You can't be punk and homophobic.

By the day it gets worse.  More separation all in the name of sexual orientation.  And even in light of current scenes and genres spreading like a current form of mad cow disease, it's growing like a sickness.  What I speak of is homophobia.

Since I can remember, this has been a huge problem in my personal life.  Growing up I had a brother who called me a "faggot" everyday of my life till about a year before he moved.  At church, I was told how "evil" and wrong these fags were.  Everywhere I turned I had a no place.  I knew I was different from the "norm" of kids at my school and at my church and even in my family.  Even when I was a christian I denied my own sexuality all because I feared this mythical place called Hell.  I had nowhere to turn.

However, regardless of this denial and refusal to come to grips with who I am, I found a force of power in music.  At the age of 12 I discovered punk rock/hardcore.  This was the fucking anthem for my confusion, angst, and utter depression about my place in life.  Bands like Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, Black Flag, Born Against (etc), all felt the same as I did regardless of whether or not they were gay or bisexual or lesbian (although Im sure none of them are).  I found power in this music.  And it took years to take this power into practice.

Yet in this cloud of dissonant joy, where everyone was plugged in and turned up to 11, I found from my research that this punk scene was just as riddled with homophobia as every other place I had experienced in my life.  Even though queers have been just as vital to the punk scene (Husker Du, The Screamers, The Germs, Millions Of Dead Cops etc) they were just as hated as they were before they plugged in.  Once again, I was crushed.

In my city (El Paso, Texas) there is still this stigma (although not spoken out loud) that "fags can't rock".  But I always say, "Try telling that to the bassist of Botch, the keyboardist of Faith No More, the singer of Torche, the singer of Otep, and then come and talk to me."  Of course this is all about a matter of the heart, in my opinion.  And that is something you can't change in people.

But be that as it may, it's 2009, and all over this country all of us who are part of this cancerous scene are victim to the hardening of our minds and hearts towards our fellow gay, lesbian, bisexual brothers and sisters.  We have a long way to go, kids.

All I'm trying to say here is that there is still a huge homophobic problem in our culture and its bled over into the music that we're making together.  Lastly, don't be fooled for one fucking minute that just because you just might happen to play punk rock you'll be excepted, even by your fellow friends in the "scene".  Mark my words, the moment you come out of the closet they will change the way they look at you.  And if that is the case, then they were never your friends nor your community.  

If this applies to you just remember that you are not alone.  Keep hope alive!  We are everywhere!

-Justin T. Roddam