Member Since: 8/13/2012
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Ani Difranco to perform at Gay Pride, talks gay rights
The original Jessie J who went from gay to straight with two babies had this to say:
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Want to get a sense of the swift passage of time? It’s been almost 25 years since singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, released her first full-length on her own Righteous Babe record label. That’s right, 25 years since you first heard her sing “Both Hands.” Since that time the indie music goddess has released 18 studio albums, including her latest Allergic To Water (Righteous Babe), as well as some live recordings. She also signed some big names to her label, released some collaboration albums and generally became one of the most famous feminists, activists and entrepreneurs in the music world.
To go the indie route, you kind of have to take a decade to do what a major-label can do overnight. Still, my impatience worked against me at many turns [laughs]
That’s always been a part of the Righteous Babe mission through me and my heart and my songs. Inclusion and giving everybody equal airtime in this culture. It’s interesting, if I look back over my writing career, I pushed that part of my identity forward -- my bisexuality – as a political mission. Shove it out there, these alternative experiences that were not yet, when I was young, on the TV or accepted in mainstream culture like they are now. I think a diversity of voices is essential in art. Everybody needs to see themselves reflected to feel connected and whole and part of the human family. At Righteous Babe, we’ve always tried to provide a safe space for alternative voices to connect with people.
It’s going to be really fun for me to be included. I haven’t actually played a lot of Pridefests. It’s certainly been a long time. I was actually trying to recall when the last time was that I played a Pride event. It’s cool. I feel like I will be diversifying it from my angle [laughs]. Not so queer anymore, but definitely a woman centered woman and just a human rights centered artist.
I have to hope that we are feeling a pendulum swing back to liberal values, back to – I think – common sense, economically and culturally. We have an opportunity now to address things such as the criminal justice system, police brutality, to make big structural changes. I really hope that we can continue this momentum and do so.
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http://chicago.gopride.com/news/inte...ticleid/798964
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