Lynn Breedlove (also known as Lynnee Breedlove) is an American

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

, and

performer The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art object ...

who was born in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, United States.

Early life

Lynn Breedlove was born in and grew up in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

during early childhood and then lived in

Alameda An alameda is a Avenue (landscape), street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada *Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan **Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile ...

and

as a teenager. Breedlove's father was a high school teacher of partial Native American ancestry and Breedlove's mother was a secretary who originally hailed from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Breedlove was an only child.

Tribe 8 and The Homobiles

Breedlove is the

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

founding member and lead singer of the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

dyke punk band

Tribe 8 Tribe 8 was a LGBTQ punk rock band from San Francisco, considered one of the first queercore groups. The band took their name from the practice of tribadism, with "tribe eight" being a play on the word ''tribade'', a sexual practice sometimes a ...

. The band's first single, Pigbitch, was released on Harp records, run by Gina Harp in 1991. The second single, There's a Dyke in the Pit, with

Bikini Kill Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the ...

7 Year Bitch 7 Year Bitch was an American punk rock band from Seattle, Washington. The band was active between 1990 and 1997 and released three albums over that time. The band formed at the same time as the emergence of the riot grrrl sub-genre, which is a ...

, and the

Lucy Stoners Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luc ...

was released by the

queercore Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...

record label

Outpunk Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands. The label was run out of San Francisco and began as an extension of Matt Wobensmith's fanzine, ''Outpunk''. ''Outpunk'' ran for seven issues, from ...

in 1992, and later releases were on the

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

. The band appeared on film in ''

A Gun For Jennifer ''A Gun for Jennifer'' is a 1997 rape and revenge film thriller film directed by Todd Morris and starring Deborah Twiss. It follows a feminist vigilante group who castrate suspected rapists and batterers while a female police officer attempts to ...

'' and also performed in ''

She's Real, Worse Than Queer Lucy Thane (born 1967) is a British documentary filmmaker, event producer and performer, living in Folkestone. Her films include ''It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the UK'' (1993) and ''She's Real (Worse than Queer)'' (1997). Life and work Thane ...

'', and '' Rise Above: A Tribe 8 Documentary'' by

Tracy Flannigan Tracy Flannigan is an independent filmmaker residing in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles who began making movies when she was seventeen years old. She has created numerous short films and music videos. Her work has been screened at many film fes ...

. Breedlove has performed at the

Michigan Womyn's Music Festival The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, often referred to as MWMF or Michfest, was a feminist women's music festival held annually from 1976 to 2015 in Oceana County, Michigan, on privately owned woodland near Hart Township referred to as "The La ...

, and criticized the festival's trans-exclusionary policies. Tribe 8 also played at the San Francisco Transgender March, multiple

Ladyfest Ladyfest is a community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for feminist and women artists. Individual Ladyfests differ, but usually feature a combination of bands, musical groups, performance artists, authors, spoken word an ...

s and LGBT Pride Festivals, including Europride 2000 in

Rome, Italy , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (Romulus and Remus, legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg ...

. In 2015, Breedlove returned to playing music with the emergence of his new band, The Homobiles, billed as a "queer-punk supergroup", with Ed Varga, founder of Homo A Gogo, songwriter

Mya Byrne Mya Adriene Byrne is an American singer-songwriter whose works falls mostly in the Americana vein, a combination of folk, blues and country music. Based in New York for 13 years, Byrne currently resides in San Francisco and performs solo or wi ...

, Fureigh (former guitarist for

The Shondes The Shondes are a rock band from Brooklyn, NY, best known for their combination of feminist punk, rock, pop, Jewish influences, and ties to political activism. The Shondes formed in 2006 and have released two demos and five full-length studio ...

), Stephany Ashley (executive director of St. James Infirmary Clinic), and Corrie Bennett.

Spoken word, open mike, and radio shows

Breedlove has performed

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

on Sister Spit tours, and from 2000 to 2006 he and Tara Jepsen co-hosted a monthly

sexuality and gender identity-based cultures Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual mi ...

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...

in San Francisco called K'vetch. Breedlove MC'd the 3rd Annual SF Trans March in '07. Starting in 2004, Breedlove created the comedy solo show ''Lynnee Breedlove’s One Freak Show'' which has been touring the U.S., Canada, and Europe in 5 languages. A book based on this show with the same title was published by

Manic D Press Manic D Press is an American literary press based in San Francisco, California publishing fiction (novels and short stories), poetry, cultural studies, art, narrative-oriented comix, children's books, and alternative travel trade paperbacks. It wa ...

in 2009. The book, ''Lynnee Breedlove’s One Freak Show'', won the 2010

Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Literature The Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Literature is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, that awards books with transgender content. Awards are granted based on literary merit and transgender content, and the ...

. Since 2004, Breedlove often hosts Gender Pirates, a monthly benefit for the group United Genders of the Universe in

, and has hosted the Unka Lynnee Show on Pirate Cat Radio (formerly the Unka Lynnee & Aunty Cindy Show with Cindy Emch), as well as taught Unka Lynnee's Skool 4 Boyz at The

Harvey Milk Institute Harvey Milk Institute, located in San Francisco, California, was the largest queer studies institute in the world, and was founded by Jonathan David Katz in 1995. It was named in honor of Harvey Milk, an American politician and gay rights activi ...

. The column, "Uncle Lynnee's Skool For Bois," ran for two years at ''

On Our Backs ''On Our Backs'' was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006. Origin The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl ...

