Kim Schultz, Anne Pollock, Jo Trigilio and Gail Richard prep their posters for the upcoming Dyke March.
By its very nature, the Dyke March emits an air of intimidation and dissent with images of shirtless lesbians taking to the streets to wage a bit of street theater and in-your-face political activism.
But last week, the air was hardly charged when a small group of Dyke March organizers gathered in a very tidy Somerville apartment. There, armed with colorful magic markers and cardboard, some spent a subdued Friday night designing a banner that announced "Dyke March Starts at Boston Common Gazebo" while another happily colored a placard with a big pink heart. OK, they were planning to make pins that said, "I love my pussy" later. Yet, truth be told, not only is change afoot at this year's Dyke March, but the stereotypes fail to fit.
"It's funny because the stereotypes are out there," said Dyke March organizer Jo Trigilio, an assistant professor at Bentley College. "I think the word 'dyke' in some people's minds connotes some sort of radicalness. But if you actually go to the Dyke March then that's not what happens. There are so many people there, and I think if people would just go to the Dyke March then people would see that it's very diverse."
Last year, a flood of 1,500 rowdy foot soldiers poured through downtown Boston, marking the march's highest turnout since its inception in 1994. Though mostly white women, participants presumably ran the gamut from gay wimmin to dyke daddies and bi-dykes to trans dykes. In a telling statement, Bay Windows quoted last year's speaker Amatul Hannan, who observed, "Look at all these beautiful, beautiful women and boys, and dykes and lesbians, and bisexuals and trannies, and freaks and geeks, and special leather people, and bottoms and tops, and sideways and up and down and all around. Wooohooooo! Damn!"
This year, organizers aim to top that record. To attract more people, they have devised a different and longer route along with a bigger after-march rally that includes fire-eaters and rock bands.
For the first time, marchers will step off and culminate at the Boston Common Gazebo, otherwise known as the Parkman's Bandstand, by the Boylston Street T station. Having the same start and finish allows organizers to invite a variety of community groups to join the festivities and setup information tables. While this change contributes to the march's goal of becoming more inclusive, it also helps organizers network and provide a forum for raising awareness around a number of community issues.
At roughly 12 blocks, the new route is considerably longer providing a greater venue for lesbian visibility. Exiting the park at the corner of Boylston and Charles Street, marchers will hoof it on Beacon, Arlington and Clarendon Streets as well as Commonwealth Avenue before landing back at the gazebo.
Pre-march speakers will pump folks up by addressing the march's theme: "The Personal is Still Political." Speakers include local poet/playwright Letta Neely, Chicana dyke poet Talia Kingsbury, Amazon Slam champ Lani Radack, and Gender Crash regular Mary Davies. Poet Shantanette Patrice, who spoke at last year's march, returns as emcee.
After the march, the rally continues with fire-eaters and a new sound system that'll blast live music played by queer classic rockers Secret Cock and the percussion energy of Zili Roots, an all-female band that buoyed last year's marchers by supplying an African drum march beat. Considering the improvements, Trigilio remarked that "This year, we're doing things we have never done before and we're tackling more challenges."
With the new look - and barring inclement weather - this year's Dyke March stands to top last year's presence while creating a wide-ranging space. This is a far cry from 1998, when organizers nearly canceled the march from what appeared to be a mix of political apathy and disorganization. That year, organizers rallied at the last moment and maintained the tradition. But it was the following year when things began to take a turn. Trigilio credits the past involvement of this year's Pride marshal Gunner Scott with helping to broaden the agenda of the march and increasing its participants. "Gunner's move to outreach was a very positive step in making the march better," said Trigilio. "That's the year the number jumped."
Historically, dyke marches began as a means to protest male-dominated and corporate-sponsored Prides. However, in the past few years, the Boston Dyke March has seemingly begun to evolve and alter its image as a band of young radicals out to agitate Pride. For instance, when asked if she perceives the Dyke March as a separatist action, Trigilio preferred to see the march as a mixture.
"I don't see it so much as a separation. I would waver between alternative and supplemental," she said. "Because Pride is fun, it is a parade and it's festive. But it is very male-centered and in some ways very apolitical. It's corporate in ways that make a lot of people uncomfortable, and it's predominately white."
Nowadays, organizers hope to deliver a diversity of experience. The overall aim is to allow people the opportunity to celebrate a fun Saturday afternoon on the Common, but also yell very loud and raise a fist if they feel so inclined at the Dyke March on the night before.
"I like to go to Pride. It's fun," said Trigilio. "But I also don't want us to forget that we still don't have all the rights that we're supposed to have. That racism, sexism, classism, and transphobia still exist and that there's still a lot to do."
Beyond the ongoing arguments and politics of the Dyke March, Trigilio hopes that people will come and experience it for themselves. That way perhaps the march will defy the stereotypes and be seen as something that is a part of everyone.
"I do a million things and I'm in a million organizations, and this is the most important thing I do besides teaching gender studies," said Trigilio. "Especially for people who are not embedded in the queer community, I feel that going to the Dyke March is just an amazing experience."
The Boston Dyke March starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 13 at the Boston Common Gazebo. For more information, visit http://www.dykemarch.com.
RJ Grubb is a staff writer at Bay Windows. Her e-mail address is [email protected].
Comments, criticism or praise regarding this article or writer -- or just about any other subject of interest to the lesbian and gay community -- are always welcome.
