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear joint in 1993. It was called the “Girls In Front Policy.” It empowered women and gave them an opportunity to be primary subjects of engagement that this form of empowerment evolved into, and became more overt activism as they turned gigs into rallies. In which, women could talk about concerns and voice their frustration. This created a strong community within a culture in which women empowered each other.
Those who participated in this subcultural activism commonly identified as Riot Grrrls. Bands like Bikini Kill and other bands who were involved in Riot Grrrl or other means of empowering girls used their shows as places to engage about issues women face. These shows “undermined other music performance conventions. Riot grrrl opened up the gig environment as a place for debate, not just an area of passive viewing.”
In some cases, the microphone would be passed around and women had the opportunity to express their frustrations. Punk gave women not only an alternative to typical femininity, but also gave women a place to have a voice, be it on stage as musicians, or as fans. Punk is by no means the beginning of women in the music industry. But punk was different, punk was raw. Punk showcased women’s anger and aggression. It created an environment in which girls could actively reject, discuss, and demonstrate girl’s dissatisfaction with their role in society.
Despite the mainstream hegemony within the punk subculture, as punk was a counterculture, women found space within it that didn’t exist in mainstream culture to empower themselves. This was the importance of punk for women. Though punk was still affected by conventional trends, as it was a rejection of modern society, it was able to revolutionize without being revolutionary within its own culture, thus making it the ideal cesspool for feminist activism.
