Nineties

1991: The Riot Grrrl Manifesto

PUBLISHED: 9 MAY 2022

READ TIME: 5 MINS

Black and white image of one of the first live shows by Bikini Kill.

One of the first live shows by Bikini Kill.

“We are angry at a society that tells us Girl = Dumb, Girl = Bad, Girl = Weak,” read the riot grrrl manifesto published in the second Bikini Kill zine in 1991. This searing proclamation served as a call to arms to all women who felt maligned by society, empowering them to stand up against patriarchal norms and create new avenues of progress.

That’s precisely what the riot grrrl movement did. Rising up in Olympia, Washington in the early ‘90s, it was a reaction to the sexism rife in the male-dominated punk and grunge scenes – with bands like Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, and Babes In Toyland fighting back by starting a “girl riot”. They filled zines with ideas to inspire, encourage and motivate and made loud, in-your-face guitar music that gave voice to issues like body politics and abuse. Their songs often rhapsodised about other women, as well – and anthems like Bikini Kill’s ‘Rebel Girl’ remain among the most iconic of the era.

The women of riot grrrl made their own rules

Babes in Toyland at Bedford Esquires. Riot grrrl band Huggy Bear performing at Conway Hall.

Babes in Toyland at Bedford Esquires. Riot grrrl band Huggy Bear performing at Conway Hall.

The women of riot grrrl made their own rules with their output, and the movement became an outlet through which oppression and societal expectations of how women should behave could be challenged. The bands paved the way for female musicians to be accepted in traditionally masculine genres like rock and punk, gifting us an entirely new movement of women’s guitar music in the process.

The scene as it was once known might no longer exist, but riot grrrl’s spirit has continued to shape society. Its feminist ideas laid the groundwork for pop groups like The Spice Girls, who took the world by storm in the mid-’90s with their “girl power” attitude. Its mission to create safe spaces for women at shows through the “girls to the front” slogan, meanwhile, can still be seen in spaces like Glastonbury’s Sisterhood area – accessible only to women.

Bikini Kill’s ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’ was released as a split LP with fellow riot grrrl band Huggy Bear in 1993.

Bikini Kill’s ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’ was released as a split LP with fellow riot grrrl band Huggy Bear in 1993.

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