I've never been to that one, but I have friends who have. In 1988, I took my daughters, then 15 and 11, to the Northeast Women's Musical Retreat and had a blast. I think I was the only married woman there, in the conventional sense. Otherwise it was mostly lesbians from all over the world and all walks of life, with a very small minority of bisexuals.

It was the first time in my life when I felt a real, total liberation from fear and other emotions both good and bad that our society can engender in wimmin. It was a sisterhood of safety with tribal sharing of tasks, duties, celebration and support.

It was the first time I had felt as though I didn't have to be a mom 24/7 as my daughters were welcomed and made to feel comfortable within the group as a whole and esp. within the smaller group with which we found ourselves camping. I never had to worry about them; they had many "aunties" and it truly was a tribal society experience in the best possible way.

There was controversy and arguments and prejudice, but those were worked out in deliberate matriarchal fashion with councils etc.

Music was everywhere except the "quiet" camp at certain times, the drumming area never stopped pulsating with superb rhythms, and it was liberating to feel one could go naked, half-dressed, etc. without fear of arrest, assault, rape, etc. We felt completely safe the whole time. No one was pressured about how to dress or not dress. Individualism was nurtured and respected. Patriarchal society's strictures and archaic views of wimmin's bodies as objects was non-existent.

I and my daughters came away with having made good friends, a feeling of oneness with all wimmin, and ever more positive images of ourselves as wimmin. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

kat