Part of USC Libraries, the ONE Archives is the largest repository of LGBTQ materials in the world. The history of these clubs may not be widely known, but it’s a critical narrative in LGBTQ history - and it has a home in the ONE Archives at USC. Today, gay men can meet openly, but during the ’50s, these clubs were some of the only places they could gather safely without fear of discrimination or violence. The Satyrs, founded in 1954, remains one of the oldest continuously operated gay organizations in the United States. They belonged to some of the country’s first gay organizations: gay motorcycle clubs. In 1950s L.A., these men would meet in secret locations for days of riding, drinking and brotherhood. Instead, they rode with clubs like the Satyrs, Argonauts, Warriors, Blue Max and Oedipus. Patches on their jackets didn’t read Hell’s Angels or Mongrels. The men’s uniform: black leather jackets and tight jeans. They climbed over hills on the outskirts of Los Angeles atop their Ducatis and Triumphs, hearing only the growl of their motorcycle engines and the whistling Santa Ana winds.
