Kathleen Hanna

Kathleen Hanna is a feminist musician, writer, and performer living in Pasadena, California. Kathleen has performed with the bands Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Amy Carter, Viva Knievel, and The Julie Ruin; written for zines including Bikini Kill and riot grrrl. Kathleen was raised in Maryland and Portland, Oregon, and moved to Olympia in 1986 to attend The Evergreen State College. There, she studied photography and fashion design and performed spoken word locally after being encouraged by Slim Moon, who founded the Kill Rock Stars record label. Kathleen co-founded Reko Muse gallery and performance space with friends Tammy Rae Carland and Heidi Arbogast in 1988. In 1990, Kathleen formed the band Bikini Kill with friends Tobi Vail, Billy Karren, and Kathi Wilcox. Bikini Kill toured extensively and released several albums on Kill Rock stars. The band broke up in 1997, and Kathleen moved to New York City, where she taught music and art and formed two more bands, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. Today, Kathleen and her husband, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, live in Pasadena, California, with their son. She embarked on several international tours in the past decade with reunited bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. In 2024, Kathleen published the bestselling memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk.