It's official! Lesbians do get to go out on Friday nights. So give the cats their favourite toys and put on your most sensible shoes. Mid-month and end of the month parties are on at the Gin Mill.

With a range of seating and an eclectic crowd, you can cruise, dance, eat, chat, and loom menacingly over a pool table.

The atmosphere is casual and largely friendly. I've even stuffed some of my inhibitions under the well padded couches provided and made a few new friends.

Despite the tradition of lousy music at lesbian venues, when there isn't a DJ playing you can dance to or listen to music not designed to irritate people in shopping malls. Hell, you can even bring your own CDs.

There are limits on the types of beer available, so you may have to tone down your butch side and settle for one of their wide range of cocktails.

Oh, and the view ... lovely women everywhere you look. And the dubious benefit of bumping into and stepping on strange women's toes afforded by the crowds at other women's venues can be avoided at the Gin Mill. It has enough space for you to choose who to spill your drinks on.

If you want to do more with your pink Rand - other than say, buying enough alcohol to turn the counting of other people's fingers into a meaningful task - you can donate to Chris (the Gin Mill's owner). Chris is involved in job-creation development with marginalized communities - all in the hospitality trade. Something Cape Town is sorely in need of.

See you there - Sept 24, Oct 15 & 29.
19 Lower-Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town

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