Unfashionably Lesbian Focussed
On May 12th, British Columbian voters will be asked the following question when we vote: Which electoral system should British Columbia use to elect members to the Provincial Legislative Assembly? The existing electoral system (First-past-the-post) The single transferable vote system (BC-STV) proposed by the BC Citizen’s Read more
Vancouver plays this wonderful trick on Vancouverites every February. For a short while, it seems like spring is fully sprung and summer is a whisper away. The snow drops and crocuses pop up from the ground, and buds on trees start to swell. Alas, the Read more
Welcome to the winter edition of Lesbian Quarterly.
Winter holidays. As someone who celebrates the secular version of Christmas, it’s a time of figuring out what to buy people and when to mail it so they get it on time. It’s also a time to focus on the things I like about the various winter holidays, and leave the rest.
My spiritual holiday is Winter Solstice, which is a nice thing to celebrate, since you can make it whatever you want to be. Lesbians are like that, taking what we like about popular culture and hopefully leaving the rest. Yule evergreens decorated with blessings, decking the halls, candles and blessing people with gifts belong to Solstice/Yule as much as Christmas, and that makes me happy.
About 20 years ago, young, broke and unwilling to go to my parents place for Christmas, I chose to gather my chosen family around me and start some new traditions. That year, my Solstice / birthday candlemaking celebration was born. Each year since then, the people I’m closest to, and some others that just seem nice, are invited to my home to sit around, drink mulled apple juice and dip candle wicks in tall jars of hot coloured wax. It’s nice, homey and peaceful, the kind of thing I’d want my children to remember fondly, if I was going to have children.
This quarter in LQ we have some resources for making lesbian and gay friendly purchases from companies with positive practices towards people like us. We also have a book review by guest contributor Jeanette Nelson, about a first novel written by a Canadian lesbian, published by a Canadian publishing company. As well, a new opportunity to recommend your favourite lesbian-owned businesses and artisans.
In This Issue
The Skin Beneath Check back here on December 1st for the new edition. Advertizers and contributors – please get your information in by 5 days before the new edition. If you’re proposing a story idea, please contact the editor at least a month in advance.
I have more than one good friend who happens to have a mental illness. Two friends have recently ‘outed’ themselves to me as having been diagnosed with a mood disorder and schizophrenia respectively. I also have a close friend I have taken to the emergency department, Read more
This quarter we’re talking about favourite lesbian owned and women-owned businesses in BC. Also see our usual features the Lesbian Agenda, and Ongoing Lesbian Events. I’ve also catalogued all the lesbian-owned and women-owned businesses mentioned on the site, and you can see all of them by clicking Read more
Welcome to Lesbian Quarterly’s rebirth online in our third year. In this issue: Challenges Together: Rhizome Cafe Catherine McNeill (poetry) – let us give thanks Lisa (Annuska) van der Pol (business update)- Boogy Woogy in Victoria Sophia Kelly – (poetry) You touch Ongoing Lesbian Events The Lesbian Agenda Read more
Twas the night before deadline and LQ wasn’t even close to ready to go out. It’s been a busy few months, and I haven’t had time to beat the bushes for articles or ads, or to write much.