New feature: Bring the herstory of riot grrrl back into the present
by Jess McCabe // 4 February 2010, 20:45
What has happened to the legacy of riot grrrl? asks Heather McIntosh
The feminist-punk movement which was riot grrrl was hugely inspiring for me, and countless other girls and women. Riot grrrl created a platform – but what impact has it had, particularly in terms of inspiring girl bands and female-centred music?
I wanted this piece to project, and essentially to reciprocate, the enthusiasm and optimism which riot grrrl movement first infused in me. However, in trying to research where this vital revolution has led, the picture seems to be disappointingly bleak and subdued – and especially when compared to the highly energetic riot grrrl spirit.
To justify my fondness for – and appreciation of – the movement, and hence why I desperately wanted this article to be a positive one, I feel it necessary to explicitly state why for me, and countless other girls, this contribution to the 'third-wave' of feminism was so important.
The riot grrrls, who initially exploded out of, and into, the underground music scene in Olympia, Washington in the early 1990s were unquestionably, and regardless of whether all feminists wholeheartedly endorse their position or not, a revolutionary force for creatively-inclined women; especially women who had a passion for music.
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
