Dyke march

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Not to be confused with Dyke Marsh.

lesbian pride and culture.[1]
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A dyke march is a

lesbian parenting
groups.

Dyke marches are concentrated in various influential cities across North America. New York City, in which the first officially declared Dyke March was conducted,

Washington, DC, and West Hollywood. Canadian dyke marches can be found in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. The first Latin American dyke march was held in Mexico City in 2003.[3] In Europe, dyke marches take place in various cities, including Berlin, London, and Stockholm
.

History

Dyke march, Boston, US, 2008

Before the concept of a "dyke march" came to be, one of the first documented

lesbian pride marches in North America took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in May 1981. Approximately 200 lesbians attending the fifth Bi-National Lesbian Conference marched through downtown streets chanting "Look over here, look over there, lesbians are everywhere!"[4]

Later, in October 1981, the now-defunct organization Lesbians Against the Right held a "Dykes in the Streets" march in Toronto, Ontario, with lesbian power, pride, and visibility as the theme. 350 women participated in this demonstration.[5][6] Another similar demonstration would not be held again in Toronto until 1996.[7]

The first conceptualized and self-proclaimed dyke march was formed in Washington, DC, during the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation.[8] Organized by the Lesbian Avengers, over 20,000 women participated in the march on April 24, 1993.[9][10] Due to the successful turnout of this first march, the New York Lesbian Avengers decided to organize a march of their own held in June 1993. Beyond marching throughout the city, a manifesto was handed out and the Avengers created a “float”: a bed on wheels full of kissing dykes. A banner, which is used every year to demarcate the front of the March, was improvised at Bryant Park with markers and oaktag. Around the same time that year, Atlanta and San Francisco also held their first dyke marches.[11]

Most dyke marches today occur in late June during Pride celebrations commemorating the Stonewall riots in New York City on June 28, 1969.[12]

Importance to community

The first Dyke March held in April 1993 in Washington D.C. was accompanied with a manifesto crafted by the Lesbian Avengers. The purpose of the flyer was to address the necessity for grassroots lesbian organizing, especially given the anti-gay bills being pushed throughout the early 1990s. After learning about this manifesto, lesbians from Los Angeles created a large banner for their contingent, and those from Philadelphia constructed a vagina statue that was carried through the streets of Washington D.C.[13][14]

An excerpt from this

call to action within the lesbian community reads:

Calling All Lesbians! Wake Up! It's Time To Get Out Of The Beds, Out Of The Bars And Into The Streets. It's Time To Seize The Power of Dyke Love, Dyke Vision, Dyke Anger, Dyke Intelligence, Dyke Strategy....We're Invisible, Sisters, And It's Not Safe—Not In Our Homes, Not In The Streets, Not On The Job, Not In The Courts. Where Are The Out Lesbian Leaders? It's Time For A Fierce Lesbian Movement And That's You: The Role Model, The Vision, The Desire.[15]

Lack of recognition by media

After the second annual Dyke March in New York City on June 25, 1994, there was a lack of media coverage of the event in spite of attendance numbers reaching 20,000.[16] The New York Times was the only major newspaper that published a mention, albeit brief, about the march. The Lesbian Avengers perceived the overall silence to be a "media blackout", resulting in an aggressive media campaign.[16]

Concurrent with the international march on the

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) issued a press release about Stonewall that failed to recognize the existence of the Dyke March.[16] The Lesbian Avengers confronted the organization about this oversight, and GLAAD re-issued the press release with the addition of a sentence acknowledging the absence of mainstream media coverage about the march.[16]

International Dyke march events

Europe

Germany

Dyke March, Berlin, Germany, 2018

As of 2023, there are dyke marches in more than twenty cities and regions in Germany. The nationwide network of "Dyke* March Germany" is gathering information on all of the dyke marches in Germany on their Instagram account.[18]

There is a yearly dyke march in Hamburg and since 2014 in Cologne, Germany.[19] Since 2017 also in Heidelberg, and since 2018 in Oldenburg.[20]

The Berlin Dyke March has been in operation since 2013 in the LGBT-friendly neighborhood of Kreuzberg.[21] The march occurs annually in June, on the day before the Berlin Pride Parade.[citation needed]

As of 2023, there are dyke marches planned throughout the year in Berlin, Bielefeld,[

better source needed] Weimar,[citation needed] and Würzburg.[citation needed
]

United Kingdom

The London Dyke March was first organized in 2012 and is held each year in June.

transgender lesbian activist and former Lib Dem councilor.[citation needed
]

The London Dyke March emphasizes diversity, including bois, queers, femmes, butches, and lipstick lesbians.

Latin America

Mexico

The first Latin America demonstration of a dyke march was held on March 21, 2003. This march extended from the symbolic Monument to the Revolution to the Zócalo, the capital’s huge central plaza.

Organizers state "For us, the Lesbian March is an important show of visibility because it aims at smashing stereotypes and prejudices."[3]

North America

United States

Asbury Park, New Jersey

The inaugural

Asbury Park Dyke March was held in October 2020.[24]

Chicago
See also: § Incidents regarding Jewish pride flags

The Chicago Dyke March is held in the month of June and has been in operation since 1995, beginning in the LGBT-friendly neighborhood of

Andersonville.[citation needed] Many participants consider it "a chance to celebrate ourselves as women, as lesbians, and to show the community that we are here."[25]

In 2008, organizers of the Chicago Dyke March announced that it would remain in a new location for two consecutive years.[

La Villita
in 2017.

New York
19th NYC Dyke March, New York, US, 2011

The Second Annual New York City Dyke March was held in June 1994 and led to the solidification and continuation of the yearly NYC Dyke March.[27] The march is open to everyone who identifies as a "dyke".

As with the San Francisco Dyke March, the organizers do not seek out a permit, and put emphasis on the political. Even though there are many club nights and parties after the March, the event is not so much about entertainment as it is about highlighting the presence of self-identified women within the LGBT community.[citation needed]

San Francisco
better source needed
]

The first San Francisco Dyke March was held in June 1993,[28] and is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in June.[29] The march begins in Mission Dolores Park with speeches, performances, and community networking; and ends in the Castro District.[28] The dyke march is informal, with marchers creating their own signs and most people showing up to participate, rather than to just watch. The San Francisco Dyke March has high attendance numbers.[citation needed]

The streets along the march route are lined with enthusiastic spectators in support of the women.[30]

In the early years, the San Francisco Dyke March Committee (a small group of volunteers) never applied for nor received a permit from the city,[30] exercising the First Amendment right to gather without permits and often changed its route to avoid the police.[31]

Seattle
Dyke march at PrideFest, Seattle, US, 2017

Seattle's dyke march occurs the Saturday before Pride and begins with a Rally at 5 pm at Seattle Central Community College, followed by the march through the streets at 7 pm.[32] The rally is held outdoors, includes speakers and performers who are women identified and queer identified, and is ASL interpreted.[citation needed] Since the late 2000s, organizers have filed for a permit.[citation needed] Since about 2007, the march audience has been about 1,000 women, and the permit ensures the streets are clear for marching.[citation needed]

Washington, DC

The DC Dyke March was first organized in April 1993 and thereafter held annually in June until 2007. After a 12-year absence, the march returned in 2019 with "Dykes Against Displacement" as its theme, in protest of the elimination of low-income housing due to gentrification.[33] The march, however, became mired in controversy resulting from the banning of "nationalist symbols".[34]

Incidents regarding Jewish pride flags

Jewish pride flag
, Gay Pride parade, Paris, France (2014)

2017 Chicago

In 2017, Chicago Dyke March (CDM) organizers singled out three women carrying

anti-Semitism.[38][39][40] A member of the Dyke March Chicago collective stated that the women were removed due to the flags, and pro-Palestinian organizations were asked by CDM to release statements of solidarity while they crafted an official statement.[41] March organizers later released a statement maintaining that the women were asked to leave due to their "Zionist stance and support for Israel", and not the use of Jewish symbols.[42][non-primary source needed
]

In 2018, members of the local Jewish LGBT community expressed reluctance to attend that year's march, citing concerns about safety and alienation.[43]

In 2021, an Instagram post from the CDM organizers included the American and Israeli flags burning. The post was later deleted and replaced with a new image that shrouded both flags in flames.[44][45]

2019 Washington, DC

Similar to the 2017 decision made by the Chicago Dyke March, the 2019 Washington DC Dyke March adopted a policy that "nationalist symbols", including Israeli and American flags and the Star of David when centered on a flag, cannot be displayed.[46][47] Organizers said these symbols represent "violent nationalism",[47] and said those attending the event should "not bring pro-Israel paraphernalia in solidarity with our queer Palestinian friends",[48] while "Jewish stars and other identifications and celebrations of Jewishness (yarmulkes, talit, other expressions of Judaism or Jewishness) are welcome and encouraged".[48] Palestinian flags and symbols were permitted.[49]

In response to the policy, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stated, "It is outrageous that in preparing to celebrate LGBTQ pride, the DC Dyke March is forbidding Jewish participants from carrying any flag or sign that includes the Star of David, which is universally recognized as a symbol of the Jewish people....Banning the Star of David in their parade is anti-Semitic, plain and simple."[48] A coalition of progressive Jewish-American groups denounced the ban in a joint statement,[48] and the National LGBTQ Task Force withdrew their support for the DC Dyke March.[50]

More than two dozen Jewish lesbians and Zionist supporters brought the prohibited flag and symbol to the march. They debated the perceived mistreatment and exclusion with march organizer Jill Raney. Thereafter, DC Dyke March organizers allowed the group to participate in the march with their Jewish pride flags.[51][52]

Gallery of dyke marches

  • Canada, Toronto, Canada, 2012, dyke march participants
    Canada, Toronto, Canada, 2012, dyke march participants
  • United States: San Francisco, 2008, dyke march participants
    United States: San Francisco, 2008, dyke march participants
  • United States: New York, 2011, dyke march participant
    United States: New York, 2011, dyke march participant
  • Germany: Berlin, 2017, Dykes on Bikes led dyke march
    Germany: Berlin, 2017, Dykes on Bikes led dyke march
  • Germany: Cologne, 2017
    Germany: Cologne, 2017
  • Germany: Hamburg, 2017
    Germany: Hamburg, 2017
  • Germany: Hamburg, 2017, Dykes on Bikes led pride parade
    Germany: Hamburg, 2017, Dykes on Bikes led pride parade
  • Germany: Heidelberg, 2018
    Germany: Heidelberg, 2018
  • Germany: Munich, 2019
    Germany: Munich, 2019
  • Germany: Nürnberg, 2018
    Germany: Nürnberg, 2018
  • Germany: Oldenburg, 2018, dyke march
    Germany: Oldenburg, 2018, dyke march
  • Germany: Oldenburg, 2018, dyke march
    Germany: Oldenburg, 2018, dyke march
  • São Paulo, Brazil, 2009, lesbian walk
    São Paulo, Brazil, 2009, lesbian walk

