Kathleen Hanna
Shervin Lainez
Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh has declared today, April 9, the city’s “Riot Grrrl Day” — a celebration not just of the movement’s philosophy, but of its indisputable leader, Kathleen Hanna. As the frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and currently The Julie Ruin, Hanna has long, as the proclamation put it, inspired “grrrls everywhere to shake up the status quo and create.” Boston‘s Chief of Policy Joyce Linehan will introduce Hanna, and present her with the official proclamation prior to her performance this evening at the city’s Wilbur Theater.
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The city decided to honor Hanna primarily at Linehan’s urging — as a former A&R director for Sub-Pop, she’s known the artist for over 20 years. “[Kathleen’s agent] called me to see if I would introduce Kathleen, probably based on the fact that Kathleen, back in the day, used to stay at my house when bands came through town,” Linehan told Boston.
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The moving proclamation is in part adapted from the “Riot Grrrl Manifesto,” which it states “has never felt more relevant, with misogyny still rampant in many cultural spheres.” It is a call to action as much as it is a celebration of Hanna’s work: “Girls need to see other girls picking up drumsticks, basses, and microphones. They need to see other girls picking up paintbrushes and pens, and telling their stories. Loudly.”
Read the full proclamation, signed by Mayor Walsh, below: