From: cjmchale@dsg.cs.tcd.ie (Ciaran McHale)
Subject: Re: where the women are?
Organization: DSG, Dept. of Computer Science, Trinity College Dublin
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 17:10:44 GMT

In <1992Jul29.132642.3056@midway.uchicago.edu>
an anonymous poster asks for hints on how she could meet up with queer
women.

>I don't know where they hang out.  I don't know what their signs are.
>Oh, it's perfectly obvious where all the guys go; there's always a
>"wall" or a certain bar.  But it's never been clear where all the
>lovely women are.  [...] I looked in the phone book under "women",
>"lesbian" and "bisexual" and got no further than the Women's Rotary
>club.

If there is anything listed under "gay" in the phone book then try
ringing that. Even if the service is aimed at gay men it still might be
able to provide you with some help.

Alternatively, find a phone book for the nearest city and check it for
lesbian/gay/bi/women's services. If you can find a phoneline there then
they might know of something in the surrounding towns.

If you can find a bookstore with a queer section (either in your own
town or the next time you visit a larger city) then have a look for the
international lesbian and gay guides. These guides give listings of
queer services (bookstores, cafes, accomodations, telephone lines,
organisations, pubs, discos, sex shops, etc) alphabetically for
towns/cities in each state/country. This might help you locate
something in your own town or a neighbouring one. There are a variety
of these guides. A well-known one is called Spartacus. One I have on my
desk is called "Places of Interest: International Gay Guide 1991." One
specifically for women (so you might find it in the women's section if
a bookstore doesn't have a queer section) is called "GAIA." BTW,
sometimes you will find lesbian books in the women's section of
bookstores. These guides generally cost somewhere between $10 and $30
(I am presuming that you are in the States). The publisher of the guide
I have is:

	Ferrari Publications
	PO Box 37887
	Pheonix
	AZ 85069
	USA
	(602) 863-2408

You might consider giving them a ring and inquiring about their guides.
In particular:

	Places of Interest 1992 (the newer edition of what I have)
	Places of Interest to Women 1992

You can expect to pay about $12.50 for the first book and $9.00 for the
second. Postage is about $3.00 inside the USA; $3.70 for Canada and
$4.00 for Mexico. (These prices are probably out of date but should
give you some estimate of the cost. Ring Ferrari for the latest prices
and to order.)

If you are in college then have a look in the library catalogue for
these (or similar) books.

If you want, email me the name of the town and state you live in; and
I'll email you back whatever details my guide has about your town and
neighbouring ones.

One thing: these guides tend to be out of date (sometimes by years)
since they have to rely on people to mail them details about changes to
the local scene. You might be able to find more up-to-date information
in queer newsletters/magazines/newspapers.

If you wear a queer t-shirt, button badge or ear-rings while hanging
out in the cafe then it might encourage any other queer women to talk
to you. If you wouldn't feel comfortable being that out then how about
some sort of feminist symbol, e.g., an ear-ring in the shape of a
circle with a cross underneath. You should be able to use a gay guide
book (e.g., those mentioned above) to locate a bookstore in a city
which sells such stuff and would be willing to do mailorder.

>Don't even think about looking at the personals I kept telling myself
>- I have always thought of personals as this totally inhumane way of
>meeting people, and surely a friendly, not totally disgusting person
>like me would have some luck in person.

I think that is a common perception of personal ads. Also probably a
false one. Perhaps you might reconsider it.


<> Lesbians and gay men are assumed to influence young people over their
<> sexuality, whilst heterosexuals assume themselves to be neutral.
<> --- "Amnesia and antagonism" by Val Carpenter, in "Radical Voices"

Ciaran.
-- 
Ciaran McHale                                                             ----
Department of Computer Science, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.       \bi/
Telephone: +353-1-7021539 FAX: +353-1-772204 email: cjmchale@dsg.cs.tcd.ie \/