See also

References

  1. ^ Tracy, Matt (June 26, 2022). "Massive NYC Dyke March takes over Fifth Avenue". Gay City News. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  2. ^ ""Herstory — NYC Dyke March". New York City Dyke March. 2018. Re". New York City Dyke March. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Simo, Ana (February 18, 2003). ""Mexican Dykes Out for Visibility."". The GULLY. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  4. The Body Politic. Pink Triangle Press
    . p. 10.
  5. The Body Politic. Pink Triangle Press
    . October 1981. p. 10.
  6. The Body Politic. Pink Triangle Press
    . p. 13.
  7. ^ ""Eating Fire: A History of the Dyke March"". Queer Events. Staff. January 31, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  8. The Huffington Post
    . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  9. ^ Teeman, Tim (March 22, 2014). "Tick-Tock: The Explosive Power of the Lesbian Avengers". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  10. ^ "Herstory — NYC Dyke March". New York City Dyke March. 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  11. ^ ""Herstory — NYC Dyke March". New York City Dyke March. 2018. Re". New York City Dyke March. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Stack, Liam (June 19, 2017). "New York's L.G.B.T.Q. Story Began Well Before Stonewall". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  13. ^ "Herstory of the Dyke March". NYC Dyke March. 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Bertoni, Quinn (June 19, 2022). "The NYC Dyke March 2022". Gays in Town. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Lesbian Avengers (1993). ""Dyke Manifesto"". Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  16. ^
    OCLC 5729287
    . Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  17. ^ "International march on the United Nations to affirm the human rights of lesbian and gay people; June 26, 1994, New York City. New York: Stonewall 25 Conference Committee, 1993". Michigan State University. 1993. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "Dyke* March Germany". 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "Dyke March Cologne". 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  20. ^ "L-MAG über den Dyke* March Oldenburg". 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  21. ^ Kühne, Anja (July 21, 2016). "Wir wollen das L ein bisschen dicker machen". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  22. ^ "Dyke* March Ruhr". 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  23. ^ Pinfold, Corinne (June 14, 2013). "Community London: One week until UK's second Dyke March". PinkNews. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  24. ^ Biese, Alex (October 9, 2020). "Asbury Park Dyke March happening Sunday: 'We're still here. We've survived.'". Asbury Park Press.
  25. ^ Lydersen, Kari (June 22, 2010). "Chicago Dyke March". Time Out. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  26. ^ a b Harrison, Mason (June 30, 2010). "Dyke March winds through south side". Windy City Times.
  27. ^ Bertoni, Quinn (June 19, 2022). ""The NYC Dyke March 2022"". Gays in Town. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  28. ^ a b King, John (June 28, 2014). "Dyke March kicks pride festivities into high gear". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  29. ^ Kwong, Jessica (March 9, 2011). "S.F. Dyke March Needs Funds to Keep Going". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  30. ^ a b Garofoli, Joe (June 26, 2004). "Men told not to rain on parade". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  31. ^ Reisbig, Jeanine K. (2004). "SF Dyke March 2004: Zesty fiesta of Lesbian Power, Political Commitment and Joy takes place June 26". Castro Online. San Francisco Spectrum. Archived from the original on June 19, 2004. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  32. ^ McKenzie, Madeline (June 21, 2017). "It's Pride weekend! Seattle events will celebrate diversity and community". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  33. ^ Riley, John (June 6, 2019). "DC Dyke March will protest displacement and gentrification on Friday, June 7". Metro Weekly. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  34. ^ Lang, Marissa J. (June 5, 2019). "'Pride and protest': Dyke March returns to Washington after a 12-year hiatus". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  35. ^ Laitman, Michael (July 5, 2017). "When Chicago Dyke March bans a Jewish Pride Flag, Jews should feel unsafe". The Jerusalem Post.
  36. Chicagoist. WNYC. Archived from the original
    on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  37. ^ Hammond, Gretchen Rachel (June 24, 2017). "More than 1,500 at Dyke March in Little Village, Jewish Pride flags banned". Windy City Times.
  38. Salon
    . Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  39. ^ Weiss, Bari (June 27, 2017). "I'm Glad the Dyke March Banned Jewish Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  40. ^ "Dyke March: Letters to the editor, statements issued". Windy City Times. June 29, 2017. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  41. Chicagoist. Gothamist. Archived from the original
    on July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  42. ^ "Chicago Dyke March Official Statement on 2017 March and Solidarity with Palestine". Chicago Dyke March Collective. June 27, 2017. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017.
  43. ^ Gunz, Rafealla (June 17, 2018). "LGBTI Jews wary of the upcoming Chicago Dyke March". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  44. The Algemeiner
    . Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  45. ^ Bandler, Aaron (June 24, 2021). "Chicago Dyke March Changes Cartoon Showing American, Israeli Flags Burning". Jewish Journal. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  46. ^ Ziri, Danielle (June 6, 2019). "D.C. Dyke March Bans Israeli and Jewish Symbols on Pride Flags, Sparking Criticism". Haaretz. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  47. ^ a b Sales, Ben (June 7, 2019). "The controversy over the DC Dyke March, Jewish stars and Israel, explained". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  48. ^ a b c d Bandler, Aaron (June 6, 2019). "ADL Condemns D.C. Dyke March's Decision to Ban Israeli Symbols". Jewish Journal. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  49. ^ Campbell, A.J. (June 6, 2019). "The D.C. Dyke March Won't Let Me Fly The Jewish Pride Flag". Tablet. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  50. ^ Bandler, Aaron (June 7, 2019). "National LGBTQ Task Force Renounces Support for DC Dyke March". Jewish Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  51. Moment Magazine
    . Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  52. ^ Oster, Marcy (June 11, 2019). "Jewish Pride flags allowed into DC Dyke March after standoff". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved June 11, 2019.

Further reading

Chicago

New York City

Portland

San Francisco

Toronto

Vancouver

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dyke March.

Dyke March groups

United States

Canada

Germany

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