Conscious Lesbian/Queer Dating & Love Portland

Our Conscious Lesbian Elders Group meets weekly, all year round! Members are long-time lesbians, women new to being out, and everything in between, from ages 60-80s. Our group is "elders" in the sense of accumulating wisdom, not being "elderly!"

Membership is monthly, but we'll let you attend one time free to see if it's a good fit for you. Please email us at ruth@consciousgirlfriend.com if you'd like to do that, and we'll schedule a free brief get-to-know-you chat to orient you to the group.

Our membership includes all kinds of interesting people and deep thinkers and feelings, including practicing and former/retired artists, musicians, therapists, teachers, doctors, authors, activists, long-time meditators, an astrologer, a juggler and ukelele player, a Hebrew scribe, and a former tennis teaching pro. We come from many parts of the U.S. and several other countries. Some are coupled; many are single.

What we all have in common, besides being lesbian, bisexual, pansexual or queer, is an orientation toward being conscious -- mindful, compassionate, curious, open-hearted and supportive.

We meet to make life better for ourselves and each other, and for our world, too.

Aging often brings isolation and loss. As we get older, most of us face health challenges, and so do the people we love. Often we lose people who are dear to us. We have to continually re-imagine ourselves in order to live lives we love, especially with the impact of climate change, politics and other world events. Loneliness takes a big toll. We need each other.

So, we gather each week to talk about things that matter, make new friends, support each other through challenging moments, celebrate each other through good times, and enhance each other's lives with kindness, deep listening, a sense of community, and fun.

Should you join the Conscious Lesbian Elders Group or the Conscious Girlfriend Academy -- or both?

The Elders Group is specifically for lesbian elders who want to connect and support each other. There's no curriculum other than friendship and connection. You may join the group a la carte, if that's all you want :)
The rest of the Conscious Girlfriend Academy offers multigenerational, content-rich classes and skill-building labs to help lesbians learn how to date in healthy ways and create fulfilling, lasting love relationships. When you join the Academy, the Conscious Lesbian Elders Group is included as a free bonus!

Quite a few women participate in both the Elders Group and the Academy. Of course, you can also choose just one. Either way, if you want to be among introspective, compassionate, growth-oriented lesbians over 60, we've got you covered.

Membership is monthly. To try out the group free, please email us at ruth@consciousgirlfriend.com. We will ask you to set up a free-of-charge brief chat with one of our staff members to orient you before you come. This is to keep the group safe and make sure it's a good fit for all. Thank you!

COMING OUT & COMING HOME Ongoing Empowerment Group
Especially for those coming out in their 40s, 50s, 60s & 70s

Whether you've known since you were a kid but blocked it out, are just now realizing you're attracted to women, or came out awhile ago and need help finding community... if you are a woman who loves women, or thinks you might want to, this group is here to help you build clarity, confidence, community and belonging.

Meetings are weekly and the fee is a very affordable $99/month. ***You must register and pay here on our website. (A Meetup RSVP alone won't get you in.)

Why The Coming Out & Coming Home Group Exists

.. Because coming out can be one of the biggest, hardest, bravest and most important things you'll ever do.
... Because being your authentic self is key to a life well-lived, but it's almost impossible to get there without support.
... Because you deserve help from a warm, compassionate global lesbian community.


...Because it's never, ever too late.
... Because there isn't just one way to come out, or one way to be a lesbian or a woman-loving-woman.
... Because everything you've lived through has led you to this moment, and your time is now.


... Because lesbian dating is very different, and knowing how to do it right is key to avoiding heartbreak.
... Because lesbian relationships are more intense, and require some very specific skills to stay afloat and connected.
... Because lesbian sex can be the most amazing sex on the planet, but it's also way more varied and nuanced, so it takes building confidence, attunement, and bedroom communication skills.


... Because you deserve an open-hearted refuge, a place where people "get" you, accept you, appreciate you and cheer you on.
... Because the lesbian community is diverse, full of its own history, cultures and customs, and this is a safe place to learn them.
... Because there's nothing better than finally being loved for all of you you are, and are becoming.

... And, this group is offered by the Conscious Girlfriend Academy, the leading global resource helping lesbians and queer women prevent heartbreak, date wisely and love well. We wrote the book on lesbian dating -- literally! You can start reading our Amazon bestseller Conscious Lesbian Dating & Love right here.

"One month in this group helped me more than years of therapy." -- B., 65

"If it wasn't for this group, I wouldn't be coming out at all." -- T., 50

If this group speaks to you, come check us out! Meetings are weekly and the fee is a very affordable $99/month. ***You must register and pay here on our website. (A Meetup RSVP alone won't get you in.)

## Longtime Lesbian Or Newly Out, Single Or Coupled...This Sexual Compatibility Class Is For You

Learn what really makes sex vibrant between women, how to find, recognize and tend a great sexual relationship, and what to do if it feels like you've lost the spark.

This live-on-Zoom class is on sale for just $25 (normally $50!) You must >register and pay here on our website (a Meetup RSVP alone won't get you in.) It's taught by seasoned lesbian educator Ruth L. Schwartz, Ph.D., founder of the Conscious Girlfriend Academy, the leading global resource helping lesbians and queer women prevent heartbreak, date wisely and love well.

Ruth says, "My own lesbian marriage ended because we couldn't keep our sex life alive. After my divorce, I studied sex coaching for three years at the Somatica Institute, with Jaiya Ma, and elsewhere, and I now have radical new ways of understanding what sex really is, how it actually works, why it can be hard to keep it alive, and what to do about it. I'll never know if my marriage could have survived if I'd known then what I know now, but I sure wish I'd had the chance to find out. That's why I'm so passionate about teaching this class!"

### What You'll Learn

• What sexual compatibility really means in women loving women relationships, and how to spot red flags and green lights early.
• Why Lesbian Bed Death (lesbian/queer couples who stop having sex) is so common, even when the sex was great in the beginning, and what to do about it.
• How to handle it when one partner in a long-term lesbian couple loses interest.
• The unique challenges and opportunities in lesbian or queer sexual connection.
• How to talk about sex and intimacy from the beginning of a lesbian relationship (and why you should)
• How to broach the topic and get help, even after years of hurt, confusion, anger or scar tissue buildup around absent or unsatisfying sex.
• How to keep sex strong even as aging or other life changes impact your body and desire.

***

### Who This Class is For

• Lesbian or queer couples (or individual members of a couple) who feel their erotic energy or connection has faded, and want to bring it back.
• Lesbian or queer singles who've struggled with sexual compatibility in the past, and want tools to make sure that doesn't happen in the future.
• Lesbians or queer women (and adjacent non-binary people) who worry if there's something wrong with your libido or turn-ons, and want to feel more comfortable and confident.
• Women-loving-women who know you love sex and want to keep having it, but struggle with a body changing due to menopause, medications, aging or illness.
• Queer women who miss having great sex in your relationship, but aren't sure what to do.

### Expect laughter. Expect relief. Expect aha moments.

### Leave feeling more whole, because empowered sexuality is part of wholeness. Great for singles or couples.

This live-on-Zoom class is on sale for just $25 (normally $50!) You must >register and pay here on our website (a Meetup RSVP alone won't get you in.)