Open Roads, Closed Minds: A Humanitarian’s Plea for Humanity to the Biker Community By Kathryn Anne, Founder of Bikers Across the Nation

I’ve spent the last few years traveling this country, walking into conversations others avoid, sitting with bikers from every patch, every path, every belief system. I call myself a humanitarian because I care more about people than politics—and because I’ve seen the cost of silence. I am not a biker. I do not ride. But I have walked beside bikers, listened, broken bread, and built an organization to support them in ways others overlook.

So here’s what I need to say, not in anger, but in truth:

This is about humanity—plain and simple. This reflection is about the humanity of immigrants, of LGBTQ+ individuals, of veterans, of women and men, of Black and Brown people, of poor and working-class people, of people with disabilities, and of those across every belief system and background who have stood behind bars, behind biases, or behind silence. It is about every rider and every American who has faced systemic barriers or been scapegoated because of race, sexuality, religion, gender, immigration status, or political expression. This is about empathy and accountability. And yes, this is also about the racial divide that continues to fracture this country and the biker community. It is about being willing to see the harm done—to Black bikers, Latino bikers, Indigenous bikers, and every rider who isn’t automatically included in the dominant narrative—and to take a hard look at the systems and people we uplift without question. We cannot fix what we won’t face. We cannot unify through silence. And we certainly cannot call it brotherhood or freedom if we exclude others from it.

There’s a pattern happening in the biker community that’s heartbreaking to watch. Many riders—some of whom speak loudly about “freedom” and “respect"—are using dehumanizing language toward entire groups of people. Gays and lesbians, or what some of you mockingly call the “alphabet crew,” are part of your biker world. They ride beside you. They’re in clubs, they’re at events, and many don’t speak about who they are—not because they’re hiding, but because they know how cruel people can be. They’re not “flaunting” anything. It’s just who they are.

But the bullying, scapegoating, and public disrespect they face—especially during election seasons and social unrest—feels like something straight out of high school. And it’s not just about LGBTQ+ riders. Your community is full of differences: religions, ethnicities, demographics, worldviews. You are meant to be a reflection of the United States—a melting pot. And yet, some are turning on each other over political talking points, headlines, and emotionally charged propaganda without doing any deeper thinking.

When one of your brothers out West is arrested during an immigration process he’s been following legally, and people turn their heads because of “politics,” you’ve failed. When LGBTQ+ bikers are mocked and made invisible in their own community, you’ve failed. When bikers across the country—veterans, immigrants, LGBTQ+ riders, and everyday working people—face restrictions to their freedoms and rights under the Constitution, and that’s ignored or justified for political convenience, you’ve failed. When you forget that the biker world is filled with immigrants, survivors, and warriors from all walks of life—people who still show up to ride beside you with quiet strength—you are betraying the very brotherhood and sisterhood you say you represent.

You also talk a lot about men’s mental health—and yes, it’s important. It matters. But women’s mental health matters just as much. Immigrant mental health matters. LGBTQ+ mental health matters. All of it does. And let’s not forget military mental health—because a large number of riders are veterans, many of whom are still carrying silent wounds. Some of these riders are still in the fight of their lives long after leaving the battlefield. But that can’t be an excuse to silence others or diminish their pain. Some say, “we’re being forgotten,” but that’s just not true—supporting others does not erase you. This isn’t about losing your spotlight; it’s about expanding the circle of light to include everyone.

Riding itself is an incredible release—it’s healing for so many. I truly believe the motorcycle world has saved lives, especially for men who haven’t felt seen or supported by mainstream systems. But mental health cannot exist in an echo chamber. It grows in a space where all pain is valid, and all stories are heard. And yes, ancestral harm matters too. Much of the pain men carry today is tied to systems created by generations before us—systems that harmed others and still linger. That history can’t be shoved under the rug. I’ve sat in board meetings, bar tables, and one-on-one conversations across this country and I hear it—men want to talk, to be understood, to be human. That’s powerful. That’s real. But it has to include everyone if it’s going to mean anything.

It is okay to celebrate others. It is okay to uplift voices different than your own. It doesn’t make your cause weaker—it makes it stronger. We are not in a competition for suffering. We are in a shared fight for dignity.

And we must also recognize the weight of the content we put out there as riders, creators, and community leaders. Content creation in the biker world matters. Social media posts, memes, videos, commentary—they don’t disappear. They influence. I’ve seen firsthand how opinion-based content—shared without research or context—spreads falsehoods and deepens divisions. There’s a difference between perspective and fact. When we label opinions as facts without offering credible sources, we risk misleading the very people we say we care about. In today’s world, where content travels faster than truth, we must take responsibility for what we amplify. Especially when we claim to stand for something as sacred as freedom.

I’ve spent three years on the road listening, learning, and trying to bridge the gap between people and power. I don’t ride, but I’ve poured every ounce of myself into building Bikers Across the Nation. It’s not about image or ego. It’s about humanity.

The irony I can’t ignore is this: many bikers who claim to reject control and conformity are supporting not just Donald Trump, but the dangerous ideological machine around him. Figures like Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn, and Tucker Carlson have pushed policies and rhetoric that violate the very freedoms you claim to protect. These men do not ride. They do not live by the biker code. But somehow, they’ve infiltrated your community with propaganda dressed up as patriotism. And let me make something clear—I do not ride either. But I am not here pushing propaganda. I’m not here to manipulate, control, or spread false information. I am here as a humanitarian, building bridges and holding space for real conversations about our humanity. This is humility in its finest forms. It may upset your ideas, and perceptions. That is a you problem not a me problem. My message comes from listening, observing, and caring—not controlling. Literally walking the biker way, but without a bike - One day, I will ride—on my own dime, in my own way. But right now, every bit of my energy and resources is going into building something bigger than myself. I’ve chosen to invest in Bikers Across the Nation because I believe this mission—this unity, this dialogue, this humanity—is more important than personal gratification. No one else is going to do it. I am stepping up to the podium to sacrifice my owns selfish needs to do something about it. I pray it helps in the long run. I can rest easy to know I tried my best to show human conversation, and helped a huge group that truly is about freedoms, and deserves to stop being hurt as well. If we are being victim, and yet bullying others..maybe you all are not victims anymore. How we treat others matters.

