Pansy Division's Jon Ginoli reads at Quimby’s. That’s so gay!

By Jen Hazen in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 6, 2009 5:00PM

Hell yes! Pansy Division, the first openly gay punk band from the ‘90s, is coming out all over again—a new record on Alternative Tentacles titled That’s So Gay, a documentary just released on DVD, and a memoir by founding member Jon Ginoli, Deflowered: my life in Pansy Division.

Head to Quimby's on Wednesday, April 8 where Ginoli will read from his new book, a highly-detailed account of the band’s 18+ years of rollercoaster highs and lows.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, the guitarist/singer moved to San Francisco in 1989 after graduating from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Always a part of the independent music scene, Ginoli worked at records shops and labels, DJ’ed for college radio stations, and wrote for lots of music zines. In 1991, he created Pansy Division to merge his love for music with his gay lifestyle. PD would come to be known as one of the founding bands of the queercore scene.

Deflowered begins with the band's formation and soars to heights of touring with Green Day, and dips to lows of homophobic fans and the challenges of pursuing success and acceptance in the predominantly hetero world of rock. Ginoli's memoir doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to tales of groupies, label battles, and band brawls either, so this reading is sure to be a fun one.

Quimby's Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave., Wednesday, April 8, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Free.