A cyclist traversing the East Coast from Key West, Florida to Bar Harbor, Maine, is raising money for LGBTQ+ causes. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi caught up with him around the halfway point of his journey in Harrisonburg, and filed this report.
[sound of bicycle gears whirring by]
Ray Franks is a New York City resident, a jazz saxophonist, a set-builder for "Saturday Night Live," and a father of twenty-somethings.
RAY FRANKS: After the last election cycle, I was trying to figure out a way to be a more vocal advocate for, particularly, my kids, and also my friends and family. Of the three kids I have, one of them is cisgender, one of them is trans, and another is non-binary.
Last year, he embarked on his first "Trans America Ride," bicycling from Los Angeles to New York City, to raise money for The Trevor Project and Lambda Legal – nonprofits that, respectively, provide suicide prevention and legal services for the LGBTQ community. This year, he decided to do it again – riding 2,400 miles on state highways, rail trails, and greenways on –
FRANKS: A Trek Domane road bike, which is like an endurance road bike. It's not racing, but it's a little faster than some things. And then I have two panniers on the back and a top rack bag, and then I have a little bag on the front, too, that holds all my stuff.
He left Key West on May 22 and is running ahead of schedule to reach Bar Harbor on June 24. The timing, during Pride Month, is intentional – and it's also "SNL's" off season. Including last year's ride, he's raised about $48,000 for the two organizations.
FRANKS: You know, I'm cis, and I'm straight, and I'm not trying to speak for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community. I'm not trying to speak for my kids. I'm just trying to speak up for them. … It's not something you have to understand. Everyone needs to be treated with love and respect and dignity, and unfortunately, in our current society, there seems to be a lot of hatred and even state-sanctioned bullying, which is one of the main reasons I'm doing this.
Franks said he's gotten hateful and violent comments online – but every in-person interaction, in his rainbow and trans pride flag-emblazoned jersey, has been positive.
