Dykes Only Space

Saturday June 29, 2024, 12pm - ?

Dolores Park, 19th Street and Dolores St., SFCA

LOOK FOR THE YELLOW “CAUTION” TAPE!


OUR MISSION: Dykes Only Space (DOS) seeks to provide space for dykes on Pink Saturday in Dolores Park. Space to be visible, honor our resilience, and share dyke camaraderie. We are founded and continue to be led by Black and Brown women of color who prioritize dykes of color, dyke elders, disabled dykes, trans and gender non-conforming dykes, and all dykes who live at the intersections of race, sex, gender, age, and ability. ALL dyke identities are celebrated and welcomed!
 


OUR HISTORY:  Dykes Only Space formed in 2016, when a small group of longtime Dyke March organizers split off in reaction to the increasing homogenization of this one day marked as ours. This day, hard won by dykes in cities across the country more than 30 years ago. We sought to fight being absorbed by “Pride” by delineating an area of the park with what has become our familiar yellow caution tape reading “Dykes Only." Eight years later, our footprint has grown and has welcomed back dykes who made this day possible, those who had long since stopped attending pride festivities, and dykes brand new to our beautiful community. 

See y’all there. And if you’d like to help in a specific (or non-specific) fashion, send a message!


The Dykes Only Space (DOS) will see you in the park, June 29th, 2024!

If dyke herstory speaks to anything, it’s to our strength and resilience. Despite the ever-increasing pressures to erase us from our own day, political and logistical red tape, not to mention a full-on global pandemic, we’re still here. We continue to stand against being absorbed by the homogenous weekend they call Pride.

2024 marks 31 years since we claimed this day as our own here in San Francisco.

In June of 1993 dykes in cities all across Turtle Island gathered in an effort to address the need for grassroots dyke organizing, visibility, solidarity, and camaraderie. We gathered and took to the streets. We gathered and we rallied. Here in San Francisco, we claimed Dolores Park as the kick-off to our march and to serve as our home base for this one “dyke day." Over the past several years, there have been mighty attempts to shove us from this place and some of us have deeply considered throwing up our hands and letting ourselves be relocated. However, we’ve determined that while our resilience means bending, adjusting, and growing, it also means we honor the traditions that strengthen us. There is power in continuing to show up to this same patch of grass. We will not be moved. We will not be broken.

While we maintain that this day is ours, the only space we can deem “Dykes Only” will be found behind the familiar yellow caution tape. Every year, we expand the perimeter. Every year we take back a little more of the park and this day.

The same simple rules apply; if you are a dyke, this is your space. If you are not, but wish to respectfully support us, please do so by helping maintain our perimeter from OUTSIDE of it.

***If you are a longtime DOS-r, you know that every year, this is a struggle that takes a village.***

If you’ve got strong deescalation skills, all the better. We are a BIWOC led and prioritized space. If you are white and ready to step up and put your body between any police involvement and Black or Brown dykes throughout the day, please do. The DOS is guerrilla and self-governing and as such, it is up to all of us to maintain the integrity of the space. There are no set “shifts” assigned to volunteers. We work together to create and hold down Dykes Only Space so we can relax, socialize, and tune out the noise in the rest of the park.

Per usual, we will have an emergency shade structure for our main organizers needing respite and cold drinks and also to serve as a semi-private space in the case of medical or other emergent needs of our dykes. We do our very best to watch out for one another, with specific efforts towards the comfort of our elder Dykes, our Black and Brown Dykes, our Disabled Dykes, and the safety of Dykes wanting to continue long held customs such as being proudly tits-out on this day, without fear of unwelcome photography or comments.

Donations are gratefully accepted at the park or online, via cash or Venmo. We need your support to keep it hoppin’ and pointed more firmly towards the takeover (take-back) we’re working towards!

So please come! Bring your chairs and blankets, umbrellas, signs and posters, coolers (no glass please), your finest attire to your dirty-ass 501’s. We will have music for dancing, we’ll take no shit, and most importantly we’ll have a damn good time!

Please note: While substances are welcome, messiness will not be tolerated and you'll be asked to go elsewhere, get less messy, and come on back, if you choose.

See y’all there! Want to help or have a question? Send a message!

“We look to our roots and our ancestors to guide us and we show up accordingly” - Koja Ray Founder, co-organizer