Introducing GRRL NIGHT

Bone Idle Lounge

31 minutes ago

3 min read

I'm so excited to finally announce our new monthly event at Bone Idle:

GRRL NIGHT

A women-only night welcoming cis women, trans women & those aligned with womanhood.

📅 Every second Friday of the month

🕖 7pm till 2am

GRRL NIGHT is something I've been thinking about for a while. (Especially after many a conversation with my girl-friends, who wished there was a place they could go out for drinks without being around some men).

I wanted to create a space where women and those who align with womanhood can come together, socialise, have a drink, meet new people and hopefully feel as comfortable & welcome as possible.

But I also want it to be a little bit more than just another night at the bar!

Each month, I'm planning on bringing in women from local businesses, organisations, charities & community groups to talk about what they do, the work they're involved in and the things that matter to them.

I really want GRRL NIGHT/s to be varied - Some might be educational. Some might be thought-provoking. Some might be about celebrating the amazing things women are doing in our community, and on some nights we'll hopefully be able to raise money for causes that really need & deserve it!

--- Trigger Warnings: Topics of rape & SA ---

Our first GRRL NIGHT will be supporting DRASACS

I'm so so incredibly proud that our very first GRRL NIGHT will be raising funds and awareness for Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Services (DRASACS). www.drasacs.org.uk

Choosing DRASACS to kick-start GRRL NIGHT wasn't a difficult decision for me because this is something very close to my heart.

I've just finished receiving support from an amazing counsellor through them, following experiences I've been through, including being "assaulted by penetration" and harassed by someone I considered a close friend.

It's taken me a long time to be able to bring myself to go to therapy specifically for this. (maybe tmi, but If it weren't for my Doctor asking if I'd experienced any sexual/emotional trauma while going in to discuss some issues I've had since 2020- because she thought it might be psychological, I wouldn't have known DRASACS existed..)

Seeing him in the same bars I go to has been hard for several years and I was/am sick of freezing or feeling small when I realise he's there, or just skipping going out altogether.

Talking openly with a professional, about what happened to me, and receiving help has been more needed than I thought.

I'm not gonna pretend that talking about it is easy, I've come to realise just how important it is to have somewhere you can go & speak to someone who understands while in a space where you don't have to carry everything on your own.

That's why the work DRASACS does matters so much to me & why I wanted to start GRRL NIGHT with them.

There's soooo much happening in the world at the moment that can (and is) leaving women feeling angry, frightened, exhausted, unheard or completely overwhelmed.

Issues around "the Manosphere", Andrew Tate, Trump & the likes.

The amount of violence against women and girls going on is scary as hell… be that sexual violence, harassment, misogyny and the safety of women are constantly being discussed in the media. (Since I wrote this back in September but didn't post, there has now been the addition of the latest Cornell 7 Fraternity case and Russel Brand case...and sadly, plenty of others.)

For many women, these aren't abstract issues. They're lived experiences.

The sad thing is, that they're things that have affected their own lives, or the lives of people they love.

Hell… I bet everyone reading this knows someone who has experienced SA or Rape.

I don't think one night at a bar can fix any of it…

.. but I do believe that creating spaces for women to come together, listen to each other, learn from each other, support each other & organisations doing important work (and occasionally raise a bit of money along the way) is worthwhile.

If GRRL NIGHT can help even one person feel less alone, discover a service they didn't know existed, hear something that resonates with them, or spend a few hours somewhere they feel comfortable being themselves, then it'll be worth doing.

That's what I'm hoping GRRL NIGHT can become. - Hopefully, we'll have a lotta fun & laughs too!💗 I PROMISE they won't always be themed around heavy topics!

Come along. Bring your friends. Meet some new ones. Have a drink. Have a chat. Let's see what we can build together.

See some of you fabulous womxn on Friday! ps. WE'RE LICENCED UNTIL 2AM!

GRRL NIGHT . Every second Friday, 7pm–2am at Bone Idle.