It’s official: Winter cocooning is now over

Femme Fraternity
In the fall of 2009, Fiona Mantha started Femme Family Ottawa, a discussion group for queer, femme-identified folks of all genders. They meet on the first Saturday of each month at 1pm at Raw Sugar Café (Somerset at Cambridge streets). A handful of lovely ladies, including Mantha (pictured), were on hand March 6 for the meet-up.

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The swim team with a sense of humour

The Rideau Speedeaus, Ottawa’s gayest swim team, is offering spring swimming lessons. The Speedeaus are a fun, mixed-level alternative to dour hetero swim clubs. The eight-week course will be taught Wednesdays from 6–7pm at the University of Ottawa pool (Montpetit Hall) starting April 7. Those interested can visit rideauspeedeaus.com.

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You’ve been away too long, Kele Fleming

Remember the early ’90s? Brian Mulroney, You Can’t Do That on Television and a wave of serious, crafty Canadian indie pop. Lesbians might also remember a powerful little pop outfit called Hazel Motes, fronted by a righteous dyke. Kele (that’s pronounced “Kelly”) Fleming gave up on the artist’s life in 1998, but now she is back with a straight-up rock album, World in Reverse, and a tour that lands at Ottawa’s Rainbow Bistro on April 7.

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Gays throw second Bank St love-in

In what’s becoming an annual tradition, the folks from the Village Initiative will host a swank party to raise funds for rainbow flags on Bank St. While organizers are tightlipped about the surprises they have in store, expect food, fun and roller skates. In their first outing, they added $2,000 to the Initiative’s bottom line (which sits at nearly $10,000, for the record). The money is used to buy rainbow decals, flags and other gay-friendly identifiers for the neighbourhood, says board member Ian Capstick (pictured with a preview of the dessert table).

Join the neighbours at Build Our Bank, April 15, 7pm. Café Paradiso, 199 Bank St. Tickets are $50 (2/$90, 5/$195) at various Village locations.