Women’s game

ALL WOMEN I: Wednesday night’s Butch! women’s party will have anything up to 2,000 women vibrating everyone’s favourite Fox Studio’s venue the Dome in a display of international breastery. Breastery? Well, we can’t actually promise that but will say Butch! has the potential to be the biggest women’s dance party in Sydney’s queer history, and this journalist for one wouldn’t miss it for the world. Tickets are $55+BF and are available from Ticketek (9266 4020).

ALL WOMEN II: Sydneysiders might be getting a bit sick of hearing about how excellent the Bumpher Bar will be during the Games. But here goes again. The Bumpher Bar at the Burdekin Hotel has proved itself a stayer in the fickle Sydney dyke night merry-go-round, and will be open 11 nights in a row from 31 October, with different DJ line-ups, shows and general debauchery every night. Full details are available online at www.bumpherbar.com.au.

WET WOMEN I: FOD Travel have organised Harbour Lights, a women’s harbour cruise on Tuesday 5 November from 7pm to 11pm. The organisers have got Sydney DJ Lisa Turnbull on board as well as singer Monique Rhodes, and guests will kick on at a party -“ in a secret lesbian location -“ when the boat gets back into harbour. A limited number of tickets are available for $70, and can be booked by calling 9569 5311.

WET WOMEN II: Sydney surfing group Wet Girls are having a surfing picnic down at South Maroubra Beach from noon on Sunday 3 November. The organisers want everyone to bring their own everything except barbecues. Call Lea on 9519 6903 for details.

WET WOMEN III: Where else can you get a day’s entertainment for 20 cents? Hand over your change to the volunteer at the door (or if they’re not there, throw through it through the grille and into the ice-cream container). The Coogee women’s pool is a great place to nurse a hangover/swim in a classic Sydney rock pool/look at women in bathers. And the rocks around the top of the pool are about the closest thing Sydney women have to an anonymous sex venue (at least that I’m aware of). It’s a bit hard to find, so get to Coogee and ask a short-haired woman carrying a towel where it is.

RIDING WOMEN: Sydney Spokes, the gay and lesbian cycling group, has organised a women’s ride for Monday 4 November through Sydney’s picturesque eastern suburbs. The ride will run for an easy 15km and is suitable for all bikes. Places are limited to 60 cyclists as the Spokes have arranged for fully trained riders to lead groups. Participants will need to register by emailing [email protected] or visiting www.sydneyspokes. com. The ride will start and finish at Centennial Park, setting off about 2:10pm.

NAKED WOMEN: Sydney’s dyke strip night the Purple Glove is hilarious and at least a little bit sexy. Pure Platinum is an old-school strip club which is usually filled with businessmen, but the women behind the Purple Glove have changed all that. It’s on from 6pm, Sunday 10 November, 252 Pitt St, Sydney. Tickets are $20 at the door, or bookings can be made by calling 9332 2827.

CULTURED WOMEN: The Gay Games cultural program includes a heap of shows with particular appeal to women, including (to name a few) The Maiden Aunt’s Story (Paddington Town Hall, 6-7 November), Vita Sackville-West (State Library, 6 November), I Love Lezzie (Newtown Theatre, 4-6 November), My Life As A Dyke, One And Too (Paddington Uniting Church, various times), and G Strings And Jock Straps (The Studio, Sydney Opera House, 1-2 November). Full details are available at the Games website www.sydney2002.org.au.