Constructions of Femininity within the Punk Subculture

The punk movement is a boys' movement. The culture is made by boys and for boys. However, that hasn't stopped girls from trying to eke out a place for themselves. While boys make up the majority of the subculture and the majority of the rules about the subculture, girls still have a visible presence with in it. However, as Leblanc states, "[Punk is] a subculture that portrays itself as being egalitarian, and even feminist, but …

…swell, punk will eventually live up to its professed egalitarian, feminist promises. Until then, it is still a way for girls to break free from the mainstream and to begin to explore the limits (or lack thereof) of their gender WORKS CITED: Pretty in Punk: A girls' gender resistance in a boys' subculture. Leblanc, Lauraine. Rutgers University Press: Picataway, 1999. Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion and Rock 'N' Roll. Press, Joy and Simon Reynolds. Serpents Tail: London, 1995.