Quotes by Kathleen Hanna

About Kathleen Hanna:

Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 1998, Hanna released a lo-fi solo album under the name Julie Ruin and since 2010 has been working on a project called The Julie Ruin.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Women didn't want to be on the stage with other women because they didn't want their bodies to be compared. They didn't want another female act opening for them because of this weird competitive and tokenistic attitude.

Kathleen Hanna

Art revolves around creating something that isn't there.

Kathleen Hanna

Defining art is huge; I feel like it's such a subjective thing. It's more like what's not art. You know what I mean? I think there can be an art in the way people live their lives, and art can be a gift someone gives to somebody.

Kathleen Hanna

I like art with a sense of humor. I don't have a huge art education to understand everything. I don't think that means that art has to be watered down to the lowest common denominator, though. I don't think you have to go to college to be able apprec...

Kathleen Hanna

I think music can definitely be art; I also think music can be crap and not be art.

Kathleen Hanna

I wanted to say to myself as much as anyone else that we made art.

Kathleen Hanna

In 1985, I was living with my sister in Virginia, and since I was still in high school, I worked at McDonald's to save money to get an abortion. It sounds really terrible, but it was the best decision I ever made. It was the first time I took respons...

Kathleen Hanna

I wanted to make something that I wanted to hear that I wasn't hearing.

Kathleen Hanna

Certain people are like 'Oh, here come the Feminazis!' You end up acting 10 times nicer than you even need to be, to be the opposite of the stereotype like 'You're the man haters!' We're always bending over backwards being extra nice. And I don't kno...

Kathleen Hanna

I wanna be a legend; I wanna be a cult hero. I do!

Kathleen Hanna

I can't constantly be trying to write the unwritten song, the song that the 15-year-old girl needs. I need to write the song that I need.

Kathleen Hanna

Facing sexism and racism and classism and transphobia, there are ways to choose to act in those situations, and there shouldn't be a prescriptive list of things that you have to say.

Kathleen Hanna

I always tell girls who say they want to start a band but don't have any talent, 'Well, neither do I.' I mean, I can carry a tune, but anyone who picks up a bass can figure it out. You don't have to have magic unicorn powers.

Kathleen Hanna

I'm in a really lucky position where people will be interested in whatever I do, but what I do is sing.

Kathleen Hanna

Not to rag on myself, but when people say, 'What does it feel like to be an icon?' I'm like, 'My dog does not think I'm an icon, my cat does not think I am an icon, my cousin does not think I am an icon.' I have a really lovely group of friends, and ...

Kathleen Hanna

I was making stickers for guys' bands. I was in the front row photographing bands, booking bands, doing all of the kind of backstage stuff, and I didn't even think for a second I could do it, and then I saw Babes in Toyland, and all that changed.

Kathleen Hanna

I don't want to be a historical action figure or treated like I'm dead. Like one of those people where they go, 'Oh, isn't she dead?' And then I walk up, and they're like, 'Whoa.' I can't really complain... because I've made myself into a historical ...

Kathleen Hanna

I have late-stage Lyme disease. I was misdiagnosed for many, many years and told I had lupus, MS, Crohn's disease, even degenerative arthritis. And finally in 2010, I got the correct diagnosis, because on the last Le Tigre tour, I was having several ...

Kathleen Hanna

I think as a culture, we don't like conflict or looking at icky stuff - especially in our downtime.

Kathleen Hanna

Teachers are performers, just like I am.

Kathleen Hanna

Author Bio

  • NameKathleen Hanna
  • DescriptionAmerican musician
  • BornNovember 12, 1968
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionMusician; Singer; Guitarist