Progressive Patriotic Motorcyclists Challenge Stereotypes and Promote Inclusivity in America

Progressive Patriotic Motorcyclists Challenge Stereotypes and Promote Inclusivity

Rainbows are rare among the leather and silver hardware that accompany some of America’s most proud patriots: motorcyclists. Hidden in the outskirts of political communities lay progressive patriotic motorcyclists, some of whom joined the Liberty Ride to expand on what it means to be a free American.

The Liberty Ride is a progressive, motorcycle-centered activity dedicated to a more perfect union, as the Constitution promises, since 2019. The bikers organize a relay to transport copies of the United State’s foundational documents. The relay began with a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation being sent to Phoenix. From there, a group of activists-on-wheels took the document up to Flagstaff, where they stopped at Buffalo Park to discuss the progressive messages they were endorsing.

The Flagstaff bikers then brought the document up to Page, Arizona, over to New Mexico and Colorado. The ride stops in 42 states across the country and will end at the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.

Dan Greenspan is the newly appointed organizer of the Arizona leg of the Liberty Ride. In this position, he was tasked with widening the audience for the events. Greenspan, along with other motorcyclists in attendance, said they see this event as an opportunity to promote inclusion in American political life. He said it is a chance to defy the typical biker stereotype that consists of more conservative or restrictive views.

“The symbols of liberty, as we traditionally see them, the eagle, the flag, have become associated with reactionary regressive forces,” Greenspan said. “Many motorcycle riders don’t want to be associated with that and would like to reclaim these symbols and the very idea that you can be a patriot without being regressive.”

As stated in the written testimony of Andrew L. Seidel, the driving force of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was Christian Nationalism. The attackers brought Bibles, prayed and carried Christian flags through the government’s capital, threatening the separation of church and state. In this case, nationalism is disguised as patriotism, associating the love of America with a love of God. Using religious ideology in government can exclude those who do not adhere to the same morals, discouraging them from raising the stars and stripes.

The Liberty ride encourages doing away with such ideological behavior in a democracy that is only meant for a certain group of people. Greenspan said the riders want to see people of all races and identities come together for this message.

One of the groups attending the relay was the Reason Riders Atheist Motorcycle Association. The group strives to dismantle the typical images associated with patriotism and prove God is not a requirement for doing good. The group promotes inclusivity and separation of church and state on tee shirts and patches that stand out against their leather vests, which gracefully sport their winged wheel logo.

Eric Tannehill, a member of the Reason Riders, took part in the relay to make a community impact while interpreting what it means to be an inclusive patriot.

“This type of patriotism is distinct in that it is open to everybody,” Eric Tannehill said. “It is making sure everybody has their rights.”

Eric Tannehill said this can be a challenging perspective to promote with the sharpening of the bipartisan system in the U.S. political world, which is why he promotes inclusive patriotism. True patriotism, Eric Tannehill said, comes from the motivation for better democracy, not from the resistance to change.

“If you look on the right wing, the patriotism has been taken and incorporated as a part of fascism almost,” Eric Tannehill said. “That might be anathema to say out loud, but it is very true that fascism is a core part of radicalized patriotism. True patriotism is inclusive.”

Eric Tannehill said his main motivation to spread these ideas comes from his support of his sister, a transgender American. He said through his sister’s experience, he saw how the people who preached “land of the free” thought they could decide who got that freedom.

Brynn Tannehill was removed as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. when she began her gender transition in 2010. It wasn’t until 2018 that transgender Americans were allowed to serve in the military. Brynn Tannehill said she worked tirelessly to be reinstated from the moment she was removed. The process took over 10 years, but Brynn Tannehill now serves as the chief warrant officer for the Army National Guard. Her experience transitioning during active service gives her an interesting perspective on the true inclusivity of the two-party system of U.S. democracy.

“I used to see two sides that just shared somewhat different visions, but they shared a common vision for what would need to be done for the United States,” Brynn Tannehill said. “Those visions have diverged so greatly that they can’t even agree on the basics.”

In addition to serving in the U.S. National Guard, Brynn Tannehill is the author of “American Fascism: How the GOP is Subverting Democracy,” and spent over 30 years writing academically about fascism. She said the implications of American fascism are presenting as one of the biggest threats to American democracy. Brynn Tannehill said the two parties in debate for the upcoming presidential election are not equal and opposite forces. She believes the left is being fueled by centrist, humanist ideas, whereas the right is being governed by fascist ideologies which she said have no place in government.

“Good governance that’s done by people who are experts in the field that make their decisions based off of good science and good policy is just so vital,” Brynn Tannehill said. “Attempts to destroy good governments that replace it with an ideology is what you see in dictatorship.”

A common symptom that follows fascism is nationalism, which Brynn Tannehill said stereotypical American patriotism is synonymous with. She said nationalism has landed America in a dangerous place, pushing the democratic spectrum to the right, with a middle ground that is still threatening for large populations of Americans.

Groups taking part in progressive, patriotic activities, including the Reason Riders, dedicate their image to defying the stereotype of what it means to be a patriot and finding a more agreeable middle ground for activists and patriots alike.

“Patriotism doesn’t mean believing your country is always the biggest and best at everything infallible,” Brynn Tannehill said. “It’s about working to make your country better.”

In a time when democracy is at stake, Brynn Tannehill said it is crucial to evaluate individual views. Despite the social trials underway in the U.S., the Pledge of Allegiance promises “liberty and justice for all.” Inclusive patriots have struggled to stand out, but still work actively to remind Americans they are a major component of the land of liberty.