Group hopes rally empowers lesbians
Lolita Harper
Motorcycles will rev, banners will wave and hundreds of
self-proclaimed “dykes” will make their presence known in the heart
of the city.
The first-ever Orange County Dyke March and rally is scheduled for
Saturday, and organizers said they chose Costa Mesa to host the
inaugural event, designed to promote lesbian visibility, because of
the city’s reputation for diversity. Event organizers Catie Profeta
and Lori Hutson said the march is a celebration of women loving women
and a way for a traditionally conservative Orange County community to
better understand lesbians.
“I believe that intolerance is spread by ignorance and fear,”
Profeta said. “By having this march and letting the people of Orange
County know who we are, we will combat fear and ignorance. When
people see that we are doctors, teachers, students, policewomen,
firewomen, neighbors, daughters, mothers and more, they will see that
there is nothing to fear.”
The event will begin with a 1 p.m. rally in Lions Park that will
include live music, inspirational speakers and a women’s health fair.
Organizers expect 500 to 1,000 women to attend. The marching portion
of the Dyke March will start at Harbor Boulevard, make its way south
to 18th Street and then return to the park.
City streets will be temporarily closed as the procession makes
its way through the heart of downtown Costa Mesa but will reopen as
the crowd passes. The national motorcycle club Dykes on Bikes will
lead the mile-long march, with hundreds of women and fellow
supporters following closely behind.
The event garnered citywide attention after Profeta and Hutson
questioned the city’s fees for special events and publicly requested
that nearly $4,000 be waived for the event. The organizers said the
high price infringed on their constitutional right to freedom of
speech because it limited events to only those who could afford the
fees.
City officials also originally denied the closure of Harbor
Boulevard and suggested an alternate route along residential streets
or on the sidewalk.
The issue was scheduled to be officially reviewed at a City
Council meeting earlier this month but was withdrawn after event
organizers and city officials ultimately agreed on a compromise that
allowed marchers a highly visible route in exchange for full payment
of all fees.
Regardless, many residents spoke in opposition of the march,
saying the content was questionable and promoted actions that some
people find “immoral.”
Profeta said the march is not intended to promote one’s sexual
orientation but to increase tolerance and acceptance of those who
hold differing beliefs.
“I do not expect anyone to love me because I am a lesbian, but I
do expect people not to hate me, threaten me, harass me, discriminate
against me or physically hurt me because I am a lesbian,” Profeta
said.
Other residents were shocked by the name of the event, saying
“dyke” was not an appropriate term for a celebration of acceptance.
Organizers said they understand the impact of the word and that is
precisely why it is used in the title. Profeta said women are taking
a term that is often hurled at them with contempt and using it to
empower themselves.
Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who is openly a lesbian, said she
supports the motives behind the march but finds the title a bit
contentious. Cowan said she does not care for the word “dyke” but
understood what organizers were trying to accomplish by taking
control of it.
* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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