BLAST (Bi, Lesbian and Straight Together) Women of WPB

'Dysphoric: Fleeing Womanhood Like a House on Fire' is a four-part documentary series on the rise of gender identity ideology and its effects on women and girls - especially in developing countries. Watch all four parts and then we will discuss. (Released January 2021)

COST: Free

NOTE: TO ATTEND YOU MUST HAVE SEEN ALL 4 PARTS
Click here to participate in the discussion: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89752214634?pwd=Q3ZnVkd4b0FpZy8vSFVNNnZINEFDdz09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]

WATCH DYSPHORIC (watch them in order, total 2.5 hours)
The Director provides a link: http://bit.ly/dysphoric21
PART 1: Being A Woman In A Woman Hating World
PART 2: Medicalisation
PART 3: Trans Regret
PART 4: For A Gender Critical Future

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Vaishnavi Sundar is an independent filmmaker, writer, and radical feminist from Chennai, India, whose filmmaking is unapologetically female-centered, despite men’s utterly entitled demands upon her. Her previous work includes direction of "But What Was She Wearing?," shot by an all-woman crew, as India’s first feature-length documentary on the sexual harassment of working women.

"NOT MY CUP OF T": INTERVIEW w/VAISHNAVI SUNDAR
‘Not My Cup of T’: Interview with Vaishnavi Sundar, Filmmaker Exploring Rise in Girls Treated for ‘Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria’ | Women Are Human. Read more at: https://www.womenarehuman.com/not-my-cup-of-t-interview-with-vaishnavi-sundar-filmmaker-exploring-rise-in-girls-treated-for-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria/

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls

League of Women Voters is hosting a conversation about going solar.

HOME-SOLAR in PALM BEACH COUNTY
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) has spurred the formation of solar co-ops in various states. In 2017, LWVPBC agreed to get involved. Since then, Leagues from most counties in Florida have run 55 co-ops and gotten several thousand people to put solar on their homes. Palm Beach County started their third solar co-op in January of this year. In 2017, Diane Marks was invited to run a solar co-op in Palm Beach County. She has been active in League of Women Voters Palm Beach County since 2014 as board secretary, as well as on several core committees (including environmental). She'll be leading this zoom discussion.

TO PARTICPATE
Click this link at the start time:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85845235206?pwd=VDhac2V3b0lETGVjVk5pdDhqZ3p0QT09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]T

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / PALM BEACH COUNTY
https://lwvpbc.org/
[masked]
PO Box 6208
Delray Beach, FL[masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

QUESTIONS ABOUT BLAST?
Toni Jr. - [masked]

WEATHER DEPENDENT EVENT
• Iffy weather: Check back here to see if this is still happening, or call Janis at[masked].
• Good weather: Come enjoy a tailgate party on the sidewalk in front of Pizza Girls (Palm Beach Gardens).

TONIGHT
We will be playing a game like Scattergories, and adapting it to play in a socially distanced way.

ABOUT SCATTERGORIES
The objective of the game is to score points by uniquely naming objects within a set of categories and within a time limit. We will be using a phone app that is similar to Scattergories but not exactly the same. Close enough!

COST
Bring $$ to buy dinner and/or drinks (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) and for tipping the server. Remember, part of our goal in doing these mixers is doing our part to help keep Pizza Girls in business during the pandemic.

COVID SAFETY
• Plan to wear a mask, even outdoors — consider double-masking if you go into the restaurant
• Plan to really keep your physical distance from everyone (other than those in your household)

WHAT TO EXPECT
• Place your order over the phone or inside
• Join us on the sidewalk in front of PG

ABOUT PIZZA GIRLS RESTAURANT
Pizza Girls is owned by BLAST members Jennifer and Phoebe - "together in life and all things pizza." See food menu here: http://www.pizzagirls.com/palm_beach_gardens.html

PARKING
Free in large lot

DRIVING DIRECTIONS from I-95
PGA Exit 79B, Military Trail > Merge onto PGA > Turn right onto Military Trail > Turn left onto Garden Lakes > Make a U-turn > Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Military Trail > 10965 North Military Trail

DRIVING DIRECTIONS from TURNPIKE
PGA Exit 109 > Go east on PGA > Military Trail > 10965 North Military Trail

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS LOCATION?
Contact owner Jen - [masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

QUESTIONS ABOUT BLAST
Contact Toni Jr. - [masked]

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls

Join us as Jorjet presents a multimedia presentation on the fascinating lives and times of the amazing women of the Harlem Renaissance.