'' magazine and twice as "Unka Lynnee's Skool 4 Boyz" at Velvet Park Magazine. In May 2013, Breedlove appeared on Music Life Radio, discussing Tribe 8, and Homobiles, the new LGBTQ ride sharing non-profit service founded by Breedlove in San Francisco.

Homobiles Non-Profit

Breedlove is the founder of the

based non-profit Homobiles, a California NPO 501c3 committed to providing secure and reliable transit to the SF Bay Area LGBTIQQ community and its allies. Homobiles is credited by

Sidecar A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''. ...

Co-Founder

Sunil Paul Sunil Paul (born November 12, 1964) is an Internet entrepreneur who launched Spring Free EV in 2021, a fintech company designed to have climate level impact by accelerating adoption of electric vehicles. He has previously founded companies such as ...

as the first peer-to-peer ridesharing service in the United States and the inspiration for Sidecar's business model. Homobiles officially launched their donation-based community mutual aid service in 2011 after Breedlove first began giving rides in 2010 - to protect drag performers and people who didn't feel safe or wouldn't be picked up by traditional taxi services. They serve not just SF's queer community but people of color, and allies. Homobiles is also credited by members of the business community with pioneering the operating model that helped lead to

Lyft Lyft, Inc. offers mobility as a service, ride-hailing, vehicles for hire, motorized scooters, a bicycle-sharing system, rental cars, and food delivery in the United States and select cities in Canada. Lyft sets fares, which vary using a dynamic ...

and

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...

's success.

''Godspeed'' and ''Freak Show''

In 2002, Breedlove's first novel, ''Godspeed'', was published by

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

. The main character of the book is a

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

-using

bicycle messenger Bicycle messengers (also known as bike or cycle couriers) are people who work for courier companies (also known as messenger companies) carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business di ...

named Jim. The main character is said to be based on Breedlove's years as an addict. In 2007, a German translation of the novel was published, titled ''Götterspeed'' on Mox und Moritz. ''Godspeed'' was produced as a

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

, starring Breedlove as Jim, the

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

Ad-Rock Adam Keefe Horovitz (born October 31, 1966), popularly known as Ad-Rock, is an American rapper, guitarist and actor. He was a member of the hip-hop group Beastie Boys. While Beastie Boys were active, Horovitz performed with a side project, BS ...

of the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

as the dispatcher, and Jillian Lauren, aka Sparkle Diamonds of the LA

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

troupe Troupe may refer to: General *Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers **Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers *Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games *Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical performers ...

Velvet Hammer, as the

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. M ...

love interest ''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...

. It features music by Tribe8, Lunachicks,

The Gossip Gossip (or The Gossip) was an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah ...

, Katastrophe, MDC, All The Pretty Horses,

Le Tigre Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American electronic rock band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson for the rest ...

, Blatz, and Dirtbox. Breedlove co-directed with Jen Gilomen and co-produced with Kami Chisholm, wrote the script and starred in the film. Music supervision provided by

Kathleen Hanna Kathleen Hanna (born November 12, 1968) is an American singer, musician, artist, feminist activist, pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band ...

, and art directed by Vega Darling. Breedlove's other published books are ''Lynnee Breedlove’s One Freak Show'' and ''45 Thought Crimes'', published by

in 2009 and 2019, respectively.

Honors and awards

SF Board of Supervisors trans commendations 20191119-7990

In November 2019, Breedlove was commended by the

San Francisco Board of Supervisors The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco. Government and politics The City and County of San Francisco is a consolidated city-county, being simultaneously a c ...

during

Transgender Awareness Week Transgender Awareness Week, observed November 13 to November 19, is a one-week celebration leading up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR), which memorializes victims of transphobic violence. TDoR occurs annually on November 20, when tra ...

Personal life

Breedlove is a

trans man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that incl ...

. Breedlove was featured in the 2016 documentary, '' Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution'', directed by

Yony Leyser Yony Leyser (born 1985) is a director and writer based in Berlin. Biography Early life and education Yony Leyser was born in DeKalb, Illinois in 1985 to an Israeli-Iranian mother and a German Jewish father. Leyser studied at the California I ...

Filmography

*''

'', 1996 *''She's Real, Worse Than Queer'' by

Lucy Thane Lucy Thane (born 1967) is a British documentary filmmaker, event producer and performer, living in Folkestone. Her films include ''It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the UK'' (1993) and ''She's Real (Worse than Queer)'' (1997). Life and work Thane ...

, 1997 *'' Dope on Dope'' by Shon Kayli, 1998 *''Step Up and Be Vocal, Interviews zu Queer Punk und Feminismus in San Francisco by Uta Busch und Sandra Ortmann, (2001) Bremen, Germany, 60 min *'' Rise Above: A Tribe 8 Documentary'' by

, 2003 *'' Godspeed'' by Lynn Breedlove and Jen Gilomen, 2007

References

External links

Tribe 8 Official Website
(archived)
Homobiles Official WebsiteThe Homobiles Bandcamp Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breedlove, Lynn American punk rock singers Feminist musicians Living people Musicians from Oakland, California American LGBT writers Transgender male musicians Transgender musicians Transgender writers Transfeminists LGBT film directors LGBT singers from the United States Queercore musicians Lambda Literary Award winners Film directors from California Writers from Oakland, California 1965 births Singers from California