In Memory: Soni Wolf, 'Dykes on Bikes' Founding Member

DALY CITY, CA – Soni Wolf, “an inspiring mother of the movement for lesbian pride and dignity,” passed away from natural causes, the Dykes on Bikes organization announced this week.

Wolf, 69, died April 25 at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, and "is survived by Dykes on Bikes around the world who follow in her footsteps," the group said.

Wolf, who in April had been named Community Grand Marshal for the upcoming San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration parade in June, "was a fierce advocate whose life exemplified the power of visionary courage, freedom, and feminist solidarity. We’ve been immeasurably enriched by knowing her, and next month at Pride, we’ll see Soni’s legacy live on,” said Kate Kendell, executive director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The NCLR and the Brooke Oliver Law Group represented Dykes on Bikes in an action to register its name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which had initially rejected the application on the grounds that the term “Dykes on Bikes” is disparaging to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. On July 11, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a final ruling affirming the group’s trademark of the name “Dykes on Bikes,” the NCLR said.

“On her motorcycle, Soni Wolf blazed a new path forward for women and lesbians by defying gender stereotypes and boldly demanding recognition of our community on our own terms," Kendell said. "NCLR was honored to represent Dykes on Bikes, and Soni, in its challenge for recognition, and ... we mourn this loss for our community."

"(Wolf) was a leader and an inspiration in taking what was an epithet, a derogatory term, and saying 'This is a term I use with pride,'" said Kate Brown, former president of Dykes on Bikes and a friend of Wolf's. "That is a legacy she gave to us. I am personally honored to have known her and worked alongside her. She was a legend and an icon."

The former Dykes on Bikes president said that Dykes on Bikes moved to the front of the LGBT parade in 1976, and Wolf started riding with the group shortly after that.

Other leading proponents of LGBT rights praised Wolf and her accomplishments.

"Soni Wolf and Dykes on Bikes have become an international face for LGBT justice and freedom. Her passing is a deeply sad moment for our Caucus and our movement," said Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, in an email.

"Nobody has a heart bigger or more open than Soni. But we will continue to honor her by picking up where she left off: fighting for equality and unconditionally giving to our communities," said former state Sen.
Candidate Mark Leno in an email.

This week, the Soni Wolf Memorial Fund was established to be used, in part, to archive documents and materials with historical significance to the Dykes on Bikes and the larger LGBTQ community. Donations are tax-deductible, and contributions can be made through GoFundMe at the Soni Wolf Memorial Fund website.

Read more on Wolf, her life and her work here.

ALSO SEE: SF LGBT Pride Celebration & Parade 2018: San Francisco

--Images courtesy of GoFundMe; Photo credit: Katharine Saunders; and The National Center for Lesbian Rights/Credit: Sarah Karlan/Bay City News contributed to this post