This past weekend I was in North Carolina for a huge nationals event for the nonprofit biker group I'm in, Guardians of the Children. I am a part of the local "Sun City" chapter. While I was out of town, a few of my GOC-SC brothers and sisters went to see the new Bikeriders movie starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, (coincidentally I had just seen the movie "Elvis" on the plane, not realizing he was the same actor). Now honestly, if I did not ride a motorcycle, I don't know how interested I would have been to see this movie. Riding a motorcycle, especially when I was just starting, had me invested in shows like "Sons of Anarchy", "Mayans MC", (kind of), and movies like "Rode to Paloma" with Jason Mamoa and "Wild Hogs" with Tim Allen. My views on the "Bikeriders" movie vs my experiences are going to be widely influenced on these 2 things: 1- I am a female and 2-I am not part of an outlaw MC/ MC (motorcycle club). Being a female in the biker world is vastly different from being a male in a biker world. In many MCs, especially outlaw/ 1% MCs, females are not allowed to have a back patch, not allowed to be a member, are seen as property (many with the "Property of" patch at the bottom of their cut aka biker vest, and sometimes aren't even allowed to ride a motorcycle. So in the movie, there are no female members in the outlaw MC which is accurate. Second, GOC is a nonprofit group, so we don't have "prospects" and we don't have the fear of being attacked if we decide to step away from the group, among other things. I guess you can say we are more "PG-rated" bikers lol.
When I first started riding I had the impression these bikers were just scary looking and who would hurt you if you looked at them wrong or said the wrong thing. However what intrigued me about GOC was their passion to help abused children. Now,I've been riding a (small) Harley for about 5 years, and would have never even imagined myself on or near a motorcycle prior to joining GOC-SC. I got into it because I had been doing child advocacy for abused children for a few years prior to finding them. I went in as a child advocate, not knowing anything about the biker culture. I recall telling my story on the Insane Throttle and Black Dragon shows, (both shows extremely popular in the biker world on YouTube, as a podcast and on social media), about wondering why all these bikers wear wearing a leather vest in this El Paso heat, not knowing what a "patch" was, never even having been NEAR a motorcycle when I went to my first meeting, and not even knowing who the Hell's Angels were.
Locally, we are a part of the El Paso Motorcycle Coalition, so they know who we are and we have their support at our fundraising events, and we do follow a lot of MC protocol. This includes not wearing certain colors, removing sunglasses when introducing yourself and introducing yourself in a certain manner and order, not touching the back patch of someone else, not interrupting, as a female understanding that some people will not acknowledge you, riding in a certain order, etc. In the movie, MCs are relatively new and the rules are still being formed. But what I can relate to are the mentalities of trying to get a group on the same page and it not working out how you hoped it would, which most likely many people have experienced, bikers or not. The passion to ride is real, and the idea that this type of group attracts a lot of outcasts is true. GOC is a child advocacy group, wherein we've promised to give our lives for these children if the need arises, go to their house all night if need be or if they feel unsafe, and more things that a "normal" child advocate wouldn't do. It is a fringe group, comprised of military and many people who hold the 2nd amendment dearly. I can't relate with some of the actions of the bikers where they do criminal acts, and I have never felt uncomfortable around the biker community in the sense that I would be attacked. The experiences I've had so far with GOC and the biker community in El Paso is one where these people are passionate about community service, whether they are an outlaw MC or religious riding group, are REAL and authentic, (something I value highly), and will come together to help each other out in the blink of an eye. They hate to see and hear about women and children being abused, and they are big on respect, and will consider you family once you earn it.
Have you seen the new Bikeriders movie or just have some input on this topic? Use the FREE iHeart app's 'talkback" feature and let me know, or find me on social media and tell me!
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