LIX - Newsletter

Special Interest Groups & Activities

Hey LIX Chicks,

First off this month I want to report that Proud Chicks Dance Party IV on August 22nd was a huge success! We sold out again this year and, judging by the packed dance floor, it seems that a good time was had by all. Thank you for supporting the LIX Steering Committee in our efforts to ensure that a lesbian dance continues to be part of Pride Week in Ottawa. Big thanks to all of you who volunteered your time to help us put on the dance...we wouldn’t be able to do it without you! Whether you decorated the hall, staffed the front table, sold drink tickets, prepared food, worked the bar or cleaned-up at the end of the evening, your contributions are truly appreciated.

Special thanks go out to the amazing women from Kerry’s Krew who not only served drinks all night but actually started their volunteer work earlier in the week when they trekked out to buy all the booze, water, soft drinks and snacks, and then lugged everything to Lakeside Gardens Friday afternoon to stock the fridges in preparation for the dance.

Thank you Ruth, Lucie, Lena, Chantal and Mary-Liz! And tons of heartfelt thanks to Ruth & Lucie from TRS Telecommunications...these two women not only worked all night at our dance, they also PAID for all the booze. Their amazingly kind donation allowed us to clear $5500 this year! We have paid back the LIX Kitty $3500, donated $700 to the Pride Committee and given $1300 to Pink Triangle Services. Thanks again gals!

photo by Ima Ortega

And speaking of fabulous LIX Chicks, have you checked out the August 27th issue of Capital Xtra for the first instalment of Bentline, a new cartoon series by our very own, Karen Munro-Caple? Who knew that Karen had this hidden talent! Besides being a highly-skilled and respected massage therapist, she has created a hilarious lesbian comic strip which will be appearing regularly in Capital Xtra. You go girl!

Last month, I told you about the efforts to have part of Bank Street officially declared a GLBT Village and I promised to keep you posted on the issue. Well have I got news for you! Despite a ‘No’ vote on the issue from the Bank Street BIA (Business Improvement Association), Glenn Crawford and his committee members are NOT giving up! And they have created a fun way for all of us to lend our support to this very important initiative. On Tuesday, September 9th all fags, dykes, bisexuals, transpeople, green people, XYZ people and our allies are invited to The Wizard of Oz: A Village Street Social and Film Screening. We’re taking over Bank Street between Somerset and Gilmour for food, fun and a screening of that old queer-favourite film, The Wizard of Oz. The party starts at 7:00 pm. and it’s free although a suggested donation of $5 will really help the Village Initiative. Sounds like a delightful way to spend a warm September evening. Hope to see you there! There’s no place like the Village! (Check out Upcoming Event #1 for more information.)

I have some very sad news for those of you who are familiar with American lesbian rights pioneer, Del Martin. Del died a couple of weeks ago. Here is an excerpt from a wonderful tribute that was written by Don McLeod, a volunteer with the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives in Toronto:

“Lesbian rights pioneer and LGBT elder advocate Del Martin, who had joined her wife Phyllis Lyon in 1955 in cofounding the Daughters of Bilitis, the first U.S. national lesbian organization, died in San Francisco on Wednesday, August 27th. She was 87 years old. Martin and Lyon, partners for 55 years, were the first lesbian couple to legally wed in San Francisco following the California Supreme Court decree in May that the state constitution protects marriage equality for same-sex couples. Martin and Lyon were lifelong activists for progressive causes. In the 1950s, Del started organizing against harsh social and legal oppression of lesbian and gay people. In the 1960s, she took part in challenges to police misconduct and in efforts to end poverty and to halt the Vietnam War. In the 1970s, she was a pioneer in the domestic violence movement, publishing a groundbreaking book, Battered Wives, in 1976. In the 1980s, she played a leadership role in the women’s health movement and in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Phyllis Lyon joined Martin in all these struggles. In addition to Lyon, Martin is survived by her daughter and two grandchildren. Anyone interested in learning more about the work of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon will find their voluminous archives at the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco; for details, visit http://www.glbthistory.org.”

