Gender and Race
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Most one-percenter MCs (OMCs) do not allow women to become full-patch members. Rather, in some 1%er clubs, women have in the past been portrayed as submissive or victims to the men, treated as property, forced into prostitution or street-level drug trafficking, and often physically and sexually abused, their roles as being those of obedient followers and their status as objects. These women are claimed to pass over any pay they receive to their partners or sometimes to the entire club. This appears to make these groups extremely gender segregated, however, this has not always been the case as, for example, during the 1950s and 60s some Hells Angels chapters had women members
Recent academic research has criticized the methodology of such previous studies as being "vague and hazy", and lacking in participant demographics. Such reports may have made clear statements and authoritative analyses about the role of women associate with OMCs but few state how they have come to such conclusions, one admitting that, “ interviews with biker women were limited least intentions were misinterpreted” by their male companions and that the such views of women are mythic and "sexist research" in itself, using deeply flawed methodologies and serve two highly political purposes of maintaining a dominance myth of women by men and amplifying the deviance of OMC men.
These myths about OMC women being that they are subservient working class woman, used as objects for club sexual rituals, are hard bitten, unattractive, and politically conservative, and 'money makers' for the biker men and clubs, i.e. prostitutes, topless barmaids or strippers who are forced to hand over their money to the club. A recent paper notes the changing role of women within OMGs in recent times and another states that they now have agency, political savvy and have reframed the narratives of their lives. “We did it. We showed them we are real women dealing with real men. I'd much prefer to be living with an OMC member than some dork who is a pawn in the system“ stated one woman who felt she and her peers had "set the record straight". One such woman even went as far as to described the previous work done by men about women in the OMC world as “the men that wrote that must be meatheads”. They are part of the scene because they want to be and enjoy it. These women have broken from society's stereotypically defined roles and find freedom with the biker world.
Female partners, sisters, mothers, aunties and children, particularly female children, are often the central meaning of an OMC member's life. In the vast majority of cases, the children and partners of the OMC members are the reason for their existence as men and their job, as a man, is to protect the women and children. Their women are fiercely proud to be partners of OMC members.
Outlaw motorcycle clubs reflect their social roots and the demographics of motorcyclists in general. High profile outlaw bikers have historically been White and their clubs are typically but not exclusively racially homogeneous. It is claimed that racial discrimination within clubs has led to creation of rival clubs in past, such as the Mongols Motorcycle Club after members were rejected by the local Hells Angels chapter, although many clubs or individual chapters are now multi-racial.
Read more about this topic: Outlaw Motorcycle Club
Famous quotes containing the words gender and/or race:
“Anthropologists have found that around the world whatever is considered “men’s work” is almost universally given higher status than “women’s work.” If in one culture it is men who build houses and women who make baskets, then that culture will see house-building as more important. In another culture, perhaps right next door, the reverse may be true, and basket- weaving will have higher social status than house-building.”
—Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen. Excerpted from, Gender Grace: Love, Work, and Parenting in a Changing World (1990)
“Ethical and cultural desegregation. It is a contradiction in terms to scream race pride and equality while at the same time spurning Negro teachers and self-association.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)