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The image of the Punk artist is classic: spiked Mohawks, dark, ripped clothes, piercings, and of course, safety pins attached to all kinds of everyday objects. Although this image has been around since the late 1970s, there was one group amongst these artists that had to fight to be accepted into this popular rebellion: women.Ridiculed due to gender, they fought to shatter images of sex appeal and used Punk to ignite a revolution that added another layer to the feminist movement.

According to an article on www.emusic.com, the Punk movement allowed women the chance to express themselves and go beyond the feminine persona that was expected from women during the beginning of the movement.

Although the Punk movement allowed women to break many of the gender barriers that had already been established in society, women in Punk endured much ridicule before they proved their talent. In the beginning of the movement, the shows they played, the clothes they wore, portrayed them as sex symbols rather than artists.

Michelle Lee, in an article titled “Oh Bondage up Yours! The Early Punk Movement- and the Women Who Made it Rock,” wrote about the feministic elements to the Punk movement. “Their anger, in itself, was an expression of feminism, as this aggression ran counter to how girls were taught to act. Female musicians showing their rage or biting sarcasm publicly helped to subvert gender roles in both the Punk scene and the mainstream,” Lee said.

From this cataclysmic movement, powerful groups were born that continue to influence today, one of which included Riot Grrrls. When looking at www.riotgrrrlink.com, the first thing one sees is Revolution + Evolution = rEvolution. According to their website, “Riot Grrrl, or RGI, supports art that talks back.” Groups like these hope to enhance people’s awareness and sensitivity to art, while “[practicing] fiscal responsibility and consciously making decisions everyday to incite a wave of action in their community.”

Led by women, Riot Grrrls is also a vivid expression of the feministic perspective that has been alive for years, continually gaining strength as movements like Punk come and go. Some of the bands that are apart of Riot Grrrls include, Bikini Kill, Excuse 17, Free Kitten, Huggy Bear, and Heavens To Betsy.

“[Punk] was certainly a foreshadowing of one of the best examples of third wave feminism: the Riot Grrrl movement a decade later, when women once again took a stand against male-dominated music movement to carve out their own spaces,” wrote Lee.

Believing that there is a correlation between the feminist and Punk movements, PCC student Liz Roacho said, “anything that’s male dominated, they tend to shut women out.”

While there are many out there that believe the Punk movement added yet another layer to the feminist plight, some believe otherwise. “Punk isn’t about discrimination, it’s about what you believe,” said Derek Chavez, PCC student, referring to his belief that the Punk movement emerged with everyone as equals.

Although there are varying opinions when it comes to whether or not the Punk movement had feminist ideals, one thing is clear: it was a movement that aimed to inspire change through art, a movement that still influences people today.

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