We had a truly special five-minute infomercial at this month’s LIX networking meeting on September 4th. Our speaker was LIX Chick, Elizabeth Tyler, who is President of Gender Mosaic, Canada’s oldest transgender support group. Elizabeth is in transition and talked about her personal experiences and feelings about being a woman and a lesbian. What was amazing about Elizabeth’s presentation was the honesty and vulnerability she showed in sharing her story with us. Her courage and willingness to talk about her experience and to answer personal questions was received with respect and warmth by all of us in attendance.

photo by Catherine Purdie [www.photoswithattitude.com]

Elizabeth works as a carpenter in a local home-building company. Last January she began taking hormones and dressing as a woman which meant that she had to sit her male co-workers down and explain to them what was going on. Surprisingly, that conversation went very well and Elizabeth has found total acceptance in her company. She told us that, in fact, when one of the clients of the company told her boss that he wasn’t comfortable having Elizabeth work on his job, her boss told that client that he could take his business elsewhere!

Thank you Elizabeth for an absolutely wonderful presentation. We are honoured to have you in the LIX fold. For those of you who missed this month’s meeting, let me just say that I had to fight my way in to give Elizabeth a hug as she was swamped by LIX Chicks once she finished her talk! For more information about Gender Mosaic, go to www.gendermosaic.ca.

If you've never done a five-minute infomercial or if you did one but it was a long time ago, we encourage you to add your name to the list by contacting Lucy at (613) 231-4347 or at info@girlswanttoknow.com. Infomercials don't have to be business-related. Do you have an interesting hobby? Do you belong to an organization that you'd like to tell us about? How about volunteer work that's meaningful to you? We have spots available now. Catch you later gals.

NEWS FLASH: UPDATE ON SING-ALONG WIZARD OF OZ,
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH

The Village Initiative Project needs our help more than ever! Hartman's and the Bank Street BIA have voiced their objections to the upcoming party on Tuesday, September 9th and as a result, the City has refused to grant a permit to close off the area of Bank Street where the Wizard of Oz fundraiser was to take place.

The organizers have stepped up quickly to move the party to Gilmour Street, between Bank and O'Connor. Given this recent action by the City, it's even more important now that we show our support for the Village Initiative! The LIX Steering Committee asks that you consider coming out on Tuesday evening to join the rest of Ottawa's GLBT Community for this fun party and important statement of solidarity in our community! The party starts at 7:00 pm. on Gilmour Street. Hope to see you there!

LIX Chicks Want Ads	Special Interest Groups & Activities
The Ten Oaks Project is currently seeking nominations for its 2008-2010 Board of Directors. They are looking for seven committed and passionate individuals to join their team to provide leadership to the following portfolios: Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Bowl-A-Thon, Grants, Donor Relations, Marketing and Communications, Community Development, and Volunteer Coordination. Portfolio descriptions, nomination packages and details on Board structure and Board member responsibilities can be found at http://www.tenoaksproject.org/. Board members will be elected for a period of two years. Five of the current Board members will be completing the second year of a two year term. The new leadership team will guide the organization through the transition of hiring its first full-time employee, an Executive Director, the launch of a new leadership program, and the transformation from a working board model to that of a policy/governance board. Nominations must be returned to Ten Oaks by mail no later than September 19, 2008. The incoming Board of Directors will be elected at our Annual General Meeting, which will take place October 23, 2008. For more information, please call (613) 321-2825.	1. Fun on the Courts. Are you interested in a morning of fun sports activities with other lesbians? If so, then join Julie at the Ottawa Athletic Club on Sunday, October 19th. The morning includes playing racquetball, squash and wallyball (volleyball inside the racquetball court). Equipment is provided. Be ready to start at 9:30 am. and the activities will run until noon. An instructor will be available to help you with your racquet skills. To participate, call the OAC at (613) 523-1540 and register for "Fun on the Courts". Cost is $15. A maximum of 16 women will be allowed to register...deadline for registration is Wednesday, October 15th. Option of going out for brunch afterward. 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. 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
Quick & Easy Strawberry Soup Recipe. Take advantage of very reasonable prices on local strawberries to create this delicious strawberry soup that is not only a great treat now but also a soup that you can freeze and serve in the middle of our depressing Ottawa winter to remind yourself that summer will, indeed, happen again. In a blender, combine strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, sugar, water and cardamom. Puree until well mixed. Chill and serve. Preparation time: 5 minutes. Serves 4. Freezes well. (Marie R.)	STRAWBERRY SOUP 4 cups strawberries, hulled 2 cups plain yogurt 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup water 1/8 tsp. cardamom