The annual Dyke March returns to Pride again this year, giving women of all stripes a chance to stand up and be counted.

Far more informal than Sunday’s parade, marshalling for the Dyke March starts at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, at Piedmont Park’s Charles Allen Gate near Grady High School. The route then goes west on 10th Street to Peachtree Street before turning onto 14th Street and heading back to the park.

“Anyone who wants to march all they have to do is show up. There is no formal placement or anything like that. It’s informal and that’s the same way for the trans march,” Pride Executive Director J.P. Sheffield says. “It’s definitely more grassroots than the parade because the parade has floats and all those things.”

Organizers expect between 100 to 150 women to march and say the march is open to all women, not just those who claim the title of “dyke.”

“It’s called the dyke march but its definitely open to all women of all backgrounds, all women who identify in all kinds of ways including trans women,” Sheffield says. “We’ve definitely had our femme women walk with us in the past.”

According to Pride’s website, the Dyke March “ is dedicated to the empowerment of the women of Atlanta and beyond. The Dyke March, with its focus on women, unites to create an atmosphere of inclusion and community.”

Dyke March
Saturday, Oct. 9
5:30 p.m. assembly; 6 p.m. step off
Charles Allen Gate in Piedmont Park

Top photo: 2009 Dyke March (courtesy Project Q Atlanta)