LIX - Newsletter

Special Interest Groups & Activities

Hey LIX Chicks,

The results are in from the LIX Chicks survey that we conducted last month. Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond and to give us your thoughts about the monthly networking meetings. Here’s the important dirt:

One hundred members responded to the survey (out of 400 women). I think that’s an excellent response!
What came across loud and clear is that the vast majority of the women who completed the survey haven’t been attending the monthly meetings on any kind of regular basis and, in fact, don’t want a monthly meeting. 40% said they would come ‘more than twice a year’; 25% said they would come more than four times a year; and 21% said they would come monthly.
Even if we were to try a dinner meeting format, 57% of the respondents aren’t prepared to pay more than $20 for dinner. This makes finding a venue for a group dinner meeting next to impossible for us.

So what have we learned from this exercise? Well...what’s obvious to us on the Steering Committee is that the monthly networking meetings were an important part of LIX for the first few years but the need is just not there any longer. So we’ve decided to stop the search for a venue and focus on what you told us we do well...the Proud Chicks Dance Party, the annual dinner/speaker meeting at The Pantry, the Tea Dance and the LIX e-news.

To address the business networking side of LIX, we’re looking at the possibility of hosting a once a year Lesbian Trade Show type of event...especially as Capital Xtra’s yearly LGXPO at Jack Purcell seems to have vanished. And we’re not opposed to trying one or two business dinner meetings a year but interested women will have to be willing to pay more than $20.

In the ‘Suggestions’ part of the survey, many women asked for other types of activities (golf tournaments, games nights, BBQ, beach volleyball, picnics, pot lucks, more dances, etc.). Some of these events/activities are things that LOG (Lesbian Outdoor Group) already offers. Some of them are darned good ideas that we encourage you to organize through the LIX Chicks Want Ads and Special Interest Groups & Activities and/or the LIX Facebook page!

There you are. Once again thanks to all of you who filled out the survey. I think it was a productive exercise. And I think it addressed the issue of accountability that drove it initially. As much as the monthly networking meetings had become an important part of my life, I’m ready to try something new! A dyke trade show could be excellent! My brain’s already clicking away on that idea.

And we have this year’s Proud Chicks Dance Party to look forward to. Mark your calendars now for the lesbian social event of the summer! On Friday, August 28th we will be hosting our fifth annual summer dance as part of the 2009 Ottawa-Gatineau Pride celebrations. What could be better than a beautiful summer evening with 300 lesbians, a huge dance floor, twinkle lights, a dyke DJ spinning great tunes, and a sandy beach for strolling? Tickets will go on sale August 1st (see Upcoming Events of Interest #13).

That’s it for now gals. Catch you later...

Special Interest Groups & Activities
1. Monthly group for non-biological Moms in same-sex families. I’m interested in creating a group for those of us who have started families together and where one parent is the biological mother and one isn’t. The purpose of the group would be to provide an informal space to share concerns, fears and issues with other Moms going through this experience and navigating this sometimes difficult terrain. My thought would be to meet for coffee/tea at a café or at someone’s home. If you are interested, please contact Laura Cohen at lauracohen@rogers.com or at (613) 228-9778 and we can go from there. 2. Ottawa Amazons Women's Motorcycle Club. Come and join the gals for fun, friendship, laughter and travel with an all lesbian motorcycle group. Monthly meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at Bridgehead Coffee, 362 Richmond Road (west of Churchill in Westboro) at 7:15 pm. If you would like information on how to become a member of the Ottawa Amazons, how to obtain a motorcycle license, and/or tips on negotiating the purchase of a new or used motorcycle, the Amazons are the gals to contact. If you plan to attend a monthly meeting, please contact Molly King at Ottawa.Amazons@monaco.ca. 3. Free e-Book for LIX members! LIX Chick, Cindy Teevens, has created Awakening Joy™, a story of suffering transcended into joy, and a simple practice anyone can do that will create a life full of constant joy. This true story and uncommon look at life will have you re-thinking the nature of experience, reality, thought, suffering, ego, radical change, unconditional love, your intention, purpose, life, and eternal joy--from the inside-out. It is also a simple, key practice to living the lessons of Tolle, Abraham, and is similar in form to Byron Katie's teachings. You can order and read the whole story, which also includes more information and key guidance on using Awakening Joy™, free until July 30th. The book will be sent July 31st. Here is the hidden link: http://awakeningjoy.ca/awakening_joy_free2.html. For more information on Cindy and some of her upcoming events, please go to http://www.awakeningjoy.ca/index.html.
LIX Chicks Tips	LIX Chicks Want Ads
1.Sinister Wisdom, a multicultural journal by and for lesbians is the oldest surviving lesbian journal. They need more subscribers and always contributors. Check out the website for more info, and get the latest issues at www.sinisterwisdom.org. (Scarlet F.) 2. Check out Dorothy's Closet and please sign up at the top of the page to be on Dorothy's mailing list! Enjoy! (Wendy, a.k.a Dorothy, your Ottawa gay portal)	1. Cottage for rent: A cottage on a small island on the Big Rideau Lake, about an hour and a half from Ottawa. Also for rent, a rustic cabin, perfect for kayakers. For information please contact Marion at (613) 237-4054. 2. 2009 Dyke March Volunteers Needed: The Dyke March Committee has started their volunteer recruitment drive for the August 29 Ottawa Dyke March. If you are interested in volunteering for any of the positions below please contact the committee at dykemarchottawa@yahoo.ca. Food prep (several people needed 1 or 2 nights before the march) Food and BBQ set up/serving/cooking (several people needed as well as a car to bring food to the Jack Purcell Community Centre) Clean up and return uneaten food to ACO (several people needed as well as a car to bring things back to ACO) Set up of stage and music equipment (several people needed) Pre-march rally (two people to set up and take down speaker and amplifier at the march) Take down and clean up of stage and picnic area Vehicle volunteers 3. Call for Contributions to Lesbian Journal: Poetry has long been important to lesbians, lesbian publishing, and lesbian identity. Sinister Wisdom, a multicultural journal by and for lesbians, is seeking poems by thirty to forty contemporary lesbian poets, each paired with a poem by a lesbian poet of yore. Think about what work inspires your work and submit creative, eclectic, interesting, and unusual pairings for consideration. Each pair should include a poem by the contemporary poet and a “poet of yore.” A bio of both poets should be included in the submission. Poets are encouraged to submit up to three pairs of poems for consideration. Pairings of poems and visual art work are also welcome. Other creative responses to the theme are welcome. Permission to print both poems must be secured by the submitter. Please discuss copyright and permission with the guest editor well in advance of deadline. Submit manuscripts to Julie R. Enszer, 6910 Wells Parkway, University Park, MD 20782 with SASE for response or email JulieREnszer@gmail.com. Submissions are due March 1, 2010.