Our Pride Month series SHEROES & QUEEROES comes to a close with an in-depth conversation and look back at ani difranco’s iconic and most commercially successful eighth studio album, 1998’s Little Plastic Castle. The 25th anniversary reissue has arrived, and with it, many reflections on that chapter of ani’s career. Ani holds nothing back in openly discussing the complexities of that time, as many of her queer fans expressed feelings of betrayal when their SHERO/QUEERO ani difranco married a man (gasp!), and her anti-capitalist fans called her a sellout for producing what was her most polished studio album to date and all the media attention that came with it. Yet, its massive success and magazine cover stories was a major accomplishment for this openly bisexual woman who had blazed trails in every way, including building her career from the ground up as a 100% independent artist who started one of the very first female owned, “queer happy” record labels in 1990, Righteous Babe Records. And while, haters gonna hate, there were countless young women and queer folx who finally found their SHERO, felt seen, and found inspiration and empowerment by witnessing ani’s against-all-odds success.
