Constructions of Femininity within the Punk Subculture

Those who choose to go the tomboy route are following a well-tread path. When punk culture began it really was a boys club. Women were rarely seen in the scene, and if they were, it was in the role of groupie/sex object. When women began to truly become part of the scene, they were almost always in the tomboy role. Joan Jett was one such woman. Her career became a mirror of male rebellion and in order to be accepted, Jett had to become one of the boys and was at time highly misogynistic. (The Sex Revolts, 233) This path, though well worn, is often a difficult one. Girls who try to gain acceptance in this way often have to be almost hyper-masculine; they can't just keep up with the boys, they have to be better than the boys. As one girl states, "We have to fight ten times harder in the [mosh] pit, just because you're female" (Pretty in Punk, 119). Like Jett, in order to gain acceptance, these girls have top eliminate all femininity from their behavior and mannerisms, but even when they do, they have to jump through hoop after hoop in order to gain the male punk's respect simply because they are genetically female. …