We’ve all heard the saying, “Green is the new black,” but green living will come to life as way more than a trend on May 16, when Women’s Fest 2009 takes over The San Diego LGBT Community Center. Women’s Fest is a day-long program of workshops, entertainment, vendors and resources for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT) women and their allies. This year’s theme, “Green Women, Green World,” is meant to empower women to be more eco-friendly in their choices and behaviors, as well as encourage the growth of a safer, healthier women’s community. Participants will have 15 diverse workshops to choose from, ranging in topics from “Sustainable Urban Agriculture” to “Progressive Pet Nutrition” to “Community Through Hip-Hop Dance” and will be encouraged to peruse vendor tables provided by local environmentally friendly and women-owned businesses.

“The ‘green’ idea was timely, but more importantly, it invites ‘the conversation,” explains Women’s Fest volunteer and green-guru, Monya Tabor. “There is so much to be done that being green can be a little overwhelming. By adding the green spin this year, we hoped to invite new attendees and vendors to the event while sharing resources and know-how for everyone. Every step one takes to make their life greener counts, and there is the ripple effect. I bring my lunch to work with a cloth napkin, someone sees it, and they tell a friend. Even if the person who saw the napkin doesn’t follow suit, someone else will!”

Women’s Fest is a free event, coordinated by the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), a program of The Center. The mission of the WRC is to create a safe space where LBT women and their allies will have access to important resources and referrals for health care, social services, and community activities. Although the WRC hosts events throughout the year, Women’s Fest is one of the larger events, drawing around 300 local women as participants. Adding to the draw this year are some new additions to the Women’s Fest program, including a live music concert at 4:30 p.m. in The Center’s auditorium, featuring performances from the San Diego Women’s Drum Circle, rapper Miki Vale, and folk/rock band Bitter Sober. Another new addition is the “Oral Herstory Lounge,” a room that will be set-up to video record women’s stories, in the hopes of preserving LBT women’s experiences. The “Oral Herstory Lounge” will be open at 2 p.m. on the day of Women’s Fest, and senior women with stories about when they “first knew” or first came out are particularly encouraged to share their memories.

It’s safe to say that there is something for every woman at Women’s Fest. The Center’s Latino Services will be providing two Spanish-speaking workshops, and The Lesbian Health Clinic will be providing free breast exams from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For those with an appetite, Hillcrest’s Pizza Fusion will be donating organic pizzas and salad at noon. And those who stick around for lunch will definitely not be bored by the lunchtime panel discussion, “Labels: Love ’Em or Leave ’Em?” Attendees will be encouraged to discuss some of the hot-button words and labels used to describe the GLBT community and whether the act of reclaiming these words is empowering or harmful. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Esther Rothblum, professor of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University.

The theme of the day, however, will definitely be green living. Women will be encouraged to question how they can personally become more eco-responsible in their everyday lives.

“Green Women, Green World,” for me, means making the planet more livable for us now and others in the future,” explains Tabor. “It means knowing that we are part of one of the most important revolutions our planet has ever seen, past to future. It is not a suggestion – this is mandatory. Can we truly accomplish this with one event? The answer is yes. We will tell someone, and they will tell someone, and so on!”

Women’s Fest will be practically overflowing with vendors but one to look out for is Dr. Kris Brew D.C., chiropractor at Life Within Family Chiropractic. Dr. Brew will be offering complimentary spinal screenings at her booth at Women’s Fest.

Gay & Lesbian Times: How does chiropractic care assist women in achieving overall better health and wellness?

Dr. Kris Brew D.C.: As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I focus on the detection and correction of Vertebral Subluxations, which can cause interference and interruption of nerve flow and can lead to dysfunction in the body. The removal of that interference through the chiropractic adjustment has been shown to have significant and lasting health benefits restoring nervous system function.

GLT: What green practices do you incorporate into your life and business, if any?

Dr. Brew: I am always focused on being proactive with our global environment and eco-friendly. My green practices include driving a low-emissions vehicle, carpooling, recycling at home and in the workplace, using recycled products when available and eating a vegetarian diet.

