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Council meeting earlier this month but was withdrawn after event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 lolita.harper@latimes.com.