When will the disrespect of female members in coed black motorcycle clubs stop?

When will the disrespect of female members in coed black motorcycle clubs stop?

There has been very little research available on the subject of the disrespect and discrimination female members in co-ed black motorcycle clubs experience. There are hundreds of black female motorcycle clubs and many black female motorcyclists are full members of co-ed clubs however it tends to be an oxymoron when it comes to the input women have when it relates to important decisions within the club. I will say in some not all black co-ed motorcycle clubs because I don't want to be as small minded as the men who disrespect and discriminate against their female counterparts in these black co-ed clubs.

I first hand have experienced this behavior just a few days ago. Let me say it has been this way since I joined the club I immediately observed the double standards that were applied between male and female members. Now let me ask what's behind the exclusionary practices involved in oppressing women in the black motorcycle club community. In this male dominated arena, women are objects. Men, and even motorcycles, hold the subject position. What does the future hold for these clubs and their female member? A large part of the information comes from first-hand experience; like my very own personal experience.

Much of the black motorcycle club basic understanding and or knowledge are based on the politics in the area in which the club exist. I have spoken rather candidly with a few of my female sisters in my former club because of their lack of wisdom on handling the disrespect and discrimination during our club meetings. Since I've been around the biker world for a time now, I felt compelled to educate a bit. I asked a very simple question, "Are you here for the love of the patch or the politics?"

I find that if you are to exist, if you have the stomach for it within a co-ed black motorcycle club; you will have to have a certain mindset. A mindset that will allow you to be told, I quote," your place here is to only handle administrative things, make sure the men have what they need, keep your mouth shut, no opinion opposite of the men, pay your dues and you definitely are forbidden to express openly your opinion and let the men run the club."

I'll tell you the consequences to a female who knows her value and who has no fear of anyone but God. She will be labeled as a trouble maker. Yeah that was me.lol

My motivation for joining the club was that I thought they would be fair and equitable in their treatment of their members in all instances and I found out different. If they don't like you, equitable treatment won't apply to you. I will again say not all co-ed clubs treat their female member s in this way but there are far more that do than those that don't. My next question is what will be the future for the clubs and their female members?

Well I am no longer with the club as of this week. I was raised by the rule; if you don't stand for something, then you ain't about nothing. I refuse to allow male or female to disrespect me one too many times before it will be on and poppin. One gift my God has given me is a courageous spirit and through life it has at times felt like a curse and most days a blessing.

It tends to keep down bullshit for me as well as having me with a few select people in my life that can appreciate my honesty. I don't make threats; I make promises. This was taught to me by my mother and it has worked to eliminate the riff raff. I feel much more comfortable knowing where I stand with an individual then to have some fake shady person around me slithering like a snake.

A real man can appreciate my being direct, straight to the point, confident, assured and knowing my value as the great Queen my God has created. I learned all of this after several years of bumps and lots of bruises. My experience has shown me that when a woman arrives at this point she becomes a threat to little boys because of their uncertainty and disdain for themselves. Guess what, that ain't my damn problem. Get over it boys.

Some want to place this behavior on Black Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs. I beg to differ it seems the sport bike motorcycle clubs who are trying to find their way and place on the set are much more subject to this behavior. Property is what Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs consider their women and sport bike clubs who try this aren't sure who they are on the set.

The club I just left straddles the fence. They want to consider themselves a sport bike club with outlaw tendencies. Where they do that at? I believe if they were open to know better they would do better. (LMAO)

Antiquated egotistical thought processes have been the downfall of most dynasties, countries, relationships and yes black co-ed motorcycle clubs. The ones that survive are those who have female members who are willing to accept being treated less than equal. Why make a female be required to do the same things as a Prospect and a Patched member and not have the same rights as the male member.

Some females don't have enough self esteem to make a move toward something different or stick together to make a change within their clubs. It saddens me when I see women who are prime examples of this and they don't know it trickles down to their personal lives too. If you accept bullshit from the club you will accept bullshit in your relationships with a man or a woman. Abuse is no respecter of person, race or gender.

This goes a lot deeper than we would like to indulge ourselves. It's easier to see when there's white racism against blacks 'cause it's so common, but the reverse happens as well. Because we as black bikers it doesn't matter if we are Outlaw or Sport Bike our black motorcycle community is virtually invisible to most people. When they speak of a biker they normally are referring to a white biker and then they identify them as a biker or outlaw motorcycle gang.

The Chosen Few MC Los Angeles, Defiant Ones MC and the East Bay Dragons MC out of Oakland are few of the oldest remaining black and biracial motorcycle clubs in California. They were formed in mid and late 1950's. One thing most aren't familiar with is that there are Outlaw Black Female Motorcycle Clubs. Hogg Divas MC, Road Queens MC, Iron Essence MC and possibly a few others.

Like their white counterparts, African-American outlaw clubs claimed "outlaw" status, rode only Harleys, and were all-male. In addition, outlaw clubs in the African-American motorcycle community are the ones who sanction other motorcycle clubs based on their geographic location. The black outlaw clubs are those who through various means have carved out geographic territory that they govern. They are considered the majority club in an area and must have large numbers to maintain control of their territory.

