The Outriders are a group of LGBTQ+ motorcyclists of all legal riding ages whom are also members of The Sanctuary of the Treasure Coast. While there are a plethora of motorcycle clubs in the US and abroad, there are only a few that are LGBT inclusive, and of those clubs, many are exclusively gay male or lesbian riders only, such as the Stonewall Knights in Fort Lauderdale or Dykes on Bikes® Worldwide.

The Sanctuary's mission is to create a greater community that serves all gender identities and sexualites, so a motorcycle club that's all-inclusive makes sense for the organization. 

In May 2024, I dubbed the riding club, the Outriders. Despite the obvious association between being LGBTQ+ with OUT in the name, the term outrider defines a person who is mounted on a horse or vehicle who leads the way or one who rides out or rides forth as a member of a vanguard. Given the political atmosphere in Florida, the US, and the world over it feels like just identifying as anything other than straight makes you part of a political movement.

As I researched other clubs, I felt a connection to heraldry images used as identifiers; shields, knights, lions, horses, swords, banners, and so on. I'd bet that for many bikers - who tend to be outcasts in American society, the club is like a family and the logo, or crest of the club, is like a family crest. I wanted that for us, too. 

But I wanted something that wasn't obviously LGBTQ+ and instead hinted at it and maybe even made it... fierce. Being that outriders were originally riders on horses, a horse came to mind. As I looked more into it, I found an article showcasing that gay soldiers in the Ukraine army fighting against Russia wore a special unicorn patch to proudly identify themselves. Unicorns seemed corny to me, but their patch inspired me to create a unique unicorn with a lightning bold horn and flame-like features. 

I positioned in the unicorn in a stance like the stallion logo used by Ferrari – I mean, we are a motor club, right? I nearly left it at that, but I felt something was missing to make it more unique and interesting. Since this club was formed under The Sanctuary, I decided to bring the guiding star element from the All-Aboard logo I developed for the organization. That brought some magic to the mark, but it didn't quite finish it off for me.

I incorporated a motorcycle inspired wheel. The wheel was placed between the unicorn's rear legs, giving it the appearance of being on a unicycle. I attempted the placement of a second wheel between the front legs, but the unicycle symbolism really hit home for me.

Unicycles on their own are associated with balance, harmony, independence, steady work, leaving one's comfort zone, and the desire to navigate one's life. Paired with the the unicorn, a conceptual creature - I intend this to communicate the delicate hard work of guiding hardened, wayward hearts to the safety of acceptance and love. We're like the show ponies of the Sanctuary, disproving stereotypes of LGBTQ+ individuals and showing the world there is more to a human being than these mere definitions of gender and sexuality.

Ride for Change, Ride for Harmony, Ride for Love, or Just Ride. The Outriders.