From Burlesque to Bikes: Tamale Sepp on Dykes on Bikes, Pride, and Queer Power

A beloved Pride tradition around the world is the roar of Dykes on Bikes: a fierce motorcade of motorcycle mamas who kick off the parade with a chrome-plated spectacle of queer power, and noise. They first rolled onto the scene at San Francisco Pride in the mid-’70s and quickly became a staple all over the world. 

Inspired by those heavy-metal heroines, Chicago’s own Bikes and Mics emerged—a no-rules posse of queer performers, riders, and creatives. This year, the group celebrates their 10th anniversary with a high-octane Mad Max–themed ride, complete with leather, dust, and rumors of a Tina Turner impersonator showing up as Aunty Entity.

Today, comedian and motorcycle mama Tamale Sepp joins us to dive into the wild, fabulous history of Bikes and Mics and Dykes on Bikes—two-wheeled revolutions led by fierce queer women who love a little heavy metal rumbling between their thighs.

BIKES AND MICS:
https://www.bikesandmics.com

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Plus-

• JoJo Siwa cancels upcoming Chicago Pride performance amid controversy over dating a man.
 
• Comedian Margaret Cho says Ellen DeGeneres was “not nice” and acted like a “mean girl.”

• Sidetrack, one of the world’s largest gay bars, plans to open the first-ever airport gay bar at Chicago’s O’Hare Terminal 1.

• Openly queer musician Daniel Hamrick hijacks a ‘Straight Pride’ event with a trans power ballad.