Oban Lesbian Weekend came second to Virgin Atlantic in the highly prestigious Proud Scotland Travel Awards in Glasgow on Saturday night. Quite a coup, considering that this is only the event’s second year.
The judges said it was an incredibly close call, with the seven judges deciding in Virgin’s favour by just one vote. And demonstrating a rousing vote of confidence, Oban Lesbian Weekend was the night’s only finalist to receive an Outstanding Recognition Award.
The event was hosted by Scottish actress Jane Mccarry, best known for her role as pensioner Isa Drennan in the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game. After a beautiful meal and awards, Proud Scotland put on some impressive entertainment including a Bay City Rollers tribute band and their headline act, Blondie tribute band, Dirty Harry.
In addition to coming a close second, Jane also awarded Oban Lesbian Weekend, as the only finalist of the night to get an outstanding recognition award.
Glasgow’s Mardi Gla 2023 will take place in July 2023, with their march leading off from Glasgow Green. This year’s theme for this year is Women of the LGBTQ+ Community and Movement, so Oban Lesbian Weekend is a perfect fit.
Immediately after the decision, Judge Dan Syme of Glasgow’s Pride Mardi Gla, approached the Oban Lesbian Weekend team to invite them to lead this year’s march.
A delighted Maz Gordon, founder of Oban Lesbian Weekend, commented, “As a small, community business, only in our second year, we are delighted to come such a close second to Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s largest corporate businesses”.
MANY WOMEN FELT ISOLATED PRIOR TO ATTENDING OBAN LESBIAN WEEKEND
She continued, “I’d like to thank our amazing Oban Lesbian Weekend crew and attendees for all their support. Many attendees said they had previously felt isolated and like I felt when I first moved to Oban (with zero or a very little LGBTQ+ community around us).
It’s been amazing and quite humbling to hear so many women say they’ve now met life long friends, and even embarked on several long term relationships, including two engagements have ensued.
“We’ve also been running smaller OLW events across the country,” added Gordon. “Women still message me daily saying how nervous they are to come along to an event for the first time but I’m pleased to say that with the help of our fantastic crew and other attendees, they are never alone for long.”
The second Oban Lesbian Weekend will be held across Oban between 28 and 31 July, with The Argyllshire Gatherings the event’s principal hub. It’s a event for LGBTQ women and non-binary people, where all genders are welcome.
Last tickets for Oban lesbian Weekend are going fast!
Entry rules are simple. Treat others with respect and support the LGBTQ community and you are welcome.
Tickets are nearly sold out, so don’t delay. Check out WWW.OBANLESBIANWEEKEND.CO.UK or obanlesbianweekend@gmail.com if you’d like to grab one of the last remaining tickets or to enquire about volunteering opportunities.
