Riot Grrrl - Feminism of Riot Grrrl

Feminism of Riot Grrrl

“BECAUSE we girls want to create mediums that speak to US. We are tired of boy band after boy band, boy zine after boy zine, boy punk after boy punk after boy… BECAUSE we need to talk to each other. Communication/inclusion is the key. We will never know if we don’t break the code of silence… BECAUSE in every form of media we see us/myself slapped, decapitated, laughed at, objectified, raped, trivialized, pushed, ignored, stereotyped, kicked, scorned, molested, silenced, invalidated, knifed, shot, choked and killed. BECAUSE a safe space needs to be created for girls where we can open our eyes and reach out to each other without being threatened by this sexist society and our day to day bullshit”

Riot grrrl culture is often associated with third wave feminism, which also grew rapidly during the same early nineties timeframe. The riot grrrl movement allowed women their own space to create music and make political statements about the issues they were facing in the punk rock community as well as in society. They used their music and publications to express their views on issues such as rape, domestic abuse, sexuality, and female empowerment.

Like other third wave feminists, riot grrls attempted to foster an acceptance of the diversity of feminist expression. Riot grrrl arose after the queercore movement, although the distinction between the two movements is at times blurred, given bands such as Team Dresch and Fifth Column who embraced both genres. For the riot grrrl movement, a large part of their relation to feminism can be seen through their use of lyrics, zines and publications, and taking back the meaning of derogatory terms. All three of these forms serve as a source of empowerment for the women.