LIX - Newsletter

Special Interest Groups & Activities

Hey LIX Chicks,

Happy Spring Girlfriends! I hope you’re all enjoying the fabulous spring weather as much as I am. Our backyard is a veritable extravaganza of lavender forget-me-nots and multi-coloured tulips. Yippeeeeee! I am so happy that the God-awful winter is over...why the heck do we live in this climate? I swear, the older I get, the more Vancouver appeals to me.

Anyway...one of the highlights of my spring, so far, was the LIX Disco Tea Dance on April 26th. What a blast! It’s amazing how holding a dance in the middle of the afternoon can bring out a whole new crowd of women. The dance floor was hoppin’ and Carolyn’s fantastic desserts didn’t hurt either! I think it’s safe to say that all the LIX Chicks who attended had a brilliant time! Thanks to DJ Heather for spinning all of our 70’s and 80’s favourites. And a special thanks to the Chicks who stayed at the end of the afternoon to help us take down the tables and decorations, and stack the chairs. That hall was back to its original pristine condition in about 15 minutes! Women are bloody amazing!

One last thing that I absolutely must point out about the dance...Kerry Beckett was actually seen dancing a number of times. I haven’t seen that girl dance since the early 80’s at the Coral Reef! Clearly disco music is magic! And speaking of Kerry, thank you to all the LIX Chicks who joined Kerry at the Foolish Chicken on April 29th for Taste For Life. We don’t have a final tally yet from Bruce House but, judging by the huge crowds of women that night, I’m sure Kerry is going to be one of the top fundraisers again this year. Thanks also to LIX Chicks who supported HIV/AIDS services by dining at other participating restaurants that evening.

Well...Thursday, May 7th was our last monthly networking meeting until the fall, and our final meeting at the Swizzles venue. Once again our thanks go out to Tanya and the gang at Swizzles for their hospitality and kindness over the last year and a half.

Our five-minute infomercial presenter was Angela Schnurr, who talked about what a young woman’s heart turns to in the spring...motorcycling! Riding her motorcycle is one of Angela’s passions. A seasoned motorcyclist, Angela rides with Ottawa’s Iron Cow Girls. Her presentation provided us with a great overview on bikes. She discussed the different kinds of bikes available (cruisers, touring bikes, off-road bikes, scooters and sport bikes) and emphasized the importance of buying a bike that feels comfortable based on your size and strength. Not many people know how to pick up a bike weighing 400 pounds, not to mention the large, fancy touring bikes that can weigh up to 800 pounds. There are specific techniques for ‘righting’ a motorcycle. One LIX member added that if you need to pick up your bike, you probably have other issues to concern you...like picking imbedded gravel from your skin after a fall!

The cost of a bike can be high. Angela pointed out that when you add in the extras such as the leathers (pants, jacket, gloves), protective boots, helmet and rain gear, the cost is quickly driven up. In addition there is also the cost of insurance, motorcycle license and training. The training is highly recommended and it can actually help reduce the cost of the insurance. Angela’s presentation also included excellent tips on buying the right gear based on protection rather than fashion; learning to use the road lanes properly so you don’t get cut off; being aware that with one headlight there is no depth perception at night for on-coming traffic; and the fact that bike horns are just not effective. Thanks Angela for a most interesting and informative presentation. You go Iron Cow Girl! [photo credit Catherine Purdie]

The LIX Steering Committee members have started the search for a new location for the monthly networking meetings. As I explained in last month’s e-news, our plan is to take the summer months to look for a place where we can hold dinner meetings. Changing our format should greatly improve our chances of finding a suitable venue in our community. I also told you that we would like to know what you think about this shift in direction. LIX Chick, Sibyl, has kindly created a survey that you will be receiving soon in a separate email. The survey will only take a couple minutes of your time to complete...so please spend two minutes and let us know your thoughts. Throughout the summer, I will update you on the progress of the restaurant search.

One last piece of exciting spring news...on May 1st, Sweden became the fifth European country to recognize same-sex marriage (after the Netherlands in 2000, Belgium in 2003, Spain in 2005 and Norway in 2008)! Sweden was one of the first countries to give lesbian & gay couples legal partnership rights in the mid 90’s and allow them to adopt children from 2002. The new law will allow couples to wed in either a civil or religious ceremony, though individual churches can opt out. The law was passed by 226 votes to 22. Canadian law to legalize same-sex marriages was passed in 2005; South Africa passed similar legislation in 2006.

Catch you later...

Special Interest Groups & Activities

1. A post-adoption support group for LGBTQ parents and parents-to-be. We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. at the Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill Street. Next Meeting: May 19th. Topic: Advocacy...at school, with doctors and psychologists, with friends and playdates; how do you work to make sure your kids get the supports they need. Future Meeting: June 16. Please note that to provide a space where parents can talk openly, onsite child care is not provided. For more information, please check out our blog www.lgbtqadoptionottawa.blogspot.com, email lgbtqadoptionottawa@rogers.com or call Holly at (613) 742-5944 (Note: if you don't leave a message on the machine, please assume the 13 year-old messenger failed to take your message!).

2. 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.

3. 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.

LIX Chicks Tips

1. Check out Stockholm’s Lesbian Scene. Spread out across 14 small and interconnected islands, Stockholm is a lovely and accessible city. It’s small enough that you can easily walk or take public transit everywhere, but big enough so there’s still lots to do. Like most Nordic destinations, it’s also a very liberal-minded city where being gay or lesbian really isn’t an issue...on May 1st of this year same-sex marriage became legal in Sweden! To discover more about Stockholm's local lesbian scene, click here. Happy travels! (Tanya C. for Girlports, your worldwide lesbian travel guide)

2. Check out Dorothy's Closet and the new Dorothy's Closet Blog. Enjoy! (Wendy, a.k.a Dorothy, your Ottawa gay portal)