LGBT+

Book Club: [Hekate](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223296200-hekate---the-witch) the Witch by Nikita Gill Step into the shadowed spaces where myth, magic, and self-discovery intertwine. Hekate the Witch is a powerful collection of poems that channels the voice of the ancient goddess Hekate, exploring themes of transformation, independence, and feminine power. Nikita Gill gives voice to the marginalized, the mystical, and the misunderstood, weaving a tapestry of verse that is at once haunting, comforting, and profoundly empowering. Through vivid imagery and spellbinding language, Gill guides readers on a journey of introspection and resilience. The poems confront heartbreak, identity, and personal evolution, reminding us that embracing our own power often requires walking through the darkness. With Hekate as both guide and metaphor, this collection asks us to honor our intuition, our shadows, and the quiet strength that resides in the unseen. Gill’s work resonates as both a personal and collective call to awaken, offering moments of reflection, rebellion, and radical self-acceptance. Whether read slowly, aloud, or in fragments, these poems linger—like magic in the air, or footsteps in a midnight forest. Discussion Points: • Power and Autonomy: How does Gill explore self-sovereignty through the figure of Hekate? Are her poems a call to reclaim personal agency? • Darkness and Transformation: How are loss, grief, or shadowed experiences reframed as sources of strength? • Feminine Archetypes: How does the goddess Hekate function as a symbol for modern empowerment? • Poetic Form and Voice: How does Gill’s style—short verses, repetition, vivid imagery—shape the emotional impact of the work? • Spiritual and Emotional Resonance: Which poems spoke to your own journey of self-discovery, resilience, or empowerment, and why?

**Welcome to our Tuesday Social + Language Exchange Meetup 🌍** We meet weekly at **Fathers Office QV, 249 Little Lonsdale Street (Melbourne CBD).** We ask that you **purchase a drink at the bar** or **pay $3 at entry**. Follow us on Instagram. [https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU](https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU) or **@Linguas.AU** *** ### 💬 Find your people (New!) Looking to practice a specific language? Post in the discussion using: * **#LearnSpanish** * **#LearnEnglish** * **#TeachEnglish** * **#LearnJapanese** * etc. 👉 This helps others find you faster and makes it easier to connect. *** ### *** ### ⏰ What to expect We consistently have **80 –120 attendees** every Tuesday (across multiple Meetup groups). People arrive at different times — **best time to come is between 6PM and 9PM.** Come solo or with friends — most people come alone and join conversations naturally. *** ### 🌏 Who attends? A mix of: * Native & non-native English speakers * International students * Backpackers & working holiday travellers * Professionals & expats * Local Australians You’ll meet people from: Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, and more. *** ### 🗣️ Why join? 👉 A relaxed, social way to practice English 👉 Meet people from around the world 👉 No pressure, no structure — just conversations *** ### 🍕 FREE DRINKS & FOOD FOR FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS! We’re looking for **friendly volunteers** to help welcome newcomers and keep the vibe social. 👉 You’ll get: * Free drinks (beer/soft drink) * Food (pizza, wedges, etc.) * A fun team to hang out with No experience needed — many of our volunteers are **first-timers too**. Interested? 👉 [www.Linguas.au/Volunteer](www.Linguas.au/Volunteer) *** 📲 **More info:** [https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU](https://instagram.com/Linguas.AU) or **@Linguas.AU**

Come along and join in a relaxed evening of dev and tech talk, drinks and dinner.

🎉 Come down and celebrate Melbourne Asian Board Game's 5th Birthday with us! 🎉 As part of the celebration, Marche has been kind enough to give our members 50% off drinks! We'll also have birthday cake! 🎂 Whether you're looking for a short, light game or a longer strategy-heavy game, come join the Melbourne Asian Board Gamers on Tuesday night at Marché Board Game Cafe for some fun! To **check in**, please head to the front counter and show your RSVP for the Meetup event to a Marché staff member. They will then point you towards the event host for the evening to take down your attendance. **⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Cost ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆** Attendees who have registered for the event on Meetup can play at discounted rates, with the following payments to be made: *\*\*7 in total per session” to cover Meetup subscription and cafe costs. Payment of 7 should be made to Marche at the front counter upon notification to the staff member that you are here for the scheduled meetup. There is now no minimum spend on items at the cafe as there were before. The cafes menu can be found here [https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf](https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf) . Only attendees on the "going" list are entitled to the discount. attendees that are on the waitlist or didn't register on Meetup are still welcome to come, but will need to pay the regular Marche rate of $22 for three hours of board games (includes one free drink). **Attendance** As our events are highly popular, if you have RSVP as going but can no longer attend, please amend your RSVP to allow others a chance to attend. If we notice people are not showing up when they have RSVP, you will be moved to the waitlist the following week and give priority to those who actually turn up. We appreciate everyone's understanding and co-operation. We really appreciate your support and look forward to playing with you.

