Venue: Nectars
188 Main Street
Burlington, VT
05401
United States
Event Date: November 5, 2018
Start Time: 7:00 pm
End Time: 9:00 pm
Host: Kelly Bashan
Description: Date a person, not an app.
Expand your social circle with an evening of 5-minute meetings, quick connections and real conversations with real women, just like you.
Specifically for women of all ages, this SINGLE MINGLE is open to all women looking for a woman lover. We are trans/genderqueer/non-binary and bisexual inclusive. While we focus on dating, any lesbian-identified/bi identified person is encouraged to attend. If you (even remotely) fit the description, join us.
How a Single Mingle Works
Using simple texting technology, we tailor the event to the age and “type” of person you’d like to meet. You tell us where your preferred date lies on the masculine-feminine expression spectrum, along with her age-range and we send you a text after each 5-minute round to meet her. We remove the obstacles to getting face to face with a new friend and leave the real connection to you.
After each 5-minute round, you will add “feedback” about your date (“2nd date,” “Friend” or “Business”). 24 hours later, you’ll receive a text with contact info for your matches. While it’s not full lesbian/bi matchmaking, this text messaging technology allows a more tailored experience than random, public speed dating.
Accessibility Info: Upstairs in Club Metronome of Nectar’s. Just one quick flight! It will be a private area just for the event with a bartender available throughout the night. We are hoping to get a special show from an LGBT musician in the area, but no promises yet!
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/burlington-lesbianbi-single-mingle-expand-your-social-circle-tickets-50096096774
To attend this event you must purchase a ticket, follow the link to preregister… Also, bring a cell phone!
Safety warning: this venue is neither wheelchair accessible nor queer-friendly. The staff are actively anti-queer, and they refuse to ban reported abusers. Because of the way anti-smoking laws are applied on Church St., all the cigarette smokers for several blocks gather right in front of Nectar’s to smoke, so the air there is very rarely breathable.
The street it’s on is heavily policed, there’s a fire+police station literally facing the venue, the Burlington queer scene is a lot of “actively inviting cops to Pride”, plus which Burlington is such a small town in such a very rural state that it’s unlikely there will physically be enough new people for this event to not be full of racists.
For context, I offer this news clip, titled “‘Mister Sister’ celebrates grand opening as only gay bar in Vermont” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc1P_Uy7WBs
Yes, a bar owned exclusively by white people picked a racist slur for their name, and yes, the bar was hugely popular, and yes, the news organization reporting on it didn’t mention once that “mister sister” is specifically racist. The reporter just said “but SOME people CLAIM it’s a slur against transgender people”, and then the video cut to a bunch of clips of white people saying they wish people would stop “making a big deal of it”.
Point is, this might very well be an event set up by some well-meaning UVM students, hopeful about the idea of “liberal Vermont” and not yet noticing how racist everyone is here, and how few POC there are…
but whoever set it up, it WILL be mobbed by a bunch of creepy scraggly-bearded early-fifties hipsters really into craft beer, Magic: the Gathering, and lurking around events like this so they can harass any people trying to make a good thing out of a very bad venue.
also Burlington is ableist af and the whole “get off your phone! put away your tech! Just one quick flight!” thing is actively enforced in most places, to the point where taking out my phone to check my blood pressure is super risky: strangers have literally assaulted me, taken my phone from me, turned it off, and said “you should get out more! see the outdoors!” and, just to be clear, behavior like this is seen as super normal around here.
Proceed with caution: ideally, elsewhere.
We are very sorry to hear you had such a negative experience at Nectar’s and the surrounding area and are sad to hear about the discrimination you have endured. At LittleGayBook we understand first hand the issues surrounding homophobia and hate. As an LGBT organization we endeavor to create a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for our participants at all of our events. Our past events held at this specific venue have been successful and received only positive feedback. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage our participants to bring this type of feedback directly to our attention so that we can ensure it has been properly and effectively addressed. Feel free to contact the host for the Burlington area directly about any other issues or comments you have at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Kelly Bashan
Little Gay Book Burlington Event Host