Tributes Flow For Dykes On Bikes Founding Member Nora Savona 

Sydney was in the throes of a gay bashing epidemic when in the early 1990s, Dykes on Bikes founding member Nora Savona would get on her “big bike” and patrol Kings Cross and Oxford Street. The mission was to keep a lookout for LGBTQI persons in the neighbourhood and ensure they were safe from gangs of young men who were known to indulge in what was called “poofter bashing”. 

The invaluable work that members of Dykes on Bikes did to keep gay men safe is honoured annually when they open the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. 

Following a battle with cancer, Nora passed away, aged 67, on May 5, 2023, and tributes have flooded social media for the trailblazer, who has been hailed as a  “hero of our community”. 

A Hero

In a tribute posted to Facebook, Bobby Goldsmith Foundation said that “Nora was instrumental in founding Dykes on Bikes in the late 1980s and in coordinating the Vixens Motorcycle Club”. 

“She worked closely with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and the NSW Police to establish the tradition of Dykes on Bikes’ opening the parade.  It is thanks to Nora and her friends that the parade begins with the loud revving of lesbian motorcycles,” the foundation said. 

BGF’s Northern Rivers Case Manager Johnny Dawson first met Nora in the early 2000s and recalled the fond memories he had of his friendship with her. “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, Nora was idiosyncratic, fearless and a true defender of what is right – she was a hero in our community.  She would patrol the inner city looking out for gay men who were the subject of horrific violence, much of it due to the AIDS crisis, and she would make sure they got home safely.  Nora really did help to change the world” said Dawson. 

‘Wild Woman’

In a eulogy, her friend Lois Kelly noted her many talents. “Her talents ranged from carpentry, electronics, small machinery and all types of motors: cars, vans, trucks, and bikes – particularly Harley Davidson bikes.”

“She regaled us with stories of her relationships with Harleys, from being a founding member of Dykes on Bikes to forming vigilante groups to protect young gay men in Sydney in the times when streets were dangerous for them, to riding her Harley at 170kph – wind in her hair and high as a kite! Wild Woman!”

In a 2018 video interview, Nora said that Dykes on Bikes began night patrols in 1990 to protect the gay community in Sydney from hate attacks.  “When Dykes on Bikes started doing patrols the boys just loved it,” said Nora. NSW Police gave Nora a police radio to take with her on her patrols so that she could radio them if she needed help. 

The revving sounds of the bikes continue to be a reassuring presence at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. 

Vale, Dora Savona.