What Happened to Me
(Page 2 of 4)
September / October 2003
By Catherine Clyne, Satya
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I despise the way the bullies and thugs have redefined those words -- like they're four-letter words. Feminism means you believe in gender equality and social justice, so it's pretty telling when people are reviled by that word.
Liberal and feminism are something to be proud of. I learned that when I moved to Boston and became surrounded by open-minded, liberal, feminist, gay, creative, articulate people -- from all walks of life -- who happen to share intellectual curiosity and tolerance, and who want to learn about the world and about other people.
It seems Boston had quite an impact. Had you been exposed to these ideas before?
I was influenced primarily by my father, who, while being a very, very nice guy and a great parent, was a fanatical archconservative. It permeated my home and the way my brother and sister and I think. But I always knew something was missing; something just didn't feel right. I felt, "Well, how can we always be right? How is it that America is always on the side of the good?" I couldn't understand. Now he's older, and with age comes wisdom. He's changed his stance on abortion and joined the Sierra Club.
There's nothing wrong with being conservative or Republican. I feel sort of sympathetic to legitimate conservatives because some of the people who've hijacked the conservative movement are not conservative or necessarily Republican, but are sociopathic and closet racists, closet sexists, closet homophobes.
What are some of the bands that influenced your awakening?
It wasn't so much the bands but the people at the shows. I would go see the Replacements, the Jam, the Pixies, Throwing Muses, Billy Bragg, the Flat Duo Jets, R.E.M., U2 (at that time those bands weren't that big), Wire Train, Teardrop Explodes. You met different kinds of people at the shows, not only punks and goths, but feminists, vegans, and activists of every stripe.
There's a big difference between a lot of those "alternative" bands and a lot of the popular mainstream music. If you're someone who cares about lyrical content, melody, and diversity in your music, it probably also extends to your political views.