Join your fellow LGBTQIA+ folks for a social evening of board games at Marché Board Games Cafe. We have access to the games library at the cafe. If you have a game that you want to share, please feel free to bring it along. We play all sorts of games - card games, party games, strategy games - and we're happy to teach new players. Groups for games usually form between 6:30-6:45, so it's important to try arrive on time to ensure you're allocated to a game/group. Anyone arriving late may have to wait for a game if all groups have started. The cafe has drinks and food available. Check out their menu here: https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf We only accept payment at the time of booking to reserve your spot. This means you will need to pay the booking amount via PayPal at the time of booking to confirm your spot. If you can't make it to the event, please ensure you get in touch by messaging the event hosts or emailing rainbowbg.melbourne@gmail.com at least one day before the event, and we can reverse your payment via PayPal. The cafe does NOT have a liquor licence. Consuming alcohol on the premises is illegal, and will result in any members being banned from future events. See you on Thursday!

**Tickets (Attendance and Raffle):** [https://events.humanitix.com/spill-the-tea-cosy-queer-social-fundraiser](https://events.humanitix.com/spill-the-tea-cosy-queer-social-fundraiser) Please join us for a cosy indoor social at the Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub, in the Clara Southern meeting room. This is part of an official "Biggest Morning Tea" event to raise funds for people living with cancer. You can support our goal by buying an attendance ticket, a raffle ticket, donating here, or donating directly on our Cancer Council page: [https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/lgbtsocialhubmelb](https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/lgbtsocialhubmelb) We'll be providing some late morning tea (you're welcome to bring something to share too if you'd like), giving out name tags, and inviting a range of activities, including: *\- BYO project \(crafting or otherwise \- no paint please\)* *\- Card and board games* *\- Conversation prompt discussion cards \(Esther Perel\)* *\- Optional wellbeing acvitity \(core values\)* *\- Raffle draw\!* 100% of the funds from attendance tickets, raffle tickets and direct donations go to the Cancer Council. Your host, Ben, is a mental health professional & experienced group facilitator who's passionate about bringing people together to socialise and make new friends. **Please note:** this is an alcohol free event. LGBT+ Social Hub Melbourne aims to provide a safe place for everyone. We ask that you be respectful to all attendees; harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated. The venue capacity is 20 people, so attendance tickets are strictly limited. Can't wait to see you there :) **About the Raffle** First Prize: *A professional family or portrait photoshoot, and signed matted print. This fine art photography experience is valued at $695 and has been generously donated by Tilnak Fine Art Portraits ([https://www.tilnak.com/](https://www.tilnak.com/))* Second Prize: *2x official cancer council mugs, 1x official cancer council tea towel, 2x handcrafted scented candles made by the host, postage to 1 location in Melbourne.* Please ensure your details are correct so that we can contact you if you're the winner! You do not have to attend the event to participate in the raffle.

Soft Bodies is a delicious celebration of curves. Showcasing a plethora of upcoming and legendary plus size burlesque, drag and cabaret performers. Get ready to be tantalized, teased and serenaded by these scintillating Rubenesque beauties. [LINK TO TICKETS HERE](https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1552207) The May Soft Bodies is Ethereal themed. Prepare to be transported to a mystical plane, graced with the beauty of soft flesh and delicate dimpled skin. A neoclassical dreamland. We will have themed décor and an angelic photobooth available to capture the wonders of your night. We are also introducing our VIP seats for the Ethereal Soft Bodies! These get you a reserved front row seat, treats for your table and other exciting goodies! The Cast: Betsy Mae Melissa Intent April Le Feu Sallie Cinnamon Honey B Mine Polly Esther Pantomime Shallyxia Bitz Mahdiya Moonshine Doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm show start. Please note Pride of our Footscray is only accessible via two flights of stairs. We apologise for our reduced accessibility.

# **Saturday, June 20, 2026** **Beginners’ Session 1:30 to 2:00 PM** **Dancing 2:00 to 4:30 PM** **Band: Gem City Revelers** **Caller: David Mould** **You are invited to join us for dinner at Olive and Lime (in the church’s back parking lot) after the dance.** **Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road, Columbus, OH 43214.** **Cost is $10 for adults, $5 ages 12-25.** **New to dancing? A beginners’ session, from 1:30 to 2:00 PM, will get you started. You will learn some basic figures that will be repeated in the afternoon’s dances. All dances will be taught and no partner is needed. Dancing is from 2:00 to 4:30 PM.** **Please bring your own refillable water bottle.** **All Soles Dance upcoming dance dates are, as follows:** **July 25, 2026–Summer Potluck and Dance** **No August Dance** **September 26, 2026** **October 17, 2026** **November 21, 2026** **December 19, 2026** **Visit our website at: https://firstuucolumbus.org/connection/all-soles/**

Westerville Pride Festival Sat\. June 6\, 2026 \| 5 PM \- 8 PM If you're thinking of attending, or being a sponsor, vendor, or volunteer, visit our website at https://www.westervillequeercollective.org/pride for more information! Location and other info will be announced soon :)

A time to make signs, pack swag bags, and have fun together in anticipation for the Pride festivities the week after.

Join us for our June Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss [The Queer Principles of Kit Webb](https://catsebastian.com/the-queer-principles-of-kit-webb/) by Cat Sebastian in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Want to see your work shine and put your pride on display? Then come to July's Creativity Circle! We will be making simple Suncatchers with tissue paper! Seats and supplies limited! Come while you can for as long as you like! Westerville Public Library in Meeting Room D.