What happens when two women of color who play punk rock come together for dinner? In the case of Michelle Gonzales, former drummer of ’90s anarcho punks Spitboy, and Christine Tupou of Try the Pie, the result was a revealing conversation over homemade tacos about the difficulties they face in the punk scene.
It may be hard for some to admit, but punk rock has always been dominated by white males. There are some high-profile exceptions — Bad Brains, Bikini Kill — but women of color are unfortunately rare in the punk scene.
As you’ll see in the video above, Gonzales — who details her Spitboy days in the memoir The Spitboy Rule: Tales Of A Female Punk Band — describes “coming out as Chicana” in a scene that should’ve been more inclusive, only to learn from Tupou, raised in Tongan churches by her Polynesian father, that things haven’t changed much in the past 25 years.
– Kevin Jones