After World War I, Black people flocked to New York City from the American South and the Caribbean Islands. Some settled in Harlem, and from 1918 to the mid-1930s, they created a cultural, artistic, and intellectual revolution that influenced other artists across America, in London and Paris, and around the world. At the time, it was called The New Negro Movement, and many brilliant women were a part of it. Who were they, and what did they do? In this presentation we’ll talk about the experiences and unique talents of a number of these women - many of them lesbian or bisexual, all of them groundbreaking - including musicians Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Gladys Bentley, Adelaide Hall, Alberta Hunter, and Billie Holiday; stage performers Florence Mills, Ethel Waters, and Josephine Baker; writers Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larson; comedian Moms Mabley; and choral leader Eva Jessye. Join us for a glimpse into this historic, dynamic era and into the lives of the amazing Black women who shaped it.

COST: Free

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Click this link at 2pm on Sunday, March 7: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83879046249?pwd=K0hybGxKUWV2TWVieklmODZMNlNoUT09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]

MORE ABOUT JORJET
Jorjet Harper is an artist, writer, editor, musician, and more. She is the granddaughter of Minnie Buckingham Harper, the first woman of African descent to become a legislator in the United States. An integral part of Chicago's lesbian community since the 1970s, Jorjet was entertainment editor for OUTlines newspaper, and continues to write for the LGBT media today, including Windy City Times. Back in the 1980s, she wrote for GayLife and for the Chicago feminist newspaper Blazing Star, as well as being a staff writer for the years with HOT WIRE: The Journal of Women's Music and Culture. Her syndicated columns have been published in a book called Lesbomania, along with the sequel Tales From the Dyke Side. Jorjet performed for many years as a singer/songwriter, including at His 'N Hers and Mountain Moving Coffeehouse. She has edited several books, including Out and Proud in Chicago; Tracy Baim's Obama and the Gays; biographies of gay pioneer Barbara Gittings and leatherman Chuck Renslow; and several others. She has been doing various types of art for decades, including silversmithing, photography, watercolors, oil paintings, and custom doll making. Her paintings, dolls, and other creations have been shown in galleries and currently reside in several private collections.

VIEW SHORT VIDEO CLIPS OF JORJET
Jorjet was interviewed for the Chicago Gay History Project. Click on Video Interview to see clips (each is only a few minutes) on various topics: http://www.chicagogayhistory.com/biography.html?id=533

KIDS
Older girls might enjoy the historical presentation.

FOR MORE ABOUT BLAST
Toni Jr.: [masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls

Four Arts Gardens is a green oasis in the middle of the Four Arts Campus. The Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden and Four Arts Botanical Gardens have provided a world-class garden experience to visitors of the Palm Beaches since 1938. Explore the beautiful works and wonders of renowned sculpture artists, magnificent floral paths, ponds, and fountains in a tropical oasis of two distinct and unique gardens. There are lots of photo opportunities here.

COST: Free

COVID SAFETY
This is an outdoor event. Wear a mask and plan to keep social distance from everyone who’s not in your pandemic pod.

WHAT TO BRING
• Camera/cell phone camera
• Shades, sunscreen, hat, maybe umbrella
• Water

PARKING: Free in several lots

DIRECTION from I-95
• Okeechobee Blvd exit east towards Palm Beach
• After crossing the Royal Park Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway from West Palm Beach into Palm Beach, make the first left turn onto Four Arts Plaza.

HOW WE WILL FIND EACH OTHER
There are two buildings on each side of street (Four Arts Plaza). We will meet on the east side of Four Arts Plaza (street) in the garden. As you enter the garden through a small entrance way, you can go to right or you can go left. Go right and we will meet in that small area. Look for Lenora (aka BLAST name Lynn PSL).

YOUR RSVP MATTERS
All groups here are restricted to 10 people or less. Please be mindful about RSVPing to attend — if you say yes and then cancel, you probably have taken the spot of someone else who wanted to go.

