Understanding Discrimination in Hardcore Music Scenes, Then and Now

Abstract

Hardcore Punk, an American subgenre of music, as well as the development of Hardcore as a subculture, is widely recognized for the impact it still has well over thirty years later. The movement is grounded in values of community, shared purpose and do it yourself (DIY) ethics. These ethics included anti-establishment, anti-recording industry, mainstream counterculture, left-wing politics, social activism and many other ideologies across the various subcultures it spawned. Despite the positive social impact the movement and its offshoots attempted to foster, Hardcore Punk left ugly marks on history with a reputation for violence, bigotry and discrimination towards the LGBTQ community, women and people of color. Taking a step back, this is a very perplexing notion, as Hardcore Punk prided itself on strengthening communities of artists, social activists, music fans and youth, while simultaneously marginalizing those who weren't part of specific communities. This project will be exploring that contradictive sentiment, analyzing the history of Hardcore Punk and the discrimination perpetuated throughout the 1980's and 1990's, which was arguably the peak of the subculture and the roots of the discrimination perpetuated. Additionally, this project will serve to use that history to frame the context for the current state of the Hardcore and heavy music scenes at large, and how the presence of discrimination has changed over the years as we strive to make communities more inclusive and welcoming to folks of all identities.