Last year’s JOSHUA TREE GAY PRIDE was a first for the Morongo Basin. Hundreds of local lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people, along with our families and many allied friends from every corner of the Basin gathered in Joshua Tree to enjoy art, music, dancing and networking. It was a day to celebrate who we are.

Joshua Tree was totally gay!

Last year’s Pride also saw the launch of this publication. I was already editor of a newsletter for Out & About, the local men’s social group, and wanted to morph that into a new publication with expanded coverage to include queer news of interest to women. The only barrier being the lack of a way to reach local lesbians. The solution involved a challenge and a promise.

The day of Pride, I set up a little table with a big poster challenging 50 lesbians to sign up for a free subscription and promising to launch the first issue of Hi-Desert LGBT News once they did. The goal was met in a few hours, and in a few weeks the first issue hit newsstands!

In the last year the number of local women subscribers nearly doubled, much more if you count those from Victor Valley. Some of the women who signed up then are now communicating. These are singles and couples who only 12 months ago felt isolated.

That development has been thrilling, but it needs to go to the next step. At least once a month, a local lesbian asks if I know another who might make for a good match. Of course I always draw a blank while my mind ponders the absurdity of this gay man playing matchmaker to local lesbians.

The benefits of forming a local lesbian group are obvious. All that is needed is one or two women to step forward and make it happen … pick a time and place and see who shows up. This newsletter offers an effective way to get the word out. I encourage local women to take advantage of it and build a network. Whether this network is social, political or spiritual is not so important. Reaching out and discovering who each other is seems like a reasonable first goal.

Women, here’s the Pride challenge: One of you name a time and place to meet. Get a clip board and pad of paper; then at Pride, sign up women to attend this ’organizing’ meeting. Later, send a reminder to the names on your pad!

Joining a Facebook group does not count as being active in your community. Won’t one of you accept this challenge? It’s called community service and your community needs it. It offers the potential to change lives for the better!

Have a happy, safe Pride.

Mike Lipsitz, Editor
Comment to: HiDesertLGBTnews@aol.com