Michelle Cruz Gonzales emerged onto the punk rock scene playing drums in Spitboy, one of the most important hardcore bands of the 1990s. Talking on feminism, gender issues, human rights, and more, Spitboy set a new standard in an environment predominantly run by men. She wrote The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band, which explores not only Spitboy’s story, but her personal exploration of identity and self-discovery. Today, Michelle teaches English to students and helps them draw on their own cultural wealth.

On this episode of Grrrl Talk, we were fortunate to sit down with Michelle where we discussed the formation of Spitboy and her personal background, misogyny and sexism towards non-male bands, color blindness in the scene, the power of women supporting one another, and the reissue of their entire discography (with liner notes from Billie Joe and Vique Simba). The reissue will be out on June 25th, with proceeds to benefit National Women’s Law Center.

Song: "What Are Girls Made Of?" by Spitboy