How Does Gender Liberation Intersect with Mobility Justice?

As language continues to evolve and develop, and we gain greater comprehension around gender, expression and what our community needs, it makes sense for our program to grow and better meet those needs. Language has the ability to build worlds, inspire liberation, and break down barriers. Language is powerful and crucial to a program built around gender equity. That is one of the key reasons you will notice a shift in our program name for 2019.

“Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.” ― Angela Carter.

This WMNBikePGH program began as a response to the common felt need that there should be a safe space for non-dominating gender(s) to freely express themselves, practice, share skills and build community over the shared joy of the bicycle and the freedom that comes from mobility.

From the humble and DIY beginnings of the creation of the zine, this program enters its sixth year, redefined for 2019. In 2019, we have shifted the name of the program from “BikePGH’s Women and Biking program” to “BikePGH’s Women and Non-Binary Program.” This is not only less redundant, but allows for greater inclusion of gender variant and non binary persons to find and build community with other people who have been historically marginalized due to gender.

What is WMNBikePGH?

The shorthand acronym of our program is: WMNBikePGH. The letters include “WM” to represent Women and “N” to represent Non-Binary with “BikePGH” to reference back to our organization, which this program is situated in.

While the program has been redefined for 2019, it is a concept and initiative with room for continuous growth. What is right for 2019 may be outdated for 2020. One of the main functions of WMNBikePGH is its ability to grow and better meet the needs of its constituency.

We will be sending out a program survey in March to get a better lens into what WMNBikePGH could and should offer, and how we can better serve the interests of the people we wish to bring together to promote mobility, agency and community building.

What can you expect in 2019?

We are very excited to announce 7 group rides starting at Schenley Plaza, 11 coffee meet ups around the city, education classes, and the annual Women and Non Binary forum. Thank you to our presenting sponsor Dollar Bank!

Group Rides

Join us for a no-drop 10-mile bike ride around Pittsburgh with BikePGH’s Women and Non-Binary Program!

If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get active on two wheels with a group of friendly and welcoming cyclists, these monthly rides are the ticket for you. All rides will have a leader, caboose and ride marshal support.

RIDE DETAILS:
Date: Every Third Thursday, April-October
Time: Meet at 6:00pm, start by 6:15pm
Location: Rides have the same start and end location – Schenley Plaza, near The Porch.
Requirements: We recommend front and rear bike lights and a helmet to all participants. Please contact Julie@bikepgh.org if you need to borrow a bike, helmet or lights. Remember to perform an ABC Quick Check to ensure that your bike is safe to ride.

Coffee Meetups

Join us for coffee, it’s on the house! Every fourth Wednesday from January-November, we will meet and catch up over coffee.

The program encourages conversation and spaces to come together over biking, advocacy and related topics while increasing representation of people who have historically marginalized gender identities. Click here to find more information on the next coffee meetup.

Educational Classes

In 2019, we will host womxn and non binary only classes and workshops covering on-the-bike and off-the-bike lessons geared towards self-reliance and confidence-building for a more enjoyable ride.

Come learn more about crash avoidance, lane positioning, and bicycle maintenance! Our Confident City Cycling class includes an on-bike skills session and a group road-ride. Click here to learn more about class offering in 2019.

Women and Non Binary Forum

Our line-up for the Women and Non-Binary Forum is coming together and looking very exciting with a focus on advocacy and planning. We want all Forum participants to feel empowered to share their voices individually and collectively to decision makers for public planning.

There will also be Forum sessions for skill-building, like how to diagnose and address bike issues, what types of bike gear you may actually need and what you can skip, wellness planning from mental health to nutrition, and an arts and crafts session to make your own bike accessory.

Join us as we come together over an incredible keynote speech, morning yoga, delicious food, and an optional bike ride and happy hour!

We can’t wait for you to join WMNBikePGH in 2019!

Want more? Click here to subscribe to our Women and Non-Binary newsletter and stay in-the-loop about upcoming events, classes and relevant content from our blog and local communities.

PS. We’ve compiled this handy list of FAQs about the program in case you have any questions. Click here to read more.