Attorneys Find 'Dykes on Bikes' Patently Offensive, Reject Name

Twice, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has rejected the Dykes' application, on the grounds that "dyke" is vulgar, offensive and "scandalous." Patent office attorneys even point to Webster'sdictionary, which says dyke is "often used disparagingly."

"The examining attorney found it to be offensive to a significant portion of the lesbian community," said Jessie Roberts, a trademark administrator with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "And we're also looking out for the sensitivities of the general public more thanthat of a specific applicant."

The federal paper-shuffling might seem superfluous to any Bay Area resident who has heard the street chant, "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it." But "queer," a longtime slur for male homosexuals, isdifferent -- at least in the eyes of the federal trademarkers.

In November, the patent office registered a trademark on behalf of the Bravo Network for the hit television show "Queer Eye for the StraightGuy."

"So what's the difference between 'queer' and 'dyke'?" said Brooke Oliver, the Mission District attorney who is handling the Dykes' case.

"Queer Eye" was supported by a deep- pocketed television network versus a nonprofit group full of working- class women.

[SFGate: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/07/14/
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