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Women's Music
is stylistically diverse and continually evolving. It has broadened
over time, but remains committed to lesbian visibility and feminist values. |
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Ani
DiFranco |
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Music Festivals
are a cultural institution among lesbians. Women's music festivals
are community-based events that celebrate women's space as much as
women's music. |
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Meg Christian
(b. 1946) was a pioneer in women's music and was among the first
musicians to address lesbian and feminist issues in her songs. She was
a founding member of Olivia Records, a woman-oriented company. |
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Ani DiFranco
(b. 1970) is an openly bisexual singer who has been described as "the
thinking person's acoustic punk feminist." She has drawn on an eclectic
mixture of musical traditions to create her own distinctive style. |
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Melissa Etheridge (b. 1961) is
an award-winning rock singer and songwriter who has not only managed to
carve out a spectacularly successful career as a popular mainstream
performer, but has also become a lesbian icon and activist for gay and
lesbian causes. |
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Janis
Ian (b. 1951) is a nine time Grammy Award nominee. She
uses her artistry as a songwriter and performer to further the cause of
social justice. |
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Indigo Girls,
composed of lesbians Amy Ray (b. 1964) and Emily Saliers (b.
1963), is one of the most successful folk/pop duos in recording
history. Ray and Saliers have earned the fierce loyalty of their fans,
many of whom are lesbians. |
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 k. d. lang (b. 1961)
has enjoyed spectacular success as a musician. She is an anomaly in the music world
both because she is a lesbian and because she refuses to confine herself within a specific
genre. |
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Holly
Near (b. 1949) is an activist, singer, and songwriter who has
been a tremendous influence in the formation and promotion of the
women's music movement. |
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Sweet
Honey in the Rock is an ensemble of Black women singers who are
also cultural and political activists. The ensemble has embraced
lesbianism as a life force and given it a voice. |
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Cris
Williamson (b. 1947) is a pioneering singer, songwriter,
activist, and teacher who has been at the forefront of the women's
music movement--and a major presence in the lesbian community--for
decades. |
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Photo
Credits: The photograph of Ani DiFranco is a detail from a
portrait by Danny Clin, courtesy Righteous Babe Records. The image of
Janis Ian courtesy Rude Girl Publishing. The image of k. d. lang was
photographed by Jeri Heiden, courtesy Sacks and Company. The image of
Holly Near was photographed by Mike Rogers, courtesy Holly Near. The
image of Cris Williamson was photographed by Irene Young, courtesy Wolf
Moon, Inc. |
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