Repository of artists I denied myself the pleasure of listening to because I was to some extant sexist and homophobic as a child

The Bangles Madonna Paula Abdul (how many times did I pull "Shut up and dance - The Remix album" out of the racks at Sam Goody, only to replace it and go buy Suicidal Tendencies or something?) Siouxsie and the Banshees The B-52s (not that I knew they were gay, just that they were 50% female) Depeche Mode (their album had a flower on the cover) The Butthole Surfers More to come, I'm sure, as I remember them.

Wow. The formatting didn't work at all there. What the hell?

Mariah Carey
The KLF

Not the Cure, but couldn't bring myself to buy Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me for the longest time because of those big red lips.

Was similarly put off by the Rolling Stones and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Those pillowy, sensuous lips.

Tori Amos

Wasn't sure exactly what the Buzzcocks were about.

So what did you listen to instead, to reassure you of manliness?

Oh, typical metal, punk, lots of funk-metal, sixties classic rock. A little indie here and there.

But there were artists I'd make inexplicable exceptions for, and for some reason I was quick to point out that say, Camper Van Beethoven had a female violin player.

It's not like I was consciously against girls or gay people. Most of my friends were girls, I had a gay friend, and my personal political views were very progressive and feminist. But I had this hangup at the record store.

I just got thinking about it because these days I listen to about 70% music made by woman musicians.

One of the first full-length albums I bought by a female artist was Ladies of the Canyon. I almost had a panic attack taking that up to the clerk.

you thought the Butthole Surfers engaged in the literal surfing of buttholes?

I wasn't precisely sure what they were talking about. It was mysterious.

you've given us all a lot to think about this week!

Living in a redneck, white-trash, hillbilly neighborhood - Advice?

Perhaps I'm going through a phase.