Girl Germs

Girl Germs was a zine created by University of Oregon students Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman, both members of the band Bratmobile.[1]

Girl Germs
Issue 1 of Girl Germs
CategoriesRiot grrrl
FounderAllison Wolfe
Molly Neuman
Year founded1990
First issueDecember 1990

Feminism was influential in the Pacific Northwest in the early nineties: Girl Germs identified feminist role models in its early issues and was one of the few Riot grrrl zines created by young white women to feature African American rappers.[2]

The first issue of Girl Germs was completed by December 1990.[3] While home in Washington, D.C. on winter break, Neuman made several hundred copies of the zine at the Capitol Hill offices of Arizona Representative Mo Udall, who she had worked for during high school.[4]

Contributors to Girl Germs included Kathleen Hanna; Jean Smith of Mecca Normal; Sue P. Fox; Kaia Wilson; the editors of Double Bill, G.B. Jones, Jena von Brücker, Caroline Azar, Johnny Noxzema and Rex; Jen Smith; and Erin Smith of Bratmobile. Groups interviewed by Girl Germs editors include Calamity Jane, Unrest, 7 Year Bitch, Jawbox and Fastbacks.

Girl Germs also documents the coming together of Bratmobile, during this time. Allison would go on to play with Cold Cold Hearts, Partyline, and Hawnay Troof and Molly played with The Frumpies and The PeeChees.

Archives that have copies of Girl Germs include the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, California, the Independent Publishing Resource Center in Portland, Oregon, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina,[5] and Barnard College.[6]

Quotes
  • "We're helping open male audience members minds. Like, 'Oh wow, you're women and you can play!' But it's like, No shit!" - Selene, of band Seven Year Bitch, on sexism in music (issue 18)

References
  1. Mitchell, Claudia A. (2008). Reid-Walsh, Jacqueline (ed.). Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-313-33908-0.
  2. Kearney, Mary Celeste (2006). Girls Make Media. New York: Routledge. pp. 175–179. ISBN 978-0-415-97278-9.
  3. Amileah Sutliff (21 November 2018). "Taking Back Girlhood: The Power of Bratmobile's Sneering Debut". VMP. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  4. Sara Marcus (2010). Girls to the Front (1st ed.). Harper. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-0-06-180636-0.
  5. "Guide to the Sarah Dyer Zine Collection". David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  6. Columbia Libraries
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