1937 Harley-Davidson
Dykes, Bikes, Yikes!
Dykes
on bikes? We wish. No, the title refers to two
different annual events happening this weekend. While both events are fairly high-viz and make their presence felt around town all weekend, they don't quite grab the attention that they do in other cities. We think they should. In fact, we think they both should make a bigger stink when they take over town. In other cities,
Gay Pride is an all-encompassing deal, and so is
Bike Week. But Austin is soooooo accustomed to "rebels" and outsiders as insiders, that "events" such as these are lost in a blink. Maybe what needs to happen is some good old cross-pollination and consolidation.
We can see it now, a big burly biker with a Babtist Woman on his saddle zooming across the warehouse district, church lady's purse twisting in the jet stream. Or some beefcake boy at Splash triple-carding a weathered biker babe with tattoos on her tattoos and a shirt that proclaims in 21é2-inch iron-ons: Bubba's Bitch. Can't you just see the throng of meticulously outfitted weekend warriors and tidy OilCan boys comparing Hilfiger bandannas? We think we might be on to something.
While it's not a "Bike Week" proper, the mega Republic of Texas Biker Rally, Friday, June 1-Sunday, June 3 at the Travis County Expo Center on Decker Lane, is a thundering weekend of events and rides geared toward luring motorcyclists in from all over to descend upon our town. One look at the schedule (www.rotrally.com/schedule.html ) reveals a number of "approximately"s and "whenever"s as it becomes clear that the weekend is strictly on "biker time." Aside from the bike shows, bike races, big party on Sixth Street, and Jerry Jeff concert, there's also an event or two hosted by Bikers Against Child Abuse. BACA is bringing Kyle Enzler, who is on a nationwide Trek for Kids (www.trekforkids.org), biking (on bicycle, that is) from San Diego to head cross-country to Washington with the intention of raising awareness about kids' issues. The BACA bikers will ride out and meet Kyle and escort him to the Expo Center for a Saturday, June 2 appearance. Joining Kyle will be X-Games champ BMXer Rueul Erickson from Jump for Kids, who will do all sorts of double-back-flippage crazy wacky-type things on a ramp, etc. No time is given for either, but we imagine "biker's time" -- and in this case "bicyclist's time" -- will be in effect. www.baca-tx.org or 281/752-0188.
Also all over town, this weekend is Gay Pride. Texas Pride 2001, hosted by Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, happens Sunday, June 3, at Fiesta Gardens. All sorts of vendors and public-service orgs set up booths and you know the score: There's rainbow everything for sale, and cruising aplenty happens throughout the entire day of fun and frolic. Patrice Pike plays for the girls and Schrödinger's Cat for the boys (okay, that's reductive, they both have universal appeal). On the night before, Saturday, June 2, 7pm-midnight, there is a special Women's Dance at the Fiesta Gardens Clubhouse in honor of the fact that there is still no real lesbian bar in this town. There's also a special Sunday Brunch at the site for anyone not too wiped out from the night before. 474-5475.
In the Name of Christ
A multidenominational Gay Pride Worship Service happens Saturday, June 2, 6:45pm, at University Baptist Church, 21st & Guadalupe. This marks an unprecedented collaborative celebration between clergy and members of local churches Trinity United Methodist, St. Andrew's Presbyterian, MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks, St. George's Episcopal, University Baptist, Church of the Savior, Kingdom Seekers, First English Lutheran, First Unitarian Universalist, and the Interfaith Care Alliance. Trinity United senior minister Sid Hall says, "It's time to stop the prejudice in the name of Christ, and time to open the doors to all of God's children." Amen, bro. 459-5835 or 899-1934.
