March 28, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

L.A.’s Long, Storied History of Chicks on Bikes

by Annette Semerdjian

In the streets of East Los Angeles (the birthplace of the Chicano rights movement,) a dangerous crew known as the Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade can be seen coming through. They are a group of women of color finding strength in numbers and joining together to ride through some of the roughest neighborhoods that they would otherwise feel threatened by. They’re dangerous because they know that the scariest thing to society is a group of women empowered by each other’s support.

They ride not only for each other but for the injustice and pain that weighs heavy on their communities against women of color such as themselves. The Ovas not only have to fight to have their place within their communities, but they also fight against Los Angeles’ growing gentrification by claiming the streets of East L.A. as their own. Xela de la X founded the Ovarian Psycos as a mother, social activist, musician, and survivor of sexual abuse looking to empower women and give them their own space on L.A.’s streets.

In a world occupied by men, these ride-or-die sisters unlearn the discomfort in taking up space of their own – and L.A. is no stranger to this female biker culture.

The San Bernardino Hell’s Angels were a subject of interest for photographer Bill Ray in 1965 as he spent a month with the biker gang only to discover the real significance in the female bikers. Ray didn’t even think about the Angels’ female counterparts, just as most people disregarded women in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He later found that they were their of their own volition and weren’t captured by the bikers, but rather accepted by them.

Photograph by Bill Ray, 1965

Yet the separation of the sexes was still apparent as the men gathered and excluded the women, who would subsequently gather together on their own. “When those guys were busy, the women just sat and waited. They’d smoke, drink beer, gossip, but they were pretty much just on ice until the meeting broke up,” Ray said in an interview with Time. “I remember, too, that many of them were surprisingly young: teenagers, or in their early twenties. They didn’t look young, though. Riding around on the back of a Harley at a hundred miles an hour in all sorts of weather will age you, I guess.”

Although their place may have seemed secondary to the men, they were very much still a part of the crew and their weathered appearance proved it. One of the women photographed by Ray even proudly sported a nose brace after a biking injury. Thsey were not women who could be accepted by the straightlaced society of ‘60s, and instead found their place among the outcasts who spend their life on the road. Ray’s fascination with these women came from their visibility in rebel culture and the agency they had in placing themselves there.

Over five decades later and women claiming space in both normative society and rebel culture continues to be equally audacious. The Ovarian Psycos are their own kings of the road and they ride with abandon while staying vigilant of the repression that enchains their sisters.

You can catch the full documentary Ovarian Psycos on PBS’s website.

Related Posts

WeHo Commemorates Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021

November 30, 2021

November 30, 2021

The City of West Hollywood commemorated Transgender Day of Rememberance through a virtual event.  Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is...

WeHo Approves Resolution Recognizing November As Native American Heritage Month

November 10, 2021

November 10, 2021

The City of West Hollywood City Council has approved a Resolution recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month. The Resolution...

New Documentary Pays Tribute to Transgender ‘AIDS diva’ Connie Norman

October 26, 2021

October 26, 2021

A new documentary titled “AIDS Diva: The Legend of Connie Norman,” will pay tribute to the transgender leader in AIDS...

WeHo Asking For Community Input On Naming Request to Rename the West Hollywood Library

July 26, 2021

July 26, 2021

The City of West Hollywood is conducting a community survey to solicit public input about a naming request to rename...

Patrick O’Connell, AIDS Activist, Dead At 67

May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021

Patrick O’Connell, a venerable AIDS activist and creator of the iconic red ribbon creating awareness about the disease, has died...

Ivy Bottini – WeHo Icon & LGBTQ Advocate Dies

March 14, 2021

March 14, 2021

Ivy Bottini an artist, mother and a legendary activist, devoting over 50 years to the feminist & LGBTQ  struggle for...

Black History Month: Celebrating Bayard Rustin

January 31, 2021

January 31, 2021

Bayard Rustin was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. Due to criticism...

WeHo Will Commemorate MLK Jr. Day With Virtual Donation Drive

January 17, 2021

January 17, 2021

In January 2021, the City of West Hollywood will continue its tradition of joining hundreds of communities across the country...

City Of WeHo Celebrates Veterans Day 2020

November 8, 2020

November 8, 2020

The City of West Hollywood will honor veterans and active members of the United States Armed Forces during a virtual...

USC One Archives to Host Screening of Film on Black Trans Woman to Honor Black History Month

February 1, 2020

February 1, 2020

Meet Mary Jones, a black transgender woman born in New York in 1803. Described as a “man-monster” in the press. ...

VIDEO: South Coast Chorale’s Tribute to Gay & Civil Rights Activist

January 24, 2020

January 24, 2020

67 years ago, openly gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin was arrested on a discriminatory, anti-gay “lewd conduct” charge for...

Honoring Gay Rights & Civil Rights Activist Bayard Rustin

January 21, 2020

January 21, 2020

On this day in history 67 years ago, gay civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin was arrested on a discriminatory, anti-gay...

GAY LA: When Catherine Opie Ruled LA

November 14, 2019

November 14, 2019

By Henry Giardina In the first season of the original “L Word,” art plays a bizarrely large role. For a...

Documentary Honors Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ Vets for Veterans Day

November 11, 2019

November 11, 2019

In honor of Veterans Day, some LGBT Senior Veterans at the Los Angeles LGBT Center shared their stories and experiences...

GAY LA – When Drag Was All the Rage (But Queerness Wasn’t)

August 6, 2019

August 6, 2019

Today, it’s not hard to find drag culture wherever you are. From VH1, to Netflix, to Twitter, the language of...