Riot Grrrls

In 1991, adolescent girl and young women fans of punk music began a revolution. In response to the sexism they encountered within the punk music scene and in their everyday lives, they called themselves riot grrrls and formed a creative subculture rooted in feminist activism. Coming of age in an American culture shaped by the conservative policies implemented in the decade prior, riot grrrls challenged the idea that they were living in a postfeminist society in which girls and women no longer experienced structural sexism. The women of punk bands, including Bratmobile and Bikini Kill, led the riot grrrl movement, and Kathleen Hanna, the frontwoman of the latter, is often considered its figurehead. These female band members and fans were the riot grrrls who demanded ...