Loud, Proud, and Female: How Punk Bands Inspired My Courage
Girls hating on girls was not an issue in my music scene.
Punk has been part of my life since the tender age of 13.
Growing up in this scene came with some struggles: Attempting to alter my dress sense, Mom sneakily threw away my favorite, artfully ripped clothes. Kids at school frowned upon my green steel-capped Dr. Martens boots. And until today, I wouldn’t say I like popular music or discos much—which can be lonely if your closest social circle has different tastes in tunes.
However, punk gave me something I am super grateful for: Women who are allies!
I did not have to deal with female pop stars who dragged each other down, sang lyrics soaked in internalized misogyny, or blatantly shamed people for enjoying pink power artists like Taylor Swift. In alternative punk, there were not many women; it’s a male-dominated music domain. But the few women on stage we had were strong idols I could look up to.
Back then: Rare female punk power on stage
In the predominantly male punk crowd of my youth, I was lucky to have a bunch of awesome female friends. We were there for each other without allures, hostility, or pick-me-girl vibes. My bestie and I were known…
