Save the date for the festival’s third annual celebration: 13-16 September 2024
BY MEL ZBORNAK AND MAZ GORDON, IMAGES BY EMMA JOCELYN, EL AMETHYST, GILL WILLIAMSON
Oban Lesbian+ Weekend have decided to run their sober social again after it had a massive success last year. Although, you can drink at other parts of Oban Lesbian+ Weekend, the organisers wanted to get away from the idea of the drink and drug fuelled LGBTQIA party scene and give attendees other options.
Founder, Maz Gordon said “Many women do drink and enjoy the famous Oban distillery’s whiskey tour but we also have a lot of women who have said that they might like a few drinks but were delighted to hear the the event wasn’t just another p*** up”.
As Oban Lesbian+ Weekend offers the options of early morning ferry trips, hikes, paddle boarding, yoga, meditation and other healthy pursuits, women tend to come to enjoy these, the scenery and the social instead of with the intention of drinking to excess.
Oban Lesbian+ Weekend’s third annual event will be held this 13-16 September. Picture 300 LGBTQIA women and non-binary people looking out over picturesque Oban Bay and sipping cocktails on the sundeck at the seafront Alexandra Hotel in the small town of Oban. Three years ago, organiser Maz Gordon was told by another venue that to have hundreds of people partying in Oban on a Sunday evening was “never going to happen, never mind hundreds of lesbians!”. Clearly Oban Lesbian+ Weekend proved them wrong! Oban Lesbian+ Weekend kicks off with yoga by the sea, run by a member of the team who recently moved to Oban after falling in love, not only with Oban at last year’s event but with a local lady.
FIND LOVE OR FRIENDSHIP AT Oban Lesbian+ Weekend?
She’s not the only one finding love at Oban Lesbian+ Weekend. There have been countless short and long term relationships formed after meeting at Oban Lesbian+ Weekend’s events, and many lifelong friendships. Amy from Glasgow saw a post on the Facebook group for the Spa Lodges and decided to take the plunge and made a post asking if anyone fancied joining her to share the cost of a three bedroom spa lodge at the Highland Holiday park. After chatting with a few possible contenders, Amy found three ladies to share with. They are all from different parts of Scotland and have met up numerous times so far, and Oban Lesbian+ Weekend hasn’t even began yet!
After yoga, OLW has welcome drinks right on Oban’s seafront at the beautiful Alexandra hotel. They have ice breakers, a solos social and a sober social! Around 80% of women nervously buy tickets solo. By the time the event happens many have made firm friends using the Facebook group or mini meet ups. Some even make new friends by offering lift shares, so they turn up in Oban with a car full of new friends. For those nervously rocking up by themselves, there is a lovely group of crew on hand to ensure that solos won’t be solo for long!
NERVOUS SOLOS ARE WELCOME!
“I get daily messages from women saying they are so excited but are also unsure if they are too nervous to come solo,” said Maz. “It can be scary but really, what’s the worst that can happen?! Everyone knows that people on the West Coast of Scotland are known for being friendly and we have taken pride in the positive feedback from women, who have gone from being incredibly shy to making whole new friendship groups at OLW.” “We’ve also somehow managed to get a really good mix of all ages, 18 – 80. We don’t want anyone to feel too old, young or worry about any form of discrimination.”
It’s well known that women on the LGBTQIA scene often drink to overcome nerves. We offer hosted meals for various budgets. Some are in small groups and on the Friday night, we have a big, budget buffet, so that as many women can all eat and meet together. It’s often easier to meet someone over dinner, than in a crowded bar.
SOBER SOCIAL, HEALTHY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES OR CHECK OUT OBAN’S FAMOUS WHISKEY AT THE DISTILLERY TOUR…
In recent years, more and more LGBTQIA women have stopped drinking or are in recovery. They often wonder where they fit in amongst the often bar focussed queer scene. It used to be that every city had a gay scene and it was centred around nightclubs and drinking. “We’ve found that when women come together with a common interest, like seeing the wildlife on our boat trips, going paddle boarding or getting up early for a scenic hike, it means the focus is the activity and meeting new women and not drinking. No one wants to be hungover and seasick!”
The ceilidh is a highlight for many. They have a best dressed ceilidh outfit competition and women really make an effort. Unlike a nightclub, ceilidh dancing gets women dancing with lots of new women all night without any awkward “asking someone to dance”, as it’s all part of the dance. Brighton DJ’s, Tor Lloyd and Eliza Pink are travelling up to open the launch party. Autistic comedian, Marie Gouldbourne was a regular at Lfest and enjoyed Oban Lesbian+ Weekend as a customer next year, she’s coming to make us laugh this year. They also have Wee Jambo, who is a Glasgow Drag King and Edinburgh’s Chloe Roze who runs the LGBTQ+ women’s night, Sapphix, is coming up to co-host the event with Maz Gordon.
OPTIONAL FANCY DRESS NIGHTS – BEST CEILIDH OUTFIT TO BEST DRAG KING OR BURLESQUE OUTFIT
The closing party will finish with Edinburgh punk rock bank, BLONDE SECRET, so there really is something for everyone. Some will want to hike to the view spot on Mull, while others will want to just enjoy the cruise and wildlife spotting, while being entertained by Aberdeen singer, Emma Foreman. They also have foraging, meditation, a pool competition, Lesbian fiction writer Angela Peaches’s book workshop, a photography workshop and even an ENM workshop.
The main challenge Oban Lesbian+ Weekend has is that unlike most festivals, it’s very hard to get accommodation last minute. They still have a few spaces at their lesbian run, seafront YHA and their host accommodation’s private rooms have long since sold out. However, if you check obanlesbianweekend.co.uk, you might still grab a ticket and some bargain accommodation. Who knows maybe you’ll meet some new lifelong friends or a GF while visiting Oban too!
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
✨linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine ✨