As I write these words, the US Supreme Court today overturned Roe v. Wade, and has now, for the first time in our nation’s entire history, taken away rights instead of expanding rights for Americans. The writing has been on the wall for some time, given the current make-up of the court, and how radical jurists aligned with the anti-abortion movement have been (despite what they publicly stated in their confirmation hearings), and also given the leak in May of what turned out to be essentially the final draft of this opinion. That backdrop, combined with increasing anti-LGBTQ+, particularly anti-Trans, legislation, discrimination and outright violence in the US and around the world, certainly affected my choice to focus on Queer punk for this year’s Pride show on Moods In Free Time.
Whether you like it or not, Punk rock is music that you viscerally feel and that intensity of feeling is something that you cannot ignore. As I mention in the show, there aren’t a lot of genres that fully encompass all of the emotions I feel in this moment, anger, shock, horror and even more that I can’t fully articulate. With only an hour, there’s only so much that I could highlight and so I made the choice to highlight LGBTQ+ artists from different periods of time in each set, from the 1970s to the present time. The songs themselves run the gamut of the diversity of styles that fall under “punk rock” as a genre, and also speak to a variety of moods and feelings, some exhibit a righteous anger, others lambast and lampoon homophobia, some strike a defiant & prideful tone, others are more tender in how they express what life is like for Queer folk in this country and internationally.
Whether you see yourself as being Queer, or are an ally, these issues do not just affect a single group. They affect us all. That much is clear today…in Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurrent opinion he notes that the logic that overturned Roe, should now be applied to new cases that will strike down other rights, such as those around contraception, the legality of same-sex sexual relationships and same-sex marriage, but it also threatens things that Thomas left unmentioned, such as interracial marriage in the Loving case, or even the end of segregation that came via the Brown decision. All that is now required is for a state to choose to challenge those and other rights, and pass laws against them, and this court has signaled that it will overturn them as it has Roe. In thinking of this present moment, I am reminded of the poem, “First they came…” inspired by Nazi apologists in 1930s Germany, who sat back and said nothing as they rose to power, until it was too late.
“First they came for the Communists,
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Socialists,
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out,
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me,
And there was no one left,
To speak out for me…”
Looking at the potential future of this country, thinking about which rights are next on the chopping block, I wonder how we will look back on this day and this moment in another 10, 15 or 20 years. I wonder who will pay attention, who will stand up and add their voice to the cause to expand freedom for all, and who will remain silent, thinking that somehow they will be protected because of where they live, or what identity they have, since the fire hasn’t turned their way…yet. Perhaps next month I’ll be able to focus on more hopeful feelings, but for the moment, this was what felt right to do with the voice I have, while I still have it.
I know I say it at the close of each show, but especially in this moment, I wish you all Peace and Bright Moments…
Moods In Free Time: 030 – Queer Punk Pride
Playlist – Moods In Free Time 030: Queer Punk Pride
{opening theme} The Visitors – The Juggler – In My Youth (Muse)
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Jayne County & the Electric Chairs – Are You Man Enough To Be A Woman? – Storm The Gates Of Heaven (Safari)
The Germs – Lexicon Devil – GI (Slash)
Husker Du – Broken Home Broken Heart – Zen Arcade (SST)
The Bloods – Undercover Nation – Born In Flames (First Run Features)
Au Pairs – America – Sense and Sensuality (Roadrunner)
Controllers – Suburban Suicide – 7” (Siamese Records)
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Vaginal Davis & Robespierre – Queens – 7” (Spectra Sonic Records)
Tribe 8 – Lezbophobia – By The Time We Get To Colorado (Outpunk)
God Is My Co-Pilot – Straight Not – My Sinister Secret Agenda 7” (Blackout!)
Limp Wrist – I Love Hardcore Boys, I Love Boys Hardcore – Don’t Knock It, Til You Try It (Self-Released)
Behead The Prophet No Lord Shall Live – Lewd Lewd Lewd – I Am That Great and Fiery Force (Outpunk/K)
Huggy Bear – Pansy Twist – Taking The Rough With The Smooch (Kill Rock Stars)
Sleater Kinner – I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone – Call The Doctor (Kill Rock Stars)
Team Dresch – Don’t Try Suicide – Captain My Captain (Chainsaw/Candy Ass)
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Pansy Division with Jello Biafra – Average Man – That’s So Gay (Alternative Tentacles)
G.L.O.S.S. – Give Violence A Chance – Trans Day Of Revenge 7” (Total Negativity/Nervous Nelly)
Causa – Ya Callase – Demo (Self-released)
Dominatrix – Filhas, Maes e Irmas – EP 2009 (Self-released)
Fea – Feminazi – Fea (Blackheart Records)
Hunx & His Punx – Bad Boy – Too Young To Be In Love (Hardly Art)
Pink Suits – Fake Great Britain – Political Child (Self Released)
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{closing theme} Tony Williams – Wild Life – Believe It (Columbia)