ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the different ways in which political ideologies have manifested themselves in punk lyrics, how these lyrics have shaped punk identities and communities, and how these identities and communities relate to larger social issues. The link between punk rock and anarchism was forged on the Sex Pistols' first single, "Anarchy in the UK", but it was not until a band called Crass came along and created the anarcho-punk movement that this link, which at first was more symbolic than ideological, was solidified. Punks' inclination toward anarchism, their disdain for the consumer culture, and their reliance on DIY (do it yourself) as an alternative to capitalist forms of cultural production are inextricably interconnected. Punk has no 'party line' when it comes to gender and sexuality, but it has, by transgressing hegemonic sexual norms and gender roles, created spaces where non-heteronormative forms of social and cultural reproduction are accepted and encouraged.
