one queer thing: "rebel girl" by bikini kill

and a call to action for hillcrest

Of course, I’d use a GIF from Netflix’s The Crown. HM the Queen Mother, played by the wonderful Victoria Hamilton. Source: Yarn.

hi y’all,

welcome back to one queer thing - this is the third installment now! the first one after my break and now we’re getting back to placing spotlights at the slices of queer culture that push boundaries, challenge norms, and cherish the uniqueness of people.

this is where i want us to always dive into something queer. in the spirit of bell hooks’ definition, we’ll define queer as something not just about who you’re attracted to, but it’s also about staying true to the essence of you in a world that prizes and promotes conformity.

remember - whenever a queer thing is a song, it’ll get automatically added to the one queer thing spotify playlist, which you can find here.

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past queer things: (2) allison ponthier | (1) "golden brown" by the stranglers | one queer thing spotify playlist

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this week’s queer thing: “rebel girl” by bikini hill

Source: Wikipedia.

“ed - you need to listen to this.” it was a pretty cold late night in middleville, mi and i’m hanging out with my friend chyna at her house. we’re both lying on the floor passing a joint back and forth with each other in the pitch black dark. she passed me her headphones, and it was this song.

so in the 90’s when the riot grrl movement was in its apogee, bikini kill released this song, “rebel girl”. this song became an anthem for those who dared to question or challenge traditional gender roles and the expectations of society. i also love drums so much and the song starts with an infectious beat right off the bat that demands my very allegiance immediately.

this song is also very much about a woman loving a woman and that was insanely revolutionary to me. at the time, i was only just 21, starting to come out to my friends only. i wasn’t out to very many people.

this track’s raw energy and fierce lyrics champion the idea of being oneself without any apologies, excuses, ifs, ands, or buts. i felt empowered, the song felt to me like the essence of what i wanted to be, the courage i wanted to have. this song didn’t just influence me though - it influenced so many different people, making it a cultural artifact intertwined with the queer struggle for visibility and acceptance.

hope you connect with it and enjoy it as much as i do! what do you think?

do you have any recommendations for other queer things? drop it in the comments below.

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shut up & get involved in hillcrest now!

as we bask in the echoes of “rebel girl”, i want to take some time to bring things back to my favorite corner of san diego - hillcrest!

recently, a big victory was scored when plan hillcrest was approved by the san diego city council’s housing committee unanimously. this is the city plan that includes our pride promenade, much-needed local improvements, more housing, and the creation of an LGBTQ cultural district in hillcrest. plan hillcrest will be up for a vote in the city council in july, and we need every voice to gather in favor of this plan.

1. contact mayor todd gloria here.

2. contact city councilmember stephen whitburn here.

but if you’re sick of the housing mess in hillcrest - this is your time to shine! if you live in the neighborhoods of hillcrest, university heights, mission hills, bankers hill, medical complex, and middletown - you should register to vote or even run to be part of the uptown community planning group.

1. you can read more here.

2. register to vote or run to be an official of the uptown community planning group.

if you want make a direct impact on the future of hillcrest - this is it, right here!

if you’re looking for more options on how to get involved in hillcrest, check out this article i wrote a few weeks back - it has some great recommendations.