'Real feminists' not offended by band name, Black Pussy frontman says

The frontman of Black Pussy is speaking out against a petition calling on his band to change its name and concert-goers to boycott venues where they play.

Dustin Hill is the guitarist and vocalist of the Portland-based rock band that's ruffled feathers for its controversial name.

He said he has no plans to change the name, and most people aren't offended by it.

I think real feminists are offended by how these people are reacting.- Dustin Hill, Black Pussy frontman

 "I think real feminists are offended by how these people are reacting. I'm seeing a bigger group of that than the people offended by our band name," he said.

The band's name is the subject of a petition signed by about 1,700 people, demanding the name be changed because of its reference to the Rolling Stones song Brown Sugar, one that, according to the petition, "unmistakably refers to raping black women during slavery."

The petition asks people to boycott venues the band plays , including five Canadian stops planned for early June in Winnipeg, Calgary, Equity, A.B., Vancouver and Victoria.

Hill said the name came to him in a "meditative state"

"I wanted something that felt sexy and '70s. Those two words came to me, and I'm like, 'OK' and I felt the vibe of it for sure," he said. "From there, I researched the words and what they meant which then led me to the Rolling Stones Brown Sugar song … it was claimed to be an anti-racist, anti-rape song, I just felt like I had hit the jackpot with a band name."

Multiple Canadian artists have also spoken out about the name.

isKwe, an indigenous, Toronto-based singer-songwriter, posted on Facebook about her disappointment with the name on Wednesday.

"We've got Action Bronson openly rapping about the joys of gang-raping women, and Black Pussy, an all-white male band who feel that it's a totally reasonable band name regardless of it originally being a Rolling Stones song title that was changed IN THE 70'S because it was deemed too offensive," she wrote. "Both acts are playing in Canada to massive audiences over the next couple of weeks. Because violence against women is no big deal … right? We're not affected by music or song lyrics … right? Like I said a few posts ago … Music business, you're in desperate need of a facelift."

Hill acknowledged the name could be offensive to people, but he said people can choose how to react to things.

It's funny to me because if we were five black women there would be no issue.- Dustin Hill, Black Pussy frontman

"From my position, it doesn't make any sense. The words are just two words. There's nothing before the words or after the words. It's two words … it's an ambiguous name," he said. "It's funny to me because if we were five black women there would be no issue. That's saying that someone lays claims to these two words, and no one owns any words."

Hill said he never had any intention to hurt anyone's feelings with the band name, but he does think people are becoming too sensitive.

He said people can choose to look at the glass half-full or half-empty, but, "you have a lot of people nowadays saying, 'The glass is raped. The glass is sexist. The glass is a racist,' and I just can't understand where they're coming from," said Hill. "Are we getting to the point where if I walked up to a woman that I may know and I offered her a banana she would be offended by it and think it was sexist? Like how far, is society going now with how sensitive they are?"

Hill said it's a small group of people who are offended by the name, which he noted had multiple meanings, neither of which refer directly to a person.

I think my grandmother would probably say, "Oh Dustin, your band name is tacky,"- Dustin Hill, Black Pussy frontman

The band's show in Raleigh, N.C., had to be cancelled due to backlash about the band's name, and the band Black Hearted pulled out of their Winnipeg show at the Pyramid.

"I think my grandmother would probably say, 'Oh Dustin, your band name is tacky,' if she was still alive, but I never thought it would be offensive in the way people are saying it's offensive," said Hill.

Black Pussy's next show is June 2 in Winnipeg before they head west to complete the Canadian leg of their tour.