The gAyBC’s With Bobby Beyond: D Is For Dykes On Bikes

September 24, 2023
BOBBY BEYOND

What could be more badass than motorcycles? The answer is not what, but who, and that lies in the letter D of the gAyBC’s. Oftentimes, lesbians are excluded or just simply an afterthought in many LGBT forms of media. However, their presence throughout history has been crucial to our activism and survival. This is the story of the badass biker group who fights on the frontlines, and they have chapters all over the world. From the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK, these riders advocate for civil rights and equality for those often marginalized. D is for Dykes on Bikes!

Rev up your engines, and let’s ride all the way back to 1941, World War II. Over 250,000 women were recruited for the US Armed Forces, many serving in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), and were an auxiliary unit, created on May 15, 1942, until they were converted to active duty status on July 1, 1943. The posters advertising WAC typically modeled muscular, short-haired women wearing tight-fitting uniforms. Many lesbians joined WAC as a way to meet other lesbians and do “men’s work”. They performed duties in many areas including switchboard operators, bakers, postal clerks, drivers, stenographers, clerk-typists, and mechanics. Lesbians were often attracted to the mechanics' division, and thus led to their affinity for motorcycles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dykes On Bikes Sussex WMC (@dykesonbikessussexwmc)

Coming back from World War II, many gays and lesbians flocked to large metropolitan cities such as San Francisco. And on July 4, 1976, the first courageous women rode their bikes into the San Francisco Pride Parade. The SF Chronicle called them “dykes on bikes.” Soni Wolf then became the founder and organized the group in 1978 during her first ride. The group claimed the name with pride, and then fought to register and trademark Dykes on Bikes, but were met with opposition. The opposition argued that such “disparaging language” should not be allowed to be trademarked. However, on June 19, 2017, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to prevent the registering of a trademark based on disparaging language, bringing victory to the bikers!

In 2016, the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence sainted Soni for dedicating her life to fundraising, activism, and human rights. Soni was set to serve as the grand marshal of the 2018 San Francisco Pride Parade, but sadly passed away just two months prior to the event. Soni was represented in the ride by her closest friends in the parade by her closest friends, who carried her custom-painted motorcycle tank from the bike she rode in her very first ride in 1978.

These fearless women were also hailed as protectors in the gay community. In Australia, the '80s saw a rise in gay hate crimes. Gay men were being attacked, creating urgency for action from within. The bikers would ride through the streets, patrolling and doing whatever they could to get other gays to safety. They’d call cabs for the intoxicated, give them rides home, and became an intimidating presence to outside threats.

The Dykes on Bikes continue to ride in pride parades while also upholding their continued activism around the world. They’re a proud group that stands tall in the face of oppression, fear, and ignorance. Their dedication to the community is admirable beyond words, and I want to express my highest gratitude for the women that ride. Everyone in the LGBT+ community can take a page from their book to see that not all heroes wear capes, some wear leather and ride a badass bike.