GLT: What can attendees expect to find at your vendor table?

Dr. Brew: Participants can expect to find valuable information about chiropractic care at my vendor table. I am offering complimentary spinal screenings the day of the event, as well as a very special “in clinic” promotion only for the attendees of Women’s Fest 2009.

Many local organizations are participating in Women’s Fest, but one unique participant you might not have heard of is Shiloh Spiritual Center. Offering a wide range of classes, workshops and programs that support spiritual, emotional and mental growth, as well as physical healing, Shiloh Spiritual Center will definitely help you elevate your spirit. The Gay & Lesbian Times had a chance to talk with founder, Reverend Dr. Roxie Hart, about the importance of building a greener world.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Tell us a little about the Shiloh Spiritual Center and the services you provide.

Reverend Hart: Shiloh Spiritual Center is a new thought center – its foundation teaching anchored in the Science of Mind philosophy developed by Ernest Holmes in the early 20th century. At Shiloh, we’re committed to honoring all beliefs – from ancient, nature-based practices to formalized religious traditions (without the dogma and doctrine). We are drawn to the mystical aspects of these religions and the Universal Truths woven through each one. We are especially respectful of the Native American spiritual life and beliefs, immersing ourselves in a quasi-Native American environment, creating an ambience with Native decor, smudging, drumming. We also invite contemplation and discussion about quantum physics and the ideas of science beginning to prove the existence of Something Greater. We practice holistic healing, offering eastern mind-body practices of yoga, qigong, reiki and acupuncture; chakra work, energy and intuitive healing, etc.

GLT: Why are you participating in “Women’s Fest: Green Women, Green World”?

RH: We’re eager to identify ourselves in the community. We’re becoming more green-focused and are adopting not only a “green perspective” and green practices, but also informing ourselves and embracing a “Life Way” of green consciousness for the future of Planet Earth. We’re interested in joining a healthy network of caring individuals that understand connectedness. It seems that women inherently understand this desire to preserve and nurture.

GLT: What green practices do you incorporate into your life and business/organization, if any?

RH: Personally, I’m recycling and conserving, using low-water maintenance plants, green products, planting trees, conscientiously energy-efficient with a goal to minimize my carbon footprint. I’m changing my consumer habits to think globally, act locally. At Shiloh, we’re recycling our paper, cans and plastic; we use candles and natural lighting rather than artificial lighting whenever possible. We promote conscious action in support of positive and healthy living.

One of the highlights of this year’s Women’s Fest is the live music concert taking place in The Center’s auditorium at 4:30 p.m. Headlining the show is an all-girl band getting a lot of attention in San Diego – Bitter Sober. The Gay & Lesbian Times had a chance to chat with Bitter Sober’s lead singer, Sherry Soto, on Facebook, to finally get to the source of their unusual band name.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Bitter Sober seems to be everywhere these days! How long have you been a band, and how did you all get together?

Sherry Soto: Amanda and Alia and I started off as friends just jamming and we met Beth around August of last year and she joined the band on bass. That is when Bitter Sober started playing shows out and recording with elliotthedog music. A few months later, Megan joined the band on guitar.

GLT: Where does the name “Bitter Sober” come from? There must be a story behind it!

SS: Amanda and I were talking about how we played so much better sober so the band was initially called “Better Sober.” From there... it just evolved to “Bitter Sober.”

GLT: Why are you participating in Women’s Fest: Green Women, Green World? Do you have any green practices that you incorporate into your life?

SS: We try to incorporate everything we can – from choosing bikes over cars to recycling in our daily lives. The event is for such a good cause that we are excited to be a part of it.

GLT: Do you think it’s harder or easier to be an all-female band in the music industry? Does it have more perks or drawbacks?

SS: Both. It has its upsides and downsides. As an all-girl band, there are some stereotypes that we have to overcome, and we have to continuously prove ourselves as there is more pressure to ‘bring it.’ That is a huge motivator for us though. On the upside, it gives us a bit of an edge and makes us something different that people don’t see that often.