WHAT TO EXPECT
• This is a beginner’s photography event led by BLAST member/experienced nature photographer Lenora Willis. Whatever camera you choose to use, your photos will be good. If Lenora is not familiar with your brand of equipment, maybe someone else in the group will be. There are plenty of benches, chairs, and shady areas in the garden.
• Important disclaimer: This is in NO WAY a planned professional photography event. Individual or small group photography using personal mobile devices or cameras does not require a permit. (Large group or professional photography does require a permit purchased at least 48 hours in advance.) The sculptures in the Philip Hulitar Sculptre Garden The Botanical Gardens and on the Four Arts Campus may not be photographed due to copyright restrictions.

BE AWARE: BUILDINGS ON SITE ARE CLOSED
According to their website, guests and members are reminded that there are no public bathrooms available for use in the gardens and that the buildings at the Four Arts will remain closed until further notice IAW precautions surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic.

ABOUT FOUR ARTS GARDENS
Open seven days a week (10:00 am - 5:00 pm). https://www.fourarts.org/

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS EVENT?
Contact Lenora Willis: (772)[masked] - [masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls

Let's get out of the house and enjoy the nature we’ll see while walking the .75-mile boardwalk that winds through three of the Wakodahatchee Wetland's ponds.

NOTE ABOUT WEATHER
Since this is an outdoor event, weather can be a factor. If it's just drizzling, bring rain gear. If weather seems really iffy, call Abby at[masked] to confirm.

COVID SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
• Masks are mandatory
• Practice strict social distancing as we walk

COST: Free

PARKING & WHERE WE’LL MEET
Free in lot. The site is on the southeast side of Palm Beach County Water Utility Department's Southern Region Operations Center. Look for Abby near the front entrance of the boardwalk. Call her at[masked] if you are lost.

WHAT TO BRING
• Water, sunglasses, hat
• Camera and/or binoculars
• Rain poncho if it's drizzling

KIDS, ELDERS & WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
This is a very family-friendly event. Wooden boardwalks with ramps, no stairs.

PETS: Leave 'em at home.

ABOUT WAKODAHATCHEE WETLANDS
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands have attracted a wide variety of wildlife, including turtles, frogs, alligators, and more than 140 different species of birds. BIRDERS TAKE NOTE: Habitats include open pond water to attract waterfowl and diving birds; emergent marsh areas for rails, moorhens, and sparrows; shallow shelves for herons and egrets; islands with shrubs/snags for roosting and nesting; forested wetland areas for long-term habitat development.

"Wakodahatchee" is a Seminole term that translates as "created waters." 50 acres of unused utilities land have been transformed into this magnificent wetlands ecosystem. Every day, approximately two million gallons of highly treated water is pumped in. By acting as a natural filter for the nutrients that remain, the wetlands work to further cleanse the water. Virtual Tour: http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/tour.htm

FOR MORE ABOUT BIRD WATCHING or THIS EVENT
Contact Abby: [masked] or[masked]

FOR MORE ABOUT BLAST
Contact Toni Jr: [masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS:
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls/

Throughout the United States and Canada there are a disproportionate number of Native women and girls who go missing and/or are murdered.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is a movement to bring recognition to this epidemic affecting Native women and girls.

Join us for a panel discussion with MMIW experts, artists, and policy-makers about the current issues surrounding MMIW. This virtual panel will be moderated by Cherokee Nation First Lady, January Hoskin.

This panel discussion is part of the programming relating to:
Weaving History into Art: The Enduring Legacy of Shan Goshorn
https://gilcrease.org/exhibitions/weaving-history-into-art-the-enduring-legacy-of-shan-goshorn/

REGISTER IN ADVANCE TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK: https://my.gilcrease.org/17208
Be sure to scroll down on the registration link for photos and bios of the panelists, before you register.
[RSVPing to this meetup will NOT get you the Zoom link.]

More information: https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw

WEATHER DEPENDENT EVENT
• Iffy weather: Check back here to see if this is still happening, or call Janis at[masked].
• Good weather: Come enjoy an outdoor party in the company of fun women!

TONIGHT
We are playing the classic Left-Right-Center with oversize dice! We will be adapting to play this game in a socially distanced way.

ABOUT LEFT-RIGHT-CENTER
Left-Right-Center is a dice game played with three dice. Each woman starts with three bills. We place our chairs around the tarp, taking turns and answering fun questions. For each game, one lucky woman ends up with all the dollars (and sudden increased popularity); second place also gets a prize. A great mixer!

