In this powerful and deeply moving oral herstory, we sit down with Juanita "Poet" Kirton — Army veteran, educator, poet, rider, activist, mother, and longtime member of the Sirens Women's Motorcycle Club of New York City. Juanita reflects on nearly eight decades of life experience: growing up in Brooklyn as the daughter of Barbadian immigrants, navigating identity as a Black lesbian woman during the civil rights era, serving in the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” discovering freedom through motorcycles, and finding chosen family through the Sirens and queer community spaces. From cross-country rides through the Rockies and Nova Scotia to secret queer relationships in the 1960s, Juanita shares stories of resilience, danger, joy, love, spirituality, protest, survival, and liberation. Her voice carries the wisdom of someone who has lived through seismic cultural shifts — and never stopped riding forward. This interview is part oral herstory, part love letter to queer survival, and part road map for younger generations searching for belonging. Topics include:-The early years of the Sirens Women's Motorcycle Club of New York City-Riding motorcycles across the United States and Canada-Black women in motorcycle culture-LGBTQ+ identity in the 1960s–1990s-“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and military life-Chosen family and queer community-Spirituality, activism, and survival-Pride parades, protest rides, and women riders-Love, aging, and freedom on the road Trigger Warnings / Content Notes:This interview contains discussions of:-Homophobia and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination-Racism and racial violence-Religious trauma and rejection -Military discrimination under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” -Threats of violence and personal safety concerns -Historical references to hate crimes and cross burnings -Sexism and misogyny -Mentions of political oppression and systemic discrimination If you would like to find out more about our club, please visit Sirens.nyc.orgTo support the preservation of queer motorcycle history, community programming, and oral herstory projects like this one, please consider making a donation: https://account.venmo.com/u/sirensmc Credits: Interviewer: Caro Caden, Sirens Volunteer Archivist; Coordinator at the Lesbian Herstory Archives Producer: Alex “T-Rex” Hsie, Siren Member and Siren Media Coordinator Sound Designer: MJ Phillips, Siren Pledge Thank you to Poet for trusting us with her story and allowing future generations to learn from her journey. If this conversation resonates with you, please like, comment, and subscribe to support the preservation of queer motorcycle history, women riders, and oral herstory projects like this one.