In most co-ed black motorcycle clubs don't allow female members to serve as president, vice-president or sergeant-at-arms. They are likely to serve as business manager or secretary of the club; which is the biggest crock of bull I've seen. If a woman just happens to obtain a position within a co-ed club as President or Vice-President they will have to fight for respect from some of their male members.

The biggest controversy for me is that all of these men came from a woman and allowed their mothers to guide them instruct and teach but once they get to the motorcycle set that chauvinistic stench surfaces. "The men run the clubs". Straight up bullshit!

Women riders are faced with difficult decisions when seeking to become a member of a motorcycle club. If they do not wish to be property, then there are few choices available. They can join an all-female club that has been sanctioned by the outlaws, which would also allow them to hold high officer positions. Yet, these clubs are now becoming much more respected than before. They weren't considered valid a few years back because they were all-female.

The crap I've seen when women are in Officer positions they are directly or indirectly instructed to not speak unless spoken to. When they do they are told to shut up. I also saw firsthand the other day when a female Officer wanted to speak the male officers didn't acknowledge her hand up in the meeting. The sick part about it is they allow them to look down on them and still serve in these positions.

The sexism that permeates the black MC set is pitiful. You would think as a people who have experienced racism and oppression they would want to not subject each other to these diseases anymore.

I am not sure if men realize women ride motorcycles for the same reasons that men ride. It gives us the same audacious motivation and turns us on. Women also join motorcycle clubs for the same reasons as well: a sense of camaraderie with others who share a similar passion. Yet the hatred of female motorcycle riders in the black motorcycle club community is unavoidable. There are very few women who join co-ed black motorcycle clubs. Most co-ed clubs limit the numbers of female members based on the ratio of male-to-female membership. Most officer positions are reserved for male members.

Those who want to experience this without the hassle of sexism within the club join an all-female club. Women are subject to being in relationships with men in the black motorcycle club community that resemble one like a pimp to prostitute, instead of their professed relationship of club brother to club sister. Similarly, the female motorcycle club member is both mistreated and protected by her associations with male club members. When you hear an abuser say you made me do it, that's what this feels like to me. It's my fault and most women stay in those unhealthy relationships. Not me!

The club I just left treat their female counterparts in a bad version of what Outlaw clubs call Property Of. Some of my former female sisters conducted themselves with the belief that the motorcycle club is a masculine entity and accept their role as objects. They agree that the women's role as a full patched member is like Property to take care of the men's various needs in the club, and the men's role is to protect and provide for the women. The funny shit was the men didn't provide or protect the women they just used them. Now once again I will make it clear that not all of the men within my former club behaved like this but it was more than I could stand. How I see it is to accept the role as property when you're fully patched as your male member is like accepting the label as other.

The stupidity in this for me is that African Americans have for a long time taken the space of description of Other. That is why the omission of the black motorcycle club community from motorcycle culture is not surprising. However, the black motorcycle club community utilizes the same process to refute the visibility of female riders.

Here is where it gets a little deep. Although it can be noted that female motorcyclist in the black biker community as a whole are subject to inequalities, there is a distinctive thought process for this bias in the black motorcycle club community: If you didn't know motorcycle clubs are considered a black social institution that stands alongside the church, school, and family and it is a battleground where black men seem to think they can reclaim their manhood.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article I questioned what the future will be of the black motorcycle community. Sexism within black motorcycle clubs, although it is much more crucial then we want to accept affects both male in female in adverse ways; so without a proposed solution I believe we will again destroy ourselves.

Like photos that degrade women, a number of black female riders are at a crossroad on how to present edifying support without compromising themselves in black motorcycle clubs. Racial strengthening will not happen with a divided effort. To exclude black from the black empowerment movements and banishment from social evolution in these organizations, such as motorcycle clubs, is detrimental to the very institutions that reject them.

We can no longer justify the gender politics of black motorcycle clubs as a way of strengthening the social system in which the father or eldest male is head of the household, having authority over women and children; today this is foolish. Barbara Ransby and Tracye Matthews argue against the same practice in other African-American patriarchal institutions. It "is not an assertion of Black manhood. It is a debasement of Black womanhood, and by extension Black personhood"

Black men in the United States still have higher unemployment and incarceration rates than black women (U.S. Census Bureau), which limits leisure time and spending. With black female riders increasing daily companies like Harley-Davidson is marketing to African Americans women and black motorcycle clubs will either progress and accept us or wither away as another lost treasure of African-American history.

In hopes to not really create a rise I 'm trying to not have the discussion about black male motorcycle clubs where I am making a comparison between them and their white male counterparts. These important enlightening issues must make their way into motorcycle our community as black bikers.

I will end with this with hope it will evoke a change a few black male motorcycle riders and black motorcycle clubs that are discriminatory. I don't know if you realize that white bikers don't give a damn about your black clubs. Why because it's that way. You really not until we do away with the ill practices we present to one another and unite will they feel they have a force to reckon with. The same racism and degradation black men experience from white bikers you are imposing upon your black sisters within the motorcycle community.

Now ask yourself does it feel good to you to be oppressed, dismissed, disrespected, set apart, discriminated, considered as other, unequal, unrated…I can continue with the adjectives. This is how you treat your sisters. Let's stop the shit and respect one another as fellow motorcyclists and our love of the throttle.