It is totally different from what is happening with this administration. I’m not asking for handouts. I’m stating facts. I am not using propaganda to influence your decision. I am having a healthy, philosophical, not ignorant conversation where different views can come in and talk to me in a healthy manner with no judgement. I will also hold each of us (even me) to a human standard. And I’ve learned firsthand how quickly people jump to conclusions, make assumptions, and judge what they don’t understand. That’s why I’m speaking up. This is about difference. This is about freedom. This is about breaking that cycle—together.

How can a brotherhood that claims to never leave anyone behind support policies that leave immigrants in detention, veterans without care, LGBTQ+ youth in fear, and women with no say over their own bodies? Some of these are our own riders on the road that we talk about "never leaving a brother or sister behind".

The biker code was forged in rebellion—look at the Boozefighters and the 1947 Hollister event. That incident didn’t define outlaw culture by accident. It was the media that spun the chaos into a national fear campaign. The AMA responded by saying 99% of bikers are law-abiding. And from that, the term “one-percenter” was born. But what was it really? A label to separate those who conform from those who question authority. Those who live outside the rules. Those who walk an illegal path as a form of survival or resistance. That spirit matters just as much as walking a lawful one. Both are human. Both are American.

That is why I always tell people we are getting confused between the words "unite" and "conform". Uniting is not conforming. Empathy is not a picking option. It isn't one sided conversation just because you personally want freedoms, but want to take other freedoms away.

The origins of the brotherhood many of you ride under were born in the aftermath of military service—men coming home from war looking for meaning, for structure, and for a place where their trauma and loyalty could coexist. Motorcycle clubs became that sanctuary. The lifestyle was built on honoring brotherhood, loyalty, and escaping control, not submitting to it. It was also formed in defiance of the way society judged, labeled, and stigmatized these men—especially in the '50s and '60s, when veterans were profiled, misunderstood, and often abandoned. You all are still going through it. Even though it is covered up a lot in a nice little Media bow to distract you.

Motorcycle culture has long been a masculine world—and there’s nothing wrong with that. It has been a space where men find belonging, brotherhood, identity, and purpose. Today, more women are riding too. But the truth is, the core values of the MC life—freedom, respect, loyalty, honor—don’t belong to one gender or one political party. These values come from all sides of the American umbrella. That’s the beauty of it. You cannot put bikers into a political box because this culture itself was built by those who refused to be boxed in. Both are human. Both are American.

And what protects all of us—rider or not—is the U.S. Constitution and its checks and balances. I would be having this conversation if it was beyond the United States of America. I would be doing the same research because I know for a fact it is happening beyond our soil. It is devastating. The structure we claim to hate is the same one keeping tyranny at bay...maybe it is the lack of education for the US Constitution. It isn't the US Constitution that is taking away your freedoms, but fellow humans that are trying to control, manipulate, and be selfish.

Project 2025, for example, is a far-reaching political plan drafted by The Heritage Foundation that seeks to consolidate power, dismantle federal protections, control the press, erase civil liberties, and centralize government under executive authority. That’s not freedom. That’s authoritarianism. And bikers are being manipulated to cheer it on.

The Constitution protects we the people. Your rights to protest. To speak. To live and love freely. And yet, those very rights are under threat—under real, documented threat—by people the biker community has chosen to idolize.

How can you say you ride free when you post memes scapegoating others?

How can you say you believe in mental health while ridiculing those who suffer?

How can you say you are for freedom while backing people who chip away at everyone else's?

I have been told over and over again to keep politics out of it. But this isn’t about politics. It’s about people. It’s about truth. It’s about the heart of biker culture being twisted into something that serves power instead of people.

You are not tools of the system. You are not foot soldiers for billionaires. You are bikers. You are humans. And if you remember that—and act like it—there’s still time to ride this culture back toward truth.

You must do better. You can do better. Because true freedom isn’t just about flying a flag. It’s about fighting for the person next to you, whether they look like you or not. Whether they pray like you, vote like you, or love like you. That’s the biker way. That’s the freedom way. I deal with bikers who are United States Citizens. To me Freedoms = Our US Constitution. And if you've forgotten that, it's time to remember.

To support this, consider the following sources:

The origins of biker culture and its military roots are explored in pieces such as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and the One-Percenters (CrimeReads) and How Veterans Turned to Motorcycles After War (Smithsonian Magazine), which explain how biker brotherhoods were born from post-war trauma and a search for solidarity. Concerns about profiling and stigma are raised by the Motorcycle Profiling Project and a U.S. Department of Justice report on law enforcement bias. For insight into mental health within the biker and veteran communities, Psychology Today’s article Motorcycles and PTSD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention resources are critical reads.

The danger of media manipulation is well outlined in Richard Hofstadter’s seminal The Paranoid Style in American Politics and ongoing research from Harvard’s Misinformation Review. Finally, Project 2025 and the Threat to Democracy from the Brennan Center, and documents from the Heritage Foundation itself, lay out how far-right ideologies threaten freedoms bikers value.

All of these sources remind us that what we amplify, believe, and share matters. The road to freedom is not paved with blind loyalty. It’s paved with empathy, truth, and responsibility. Remember, I read everything even if it is biased. I am going to read it, and listen and research it. Even if it is not the greatest article. I am going to give it a time a day. and remove myself for the understanding.