I must admit that I had never heard of misogyny until I was 18 years old, and at university. Women ruled supreme in my seventies UK childhood and early eighties teenage years. Mums and female teachers were in charge of our lives; the girls at school were harder than the boys and, as a nation, we were ruled by Queen Elizabeth and evil Margaret Thatcher. And then there were the Queens of Punk and New Wave – Siouxsie, Debbie Harry, Hazel O´Connor, Chrissie Hynde and so on. They took no shit. I felt they ruled the world. My obsession with them was the perfect cover to hide my teenage queerness – something countless other young gay boys and girls probably thought too in the late 1970s/early 80s, a time devoid of queer role models in the media. So I had no reason to believe women were anything else but in control.

Of course, misogyny was even worse then than now, and female musicians had to try much harder than the equivalent men to get record deals, respect, press and $$$. A new exhibition, God Save The Queens, curated by the legendary Poly Styrene’s daughter Celeste Bell´s Up Yours! Collective delves into Poly Styrene’s archive to honour 50 years of women in Punk and New Wave. Back then, in 1976, the story was largely told through a male lens, and this exhibition seeks to redress that.

Punk and New Wave were never just about the music. They were also about community, identity and style. They were authentic movements – you had to earn your stripes, and any imposters on the scene were quickly exposed. Once over the threshold, though, you were truly part of something, and that DIY energy and community continues in youth culture today. This exhibition highlights that.

What follows is a multi-media exhibition championing an iconic set of women. The photographs are the best – many never shown before. Image after fabulous image of ´she-punk´ legends such as Poly Styrene, Lene Lovich, Siouxsie, The Raincoats, Pauline Murray, Debbie Harry, The Slits, Jordan, Vivienne Westwood, Jayne County, Neneh Cherry and more take us back to those heady days. They are shown alongside rare memorabilia, record sleeves, posters, fanzine covers, clothes and so on, soundtracked by their music of course. The show is raw, DIY, fun, energetic and rebellious. References to lesser-known she-punk women such as Beki Bondage of Vice Squad and Honey Bane are also very welcome.  The style and the music have endured; the small space of the Museum of Youth Culture is packed to the rafters with a feast for your eyes. A timely reminder to never accept the status quo if you don’t want to.