No band has waved the rainbow flag more proudly than Pansy Division. From its origins and involvement in early-’90s Bay Area punk to becoming de facto leaders of the “homocore” movement, Jon Ginoli, Chris Freeman and a rotating cast of straight and gay drummers (the band is now rounded out by drummer Luis Illades and guitarist Joel Reader) never shied away from graphic depictions of queer, bi and questioning dudes getting sweaty with each other and a variety of apparati. But as acceptance of queer culture and community has grown and the band’s members find themselves in their 40s and 50s, the topics on new album Quite Contrary have also progressed. Pansy Division will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on them.
Luis Illades picked up the pink emergency phone and checked in with his closest friends and icons that Pansy Division has met along the road to check in about their experiences with the queer past and present. As well as trying to get a tip on the newest jamz.
Who was the last queer artist you collaborated with and how has their experience influenced your attitude toward your work?
The last major collaboration I did with a queer artist was with electro artist Can “Khan” Oral, know also as Khan Of Finland (he’s a Turkish/Finnish blend). He was early on in minimal techno in Germany, moved to NYC and started a store, Temple Records. He asked me to do vocals on his album No Comprendo on Matador Records, and we had such fun we made a full length LP Bad English under the name Kid & Khan. He was an out, adventurous performer, wild, confrontational, and willing to mix rock and techno pre-dating Electroclash, when bringing a guitar into a techno club was like bringing Satan as your date. We also backed Julee Cruise live. Like many others I’ve played with, I learned that mixing genres that are taboo is a complete enjoyment for devils everywhere. Poke!
Who was the first queer icon who made an impression on you?
First queer icon was David Bowie Ziggy Stardust album era … till the end! I was probably 14 when it came out, and I fell in love and identified with the bisexual alien, which was a complete analogy for a queer adolescent feeling strange in their body and experimenting with drugs and sex. The music had messages, and the songs and band were so free and wild, and in good bad taste! All hail!
What was the last song that you listened to on repeat?
I have been listening to PJ Harvey “The Community Of Hope” over and over. I think it’s under three minutes long!
