By Kate Brown, Ph.D.–
Moving to San Francisco in 2000 was a defining moment in my life. I had just finished college at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and was starting a job at a cutting-edge biotech company in South San Francisco. I easily settled into San Francisco life. I remember going to giant monthly parties for women, getting drinks at the Lexington, dancing with friends and strangers at the Café, and finding new things to read at A Different Light in the Castro. San Francisco had everything I wanted.
But it was the San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Parade that really grabbed me. Specifically, seeing the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® as they started the parade. The first time I experienced it, it was as though the palpable sound of the engines were a part of me as they started in near unison, their thunder reverberating down Market Street. By the hundreds they passed by me, and I wanted nothing more than to be a part of the noise, of the energy, of the sheer freedom they represented.
I first got to be a part of the Pride Parade energy with the Dykes on Bikes® in the mid-2000s while I was a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. It was even more thrilling to be a rider. It was also clear that the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® was a powerful community. I would ride my Honda Rebel 450 across the Bay Bridge every week to go to the meetings, which at that point were held in the dark, back bar of the legendary SF Eagle Tavern. I was committed to becoming part of the community, and after I had attended enough meetings, participated in volunteer events, helped with fundraising, and joined in group rides, I became an official, patch-holding member.
Fast forward 17 years. I continue to love our group rides throughout the year (yes, I have a bigger motorcycle) and, of course, being part of the kickoff of the Parade. However, the best part of being part of Dykes on Bikes® is the people whom I have met through the organization.
I had the honor of being friends with Soni Wolf, Secretary Emeritus of Dykes on Bikes®. Soni started riding with Dykes on Bikes® in the late ‘70s and was Secretary for as long as anyone could remember. As a patch-holder in my mid-20s, I saw in Soni not just a friend but a model of LGBTQ+ courage, dignity, and Pride. It is the unique kind of Pride our LGBTQ+ elders hold that is forged from decades of service to our community, and from the victories and losses endured as part of the relentless pursuit of LGBTQ+ visibility and equality.
It’s an honor to have known Soni and to be a small part of what she helped build. While great strides have been made, we as a community have so much more that we need to accomplish for LGBTQ+ equality. I strive to nurture and build community as she did in her own unique way and will continue to carry her memory forward in the fight.
Kate Brown, Ph.D., is the President of the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent.
Published on August 26, 2021
Recent Comments