I'm waiting for my man. A red sedan with pink-and-black car seat covers, an altar on the dashboard, and punk-rock buttons pinned to the visor, pulls up to the curb. This is my Homobile. Inside sits my driver, Lynn Breedlove, who is all aviator shades and black denim and the founder of this queer donation-based car service. He kills it with the slogan — "Moes gettin' hoes where they needz to goes." When I get in, I notice a tiny palomino pony sitting on the dashboard, its gold coat shining in the sun. Breedlove explains, "It's a reminder of one of my best friends who died, Chloe Dzubilo, a trans woman who had an equestrian program for kids with HIV. I always imagine myself driving in the middle of a herd of wild mustangs, safe and protected."

"Safe and protected" is exactly what Homobiles is all about. It began when Breedlove was driving some "babes" to a conference in August 2010. "All of a sudden the butches and trans guys who saw me wanted to drive, and all the babes and drag queens wanted rides, and then I realized that this was a serious need that had to be filled."

Part of that need stems from the fact that traditional forms of public transportation and taxis aren't always a safe option; whether it's discrimination based on appearance, gender identity, or even costume, queer riders often face unique challenges to traveling, even in a private cab.

"I've been performing for a gazillion years and in my experience, a lot of cab drivers are not very comfortable with a man being in drag," says Krylon Superstar, a performance artist and member of local band Double Duchess. "A lot of times they would get close enough to see that I wasn't a woman and then they would just drive away."

Breedlove adds, "Also it's not just queer people. No one's going to pick you up if you're black and live in the Bayview. If you are a person of color in this town, you're going to have to get one of your white friends to flag the cab while you hide and jump out at the last minute. Because they aren't stopping for you or taking you to Hunter's Point. Sadly it's a story I hear over and over again. That's why we are here — to give everyone a safe ride."