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Journalist Jessica Hopper uses Twitter to expose sexism and discrimination in the music industry

by Jay Gabler

August 26, 2015

Jessica Hopper, a writer who got her start in Minnesota as a teenager in the '90s, has become one of the most well-known and best respected music journalists in America. She recently published her first book, The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic (which Andrea Swensson wrote about for The Current's Rock and Roll Book Club), and last year she stopped by our studios to share some wisdom with our college contributors.

This week, Hopper has been using her Twitter account to solicit and retweet stories of sexism and discrimination in the music industry. Female musicians, journalists, and fans have been tweeting true stories of discrimination and harassment they've faced simply for being women involved in the music scene; some men have also come forward to share instances of discrimination they've experienced or witnessed.

The stories Hopper's followers have shared have been repeated reminders—for anyone who might have needed reminding—that many men in music, whether consciously or unconsciously, continue to treat women with a lack of respect. Race, sexual orientation, and other variables also occasion discrimination in the music world—often combined with sexism, as Hopper's followers have pointed out.

Below, I've embedded a selection of the tweets Hopper's followers have shared. For more, see her entire Twitter feed. The stories have also been collected here.

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