COST
Bring $3 to play the first game, $7 if you want to play the second game.

COVID SAFETY
Plan to wear a mask and keep your physical distance from everyone (other than those in your pandemic pod).

WHAT TO EXPECT & BRING
• Portable chair. We recommend standard size rather than low-slung beach chair, as you’ll be getting up and down.
• Whatever you want to drink or eat.

LOCATION TBA

PARKING TBA

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

QUESTIONS ABOUT BLAST
Contact Toni Jr. - [masked]

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls

TONIGHT'S HAPPY HOUR
This will be an informal time to hang out and talk about TV shows we've seen during the lockdown.... which ones would you recommend? which ones were real stinkers?

WHAT TO BRING
• Synopses and opinions about shows you've seen
• Respectful listening skills
• Sense of humor and general good vibes
• Whatever you want to drink or eat

JOIN THIS ZOOM
Click this link at 7pm on Friday March 19: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81066611723?pwd=WDhnV25VVnp2RCtBNURNUTZDeUVEZz09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

FOR MORE ABOUT BLAST
Contact Toni Jr.: [masked] - or text to Janis at[masked]

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls/

Come celebrate the spring (vernal) equinox - aka Ostara - in the company of thoughtful women. No Pagan or Wiccan experience necessary to enjoy tonight and find it meaningful in your own life.

COST: Free

COVID SAFETY
This event is outdoors. Plan to wear a mask and maintain social distance from women who are not in your pandemic pod.

WEATHER-DEPENDENT EVENT
If it’s raining, we will do this event via zoom. Check back here for updates.

TODAY’S PROGRAM
This gathering will be more conversation than ritual: Socializing, adding your personal items to the altar, then calling the corners. We'll talk specifically about balance and new growth in each of our lives. If you set an intention at the Winter Solstice, you can reflect on how that's been going and decide if you want to revise or keep the intention "as-is." We'll finish up by saying goodbye to the corners to open the circle.

KIDS
Older girls might enjoy the discussion.

WHAT TO BRING
• Whatever you want to drink
• Meaningful item(s) to place on altar
• Portable chair
• Bug spray if you generally need that
• Hat, sunglasses, Covid mask

PETS
Dogs live here and will be kept inside the house.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
Flat to get into back yard. One step to get into the house (no ramp) if you need to get to the bathroom.

PARKING
PLEASE CARPOOL IF YOU CAN! Limited on-street parking. Two cars can park in driveway; three can be squeezed onto the lawn; two more on the street by the mailbox. There is spillover parking at the shopping center across the street and south of the house if needed.

SIGNIFICANCE of SPRING (VERNAL) EQUINOX aka OSTARA
Equinoxes are, in scientific terms, the two days in the year when Earth has equal hours of daylight and night - perfect balance. "Ostara" is one of the names applied to the pagan/Wiccan celebration of the spring (vernal) equinox, which occurs on or near March 21 every year. The origin of the word is from Eostre (http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/qt/Eostre.htm), a Germanic goddess of spring. Of course, it's also around the same time as the Christian Easter/Palm Sunday celebrations, and during some years, the Jewish Passover takes place as well. For early Pagans in the northern European countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. (Note: It is the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere.)

MORE ABOUT SPRING EQUINOX/OSTARA IN GENERAL
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=1991 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice)

ABOUT THE BLAST PAGAN CIRCLE
Come out of that dusty old broom closet! Together we observe and honor the holidays, the turning of the wheel of the year, and the ebb and flow of our own lives. We celebrate our unique individual spiritual paths in a safe and supportive atmosphere of joy and acceptance. The BLAST Circle welcomes all Pagan, Wiccan, Toltec, Fae, and other earth-based belief systems.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS LOCATION?
Contact Deb - [masked] - (954)[masked]

JOIN BLAST QUARANTINE PARTY ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/910190896083857/

BOOKMARK THE BLAST CALENDAR & CHECK IT OFTEN
https://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/events/calendar/

QUESTIONS ABOUT BLAST?
Toni Jr. - [masked]

PLEASE TAKE OUR QUICK, ANONYMOUS POLLS
http://www.meetup.com/BLASTwpb/polls/