Following a performance at the Wilbur by feminist rocker Kathleen Hanna on Thursday, Mayor Marty Walsh will proclaim April 9th “Riot Grrrl Day”—in what is possibly his most badass move thus far as Mayor. She’ll be introduced by Chief of Policy for the City of Boston, Joyce Linehan.
Oft associated with third-wave feminism (i.e., the most recent strain that taught us, “Hey, POC and queer women deserve representation too!”), the Riot Grrrl movement—largely credited to Kathleen Hanna and her band Bikini Kill—rose up in the 1990s as a kick in the face to misogynist culture, especially in the indie music scene. The band set proved that women are just as capable and worthy of expressing themselves in a genre overruled by men, and that girls can pick up instruments, tear up a stage, and kick ass while looking good, too. “Riot grrrl” is more than an idea for many: It’s a music genre, a subculture, and a way of life. It’s a loud “fuck you” to the idea that only men can rock, powered by a school-of-punk DIY ethic supporting the creation of art, activism, and the power of women.
Check out the proclamation for yourself below, and celebrate the inspiring cultural significance of Riot Grrrl culture this Thursday as Kathleen Hanna helps present the proclamation following her performance.
