Saturday marks the fourth anniversary of the DC Chapter of Dykes on Bikes leading the Capital Pride Parade. Over these years, the chapter has grown from just me, the founding member, to 134 riders. We’ve shared many adventures together, from crossing the Bay Bridge and getting lost on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to riding through horse country in Virginia.
I was surprised to learn when I bought my motorcycle that Washington, D.C. did not have a Dykes on Bikes Chapter. Me, a new rider, was desperate for other women to ride with who shared my new found passion. I’d contacted Capital Pride, but they informed me that the women who rode in the parade were not part of an organization, but instead showed up every year. I contacted the founding chapter in San Francisco who confirmed this news, but then sent me all the paperwork required to start a chapter.
Me, start a local chapter of Dykes on Bikes in a big city? Keep in mind, I grew up in a city of 55,000 surrounded by farm country. Washington, D.C. still intimidated me. But,  me being the headstrong person my mother raised, decided to tackle the challenge.
I wrote bylaws and set up an informational meeting at Nellies Sports Bar. Because Nellies gave us our first meeting place and we will always be grateful for their support! Sitting on the patio, half an hour early, alone, I was nervous no one was going to show up. I’d posted flyers in women’s bars and talked to everyone I knew to help me promote the organization. And as the hours ticked down, I thought about calling my friends to have them show up so I wasn’t sitting there alone, embarrassed.
To my surprise, women arrived. Women I’d never met who were interested in joining an organization I was starting. Granted, it’s a pretty famous, national organization. I can’t take any credit for making Dykes on Bikes cool. Fifteen women gave me their contact information, wanting to ride.
Within a matter of months, the chapter was officially chartered by the national organization. We had a bank account, a website, and even a few rides planned. Our first Pride Parade was around the corner. Approximately 20 bikes lead the parade. By the following year, we were closer to thirty. Last year, 40. This year, I’m hoping for close to 50.
These women have become some of my best friends. They know how to tell a dirty joke to make you laugh when you’re down and they’re the people who want to invest in their communities to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Together, I know we make a difference. So many women over the years have told me what it has meant to them to be out and riding with Dykes on Bikes in the Pride Parade. They describe how they never thought this day was possible or what it’s been like to find a group so warm and welcoming. It’s for these reasons and so many more that I’m sure the first chapter was formed in 1976 and it’s why the Washington, D.C. chapter formed in 2010.
This year, we will make an It Gets Better Video to send this message to LGBT youth as well as others who might still be afraid to come out. Because it truly does get better. Ask any one of this chapter’s membership and they will describe for you the fun and adventures they have with friends while exploring the DC metro region.
The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. The reward here has been exponentially greater than anything I could have ever imagined. Thank you to everyone who had faith in me as well as everyone else, members and friends, who helped make this possible. Without your help, we wouldn’t have come this far.
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