Ani DiFranco’s political activism is as enduring as her musical career.

DiFranco, the singer-songwriter, started her own record company, Righteous Babe, in 1989 at the age of 18, and has been pumping out records almost every year since. She has 18 studio records, 23 live albums, and four EPs to her name, and has traveled the world countless times on tour.

DiFranco, the activist, created her own nonprofit, the Righteous Babe Foundation, in 1999, but before that, protested against the first Gulf War. Her foundation has supported groups that stand up for reproductive rights, gay and lesbian causes, and anti-nuclear protests. She’s lent her talents to benefit numerous fundraisers, and the causes she believes in often find their way into DiFranco’s lyrics.

Global Citizen Voting Hub

One of DiFranco’s biggest causes that she advocates for is democracy, both in the US and abroad. She once traveled to Burma to meet with and raise money for Aung San Suu Kyi, the resistance leader of Burma who is now effectively the country’s prime minister. In 2000, she kicked off her VOTE DAMMIT tour, to encourage voter participation around the US, which she embarked on again in 2004 as well as this year.

DiFranco just released a new single and video, “Play God,” which gives new listeners a taste of what they can expect with her music. The song is explicit in its message, found in the haunting refrain: “I feel that I’ve earned my right to choose. You don’t get to play God, man — I do” as footage of pro-choice marches and protests flash across the screen. She literally writes “Reproductive Freedom = Civil Rights” and “Trust Women” in marker at one point. Yeah, “I am a soldier, it’s my blood that flows,” she sings. “I give my life so that this tree can grow. You don’t know creation like I know.  So you can’t tell me, you can’t tell me.”

We caught up with DiFranco as she was wrapping up her VOTE DAMMIT tour, and before she helps Global Citizen with our #ShowupVote event in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 3. There, she will perform along with Talib Kweli to celebrate democracy and inspire Floridians to take advantage of early voting. Learn more here. She shared her thoughts on the current election, the current state of women’s rights in the US, what her favorite pizza topping is, and much, much more.  

Learn More: Why It’s Getting Harder and Harder to Vote in the US

On the possibility of the US electing its first female president:

Huge! It’s huge! On so many levels. Starting with the fact that children all over America who can’t necessarily understand what is being said or done by politicians, sure can see their faces. After Barack and Hillary get done here we are going to have a whole new generation of Americans with a whole new understanding of things like hierarchy and possibility. So exciting!

What her election could mean for women:

Don’t underestimate the impact of the shift in perspective a female leader can bring to issues like reproductive rights. Ms. Clinton [could] be the first president able to talk about reproductive rights not in a manner of religious posturing or philosophical theorizing but as a real-life, urgent matter of physical and mental freedom and safety. I believe the effect of this perspective shift from third to first position in relation to the discourse on reproductive rights could be a powerful thing for this society to hear.


'Ms. Clinton [could] be the first president able to talk about reproductive rights … as a real-life, urgent matter of physical and mental freedom and safety.'


How the US fares for women’s rights:

This is a crucial time, with the Supreme Court in flux, and a potential incoming president who has the capacity to understand and speak on reproductive rights with unprecedented authority. We should seize this opportunity to take back control of the discourse and put women’s rights back into the forefront. We can help society to evolve beyond patriarchy by first helping it to understand there is a whole subset of civil rights that apply only to women. We can accomplish this great unfinished business of civil rights in America and be on our way to a more balanced society.

Learn More: 20 Key Races to Watch on Election Day

On how to equip younger women to be leaders for women’s rights:

First we help them to understand that when we talk about the empowerment of women we are really talking about the empowerment of all humankind. If you look at things holistically, peace is a byproduct of balance, and balance can never be achieved in human society as long as it is based on the fundamental imbalance of global patriarchy.

Until we address systemic patriarchy and achieve the resonance of gender equality, we cannot effectively address any one of the contemporary social/political/environmental crises that we are facing. When you rectify the fundamental imbalance you lay the groundwork for actually, ultimately dealing with things like racism, war, and environmental destruction. You lay the groundwork for peace. Step one is bringing women to the table. Every table. Think of how far we are from that, globally. Which makes ground zero: reproductive freedom.

Learn More: Everything You Need to Know About Voting in Florida


'There is a whole subset of civil rights that apply only to women.'


On why voter-turnout campaigns matter:

I have organized three official VOTE DAMMIT tours, once in 2000, once in 2004 and again this year. These tours have included lots of outreach and voter registration, building and showing a slideshow on the history of voting rights in America to inspire people, focusing on swing states... just generally trying to talk to people (especially my own age or younger) about trying to achieve enough faith in the democratic process to actually give it a try! I, too, grew up in the age of political disillusionment and I, too, struggle to keep the faith but I see the danger of apathy.

On why voter turnout is critical this year:

Here’s a lesson on how Congress works: crazy people in = crazy laws out. Cool people in = cool laws out. And here’s a math lesson in general government: the more people vote, the cooler the people are that get voted in.


'Here’s a lesson on how Congress works: Crazy people in = crazy laws out. Cool people in = cool laws out.'


How DiFranco’s label Righteous Babe got its name:

It was Righteous Records that I scribbled on my first cassette jacket when I was 18 but then I found out there was a gospel label in Oklahoma by that name. They didn’t take kindly to sharing the name with me so I threw the ‘Babe' in as a joke. Me and my friend Suzi always used to call each other babe, imitating men's come-ons. As jokes go, it just stuck!

Finally, here are 8 fun facts about Ani DiFranco:

​​

Favorite pizza topping:

Anchovies, olives and onions

First record/tape/CD you owned:

Prince, “Purple Rain”

Favorite feminist icon:

Alice Walker

Favorite Sunday activity:

Working in the garden

Book every woman should read:

“The Alphabet Versus the Goddess”

Meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan?

Meat-eater

Biggest solvable issue facing the US today?

Gun control

Best show you ever played:

My next one (details here!)


Global Citizen is heading to Columbus, Ohio, to celebrate democracy with De La Soul and DRAM on Friday, Oct. 28. Get more details here. Then we'll head to Orlando with Ani DiFranco and Talib Kweli on Nov. 3. More details here.

Profiles

Demand Equity

Ani DiFranco Has an Idea or Two About How to Fix the US Political System

By Cassie Carothers