aGLIFF Preview: Pansy Division--Life in a Gay Rock Band

In 1991 while the mainstream was discovering grunge music, a new revolution was already brewing. In the heart of San Francisco, Jon Ginoli and Chris Freeman were realizing that just because they were gay didn’t mean they had to like dance music. Frustrated with the lack of musical options in which to celebrate their lifestyle, they decided to create their own—gay music that wasn’t music for a gay bar. Pansy Division was born.

These two visionaries led a new musical movement—what came to be known as “queercore.” Their bold sound and proudly explicit lyrics sent them to the cultural front lines, where they pushed the envelope and gathered their own following. Caught between resistance from the straight crowd (who didn’t seem to think they were hetero enough) and resistance from the gay crowd (who thought their music was too hetero), they moved forward anyway, eventually getting record deals, playing Madison Square Garden with Green Day, and making it on to MTV. And through it all, Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band is there.

With archival footage, new interviews, and plenty of good old-fashioned pop/punk/rock music, this film is an in-depth look into the strength it took for these guys to make their music and to speak out for what they believed in. At a brisk 83 minutes, it never drags. Mike Carmone’s direction is on point; it’s well edited and has clever graphics to spice up the slightly more cumbersome details. Whether revealing the wildly humorous lyrics with subtitles, detailing the Spinal Tap-like parade of drummers, or telling how the band got Kirk Hammett (of Metallica) to play a solo for one track, you’ll definitely be entertained. Watching bassist Chris Freeman spray crowds with silly string or stealing a kiss from a straight fan, it’s hard not to get caught up in Pansy Division’s chaotic joy.