An H-Town WNBR regular has alerted us to this article from Planet Nude about fraudulent WNBR promotions. This site regrets the error of posting a date for Denver’s revival of its WNBR. Because Denver has not held a ride since 2011, we checked the listing from various angles and found no clear evidence that the event was fraudulent. Thus we posted the date given, 15 June, despite any suspicions the Denver announcement may have raised.
However, when some riders showed up in the advertised location for the Denver ride, they found no organizers and were threatened with a call to the police.
WNBR organizers from various cities urge potential participants to be wary of any ride that involves ticket sites such as Eventbrite or SimpleTix and no direct contact information. That was the case for the announced ride in San Antonio, which to our knowledge has never held a WNBR with or without official permission from the city.
These fake ride announcements will not be limited to Denver and San Antonio: There will likely be more of them in future years, and riders need to seek out verification that the rides are truly happening before making plans to participate.
World Naked Mission Creep
The article also mentions a Chicago-area “World Naked Bike Ride for Gaza.” Whatever one thinks of Gaza as a cause for humanitarian activism, such expansion of WNBR’s stated mission should be viewed with suspicion, especially if it cannot be confirmed via the ride’s normal web presence (website, social media, etc.). Nude protest can be powerful, and it should be protected by the First Amendment. However, this proposed ride is a case of highjacking the World Naked Bike Ride name.
If Chicago’s official organizing team had posted on their own site or Facebook page that this year’s ride would focus on Gaza, that would be more legitimate. But even then the emphasis should remain on the usual WNBR issues: the global threat of climate disruption caused by fossil fuel dependency, safer roadways for non-motorists, and encouraging bodily freedom.
The Difficult Admission: We Need to Control Our Brand Better
It’s worth noting (and admitting) that the lack of national or international coordination of World Naked Bike Rides leaves WNBR open to the risk of misappropriation. The loose structure has its virtues, mainly in allowing local groups autonomy in how they conduct their rides and limiting overall liability.
The closest thing the world has to international coordination is the World Naked Bike Ride Facebook Group. Joining this group provides access to fact-checking about announced rides and opinions on the legitimacy of various organizing efforts. It also serves as a place for organizers to post links to their upcoming events. Readers should still exercise caution and prepare to be skeptical if something posted just doesn’t look realistic.
As part of that caution and skepticism, Planet Nude recommends checking the WNBR Wiki to determine whether an announced ride is really happening. This would be a better suggestion if local organizers were more consistent in the editing of their Wiki pages. In the opinion of this writer, too many organizing groups have let the Wiki slide, rendering the Wiki listings unreliable. Other groups have been unable or unwilling to maintain their websites, with “next ride” announcements showing dates in the past.
As the ride has always depended on the Internet to spread valid information, each ride should appoint one or more “info captains” to maintain their outlets on the Worldwide Web. There is nothing easy or simple about organizing these rides, but posting reliable information for participants should be a bare (as you dare) minimum.