Introducing our new column "Communities". It's everything you need to know in a nutshell about a given social
organization, group, charity, club, etc. We kick it off today with Les-in-Shanghai, a community for women and the women
who love them. They host their monthly ladies night at 390 Panyu
Lu this Wednesday night (Feb 26) so we hit up Adrienne Rowell, who manages the group, to learn about what
Les-in-Shanghai does what it's like to be a lala in Shanghai.

What exactly is Les-in-Shanghai about, what does it do and how does one get involved?

"Les-in-Shanghai is a friendly, inclusive, diverse group of over 300 members. You can find us <a
href="https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/lesinshanghai/info">Yahoo Groups and I believe on <a
href="http://www.utopia-asia.com/chinshan.htm">Utopia, which is an Asian gay site. The way it works is you
send an email to request membership, we'll get back to you within the week, and we normally require to meet with you.
This is mainly to check that you are actually a girl."

How often do you meet?

"So once you're a member we send out emails, and we hold two events a month. The first is dinner/drinks at <a
href="http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/1907/Cottons_%28Anting%29_shanghai">Cottons, and that happens every
second Tuesday of the month. The other event is a ladies night at <a
href=" http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/7657/390_panyu_lu">390, which happens every last Wednesday of the
month.

Members can also use the group to organize their own meet-ups and events. People in the past have arranged girl parties
in the summer or advertised a room for rent, etc. So the group has multiple purposes."

Outside of the group is it easy to meet people? Or is that why the group was started?

"Yes, I would say it is quite challenging to meet people outside the group. I arrived here in 2010, and the group has
really been a haven for me and welcomed me in. The group was conceived in 2003, and it grew through word of mouth.
Cotton's has also always been super supportive. We are also a part of ShanghaiPRIDE,
which happens every year in June."

Are there any success stories of couples meeting?

"Of course! I met my girlfriend at ShanghaiPride, and a lot of my friends have met via Les-in-Shanghai.

It seems that it's a lot easier for gay guys than gay girls in Shanghai, do you think this is true?

"Yes I would agree, which is why the group is so important and our events too. The group has welcomed so much and made
me feel so happy in Shanghai.
It is still uncommon for gays to come out in China, is there a support side to the group? i.e. girls that have come out
and haven't been accepted by families?
The group gives you the chance to talk to those who have gone through similar experiences. The group now has a growing
number of Chinese, and that's really good and we try to advertise both events in Chinese and English.

Les in Shanghai holds its monthly ladies night this Wednesday (Feb 26) at 390. Click
right here for more details.


Coming up next week: SCAA - Shanghai Dog Cat Pet Animal Adoption.
Illustration by SmartShanghai