It's about enjoying the hobby we love but in an environment where we're totally safe to be who we are," says Kevin Bazeley, chair of the Gay Bikers Motorcycle Club (GBMCC).
The GBMCC was founded in 1977, just 10 years after the Sexual Offences Act 1967 began to legalise homosexual acts in England and Wales - albeit with a higher age of consent than heterosexual acts (the discrepancy wasn't fixed until 2001).
Add to this the Aids crisis of the '80s and '90s - and the ruthless reporting of it by some of the British press - and you can see why so many gay people remained closeted and communities such as this club were so crucial. And still are. "For many of our members, it's their only avenue to be out," says Bazeley.
"They are in the closet in their personal lives and coming away with the club is their only opportunity to be themselves. That applies more to our older members, but even our younger folk don't always have the most welcoming environment in their everyday lives."
Joining the GBMCC opens up a wealth of group riding opportunities, from shorter local runs to weekends away across the UK - as well as a big summer camp on the continent, where the club links up with its European equivalents.
Gay Bikers attends numerous Pride events too, placing prominently in the London parade each summer. The club's 500-plus members encompass all four UK nations (as well as a handful overseas) and cover the broad LGBTQ+ spectrum. An invitation to join is extended warmly to straight allies too.
"Our problem is finding younger members," admits Bazeley, 57, who rides a BMW K1600 GT Sport.
"Motorcycling is no longer the cheap hobby it used to be; insurance costs alone can be crippling. Even some of our more mature members have had to give up biking for that very reason. Society is also that much more accepting now, but the club intends to be around for many more years for the riders who need us. There are a lot of mental health benefits to a club such as this, and we are a group of friends who support each other."
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Even more troubling is that some of those who claim to champion diversity the loudest are often the perpetrators of unparalleled unpleasantness towards their own members. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a challenge to recruit younger members if they weren’t routinely bullied out of the organisation. If the GBMCC devoted as much effort to fostering genuine inclusivity as it does to shielding certain individuals, it could be a truly commendable organisation. However, it seems to measure its inclusivity and status as a safe space by its own standards – essentially marking its own homework. Sadly, many experiences suggest that the reality is far from the inclusive image it projects.
This is the very same Kevin Bazeley who was recently in the news accusing the armed services of being homophobic and demanding money for it. Looks like he’s now trying to accuse the biking community of the same. Whilst I appreciate GBMCC was set up by actual bikers in the 70s, its presence now looks to have morphed into a flag waving political campaign group. Almost NO bikers are homophobic, but what we don’t like is the likes of this guy and his fake MCC screaming discrimination as soon as someone looks at him the wrong way. Their members are on social media wearing bondage gear, the GBMCC Facebook page has people wearing fetish outfits and dog masks. This is definitely not an MCC and should not be masquerading as one. Is it any wonder people are critical of him…
Why is there a feature on homosexual motorcycle riders in AUTOCAR?
Is your problem with it being about bikers or it being an LGBTQ+ riders group?
Why not? Autocar has always featured bikes (and other modes of transport) from time to time.