GLT: What’s next for Bitter Sober? Any plans for Pride Season and summer?

SS: Along with our upcoming shows in San Diego in May and June - we are heading out on a West Coast tour in June. We will be at Dyke March in July and will be releasing our full-length album this fall!

Attendees at Women’s Fest have 15 amazing workshops to choose from! One getting a lot of attention is Sandra McKay L.Ac.’s “Acupuncture for Women: Increasing your Vitality.” The GLT had a chance to chat with this busy acupuncturist about her own green habits and the reasons why acupuncture and herbal medicine is so successful in treating women’s health issues.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Why are you participating in Women’s Fest this year?

Sandra McKay: I sat at a booth last year with Jocelyn Joy L. Ac. and really enjoyed talking to women and answering questions about acupuncture. Acupuncture is a holistic medicine; taking care of yourself and the earth go hand in hand, and presenting the workshop allows me to discuss this in greater detail. Also, Women’s Fest is a great opportunity for me to talk to other health care providers and businesses owners that support the GLBT community; I like to keep up on the various resources available to my clients.

GLT: What are the benefits of acupuncture?

SM: The World Health Organization has listed over 50 conditions that can be treated effectively with acupuncture. Most of my clients come to me because of some form of pain, although I can work with a multitude of conditions. Acupuncture takes a holistic approach at working with the individual. I may have two people with the same western diagnosis and give them a different treatment based upon my observation of their condition. Acupuncture offers a drug-free and side-effect-free option that can be used with Western medicine – an example would be getting acupuncture to counteract adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy.

GLT: How does acupuncture specifically help women’s health and wellness issues?

SM: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is very sophisticated in that it has been treating gynecology and women’s health for thousands of years. There are written records of herbal formulas used to address symptoms associated with PMS, infertility and menopause that are over 2,000 years old and still used today.

GLT: What should women expect to take away from your workshop?

SM: I would like them to walk away with a clearer understanding of what to expect from an acupuncture session and the types of conditions it’s useful for. I will be going over some of the tools and techniques acupuncturists use besides needles and herbs: gua sha, cupping, tui na, and moxa. Workshop participants will be provided a brief questionnaire regarding health and lifestyle, and I will offer suggestions from a traditional Chinese medical perspective regarding diet and lifestyle changes that may help improve their health.

GLT: What green practices do you incorporate into your life and business, if any?

SM: In my daily life I reduce waste where I can by bringing my own bag to the grocery store and minimizing (my purchase of) processed and packaged foods. I switched to energy efficient light bulbs a few years ago and noticed an instant reduction in my energy bill. I store my food in glass containers and use green cleaning supplies and phosphate-free detergent for health reasons. I reuse as much as I can and try to donate usable items to local thrift stores or give it away. I shop local to minimize driving and support the local businesses when I can.

Feed your mind, body and spirit with the workshops at Women’s Fest. Learn about nutrition, the economy, health issues, parenting, hip-hop dance, love and money.

“What Every Woman Would Like to Know About the Economy,” is presented by Sally M. Hall, a personal financial advisor. This workshop will help put the green back in your life and wallet! A special focus will be placed on how to navigate the current market conditions, retirement planning and how to properly develop a beneficiary plan.

“Acupuncture for Women: Increasing Your Vitality,” is presented by Sandra McKay.

A woman’s body goes through many cycles in the course of a lifetime from the onset of puberty through pregnancy and menopause. Licensed acupuncturist Sandra McKay will discuss the history of acupuncture and its usefulness for members of the GLBT community. This one-hour workshop is designed to give you basic information you can use to improve the quality of your health when you walk out the door.

Workshops will take place from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attendees who pre-register will receive a free lunch. Call Abby Schwartz at 619-692-2077 ext. 212 or e-mail aschwartz@thecentersd.org.

For a full list of workshops, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/?id=14586.