It is with great excitement that Paula, K9IR, and I are announcing the 1st Annual Queens of the Mountains YL SOTA Special Event Weekend!! June 1-2 a team of USA YLs will be activating summits across the states using 1x1 Special Event Station (SES) calls for each USA region (using the format W#Q). We encourage all of you around the world, OM and YL, to chase the Queens, and all SOTA YLs to activate. We hope this event will highlight the fabulous opportunity SOTA offers for women in radio and motivate more YLs to get involved with SOTA.
Please spread the word, mark your calendar, and show your support by joining us for this first-ever event. If you are a YL wanting to participate but are not sure how, please reach out to either of us and we will get you rolling. You do not need your own 1x1 special event call to participate, but if you’re interested in using the special 1x1 call that we obtained for the call area where you’ll be activating during this event, just let us know and we will send you a link to the sign-up sheet. We also encourage the use of #YLSOTA and #QOM in your alerts, spots, and social media to highlight YL activity and this event, especially if you’re a YL using your personal call.
Thanks Amy/AG7GP and Paula/K9IR for organizing this event. IMO, it’s long overdue that Chasers and Activators recognize our SOTA YLs for your participation in the SOTA program. Hear, hear!
It is always a pleasure to have you in my log. You always have a good signal and a great CW fist. I just checked and I have in my log 137 times…
73 / 44 / 72 de W6LEN / Jess
I think that’s a great idea. Good luck with the activations!
My personal view is that we should lead the way in dropping the terms YL and XYL from our vocabulary. We are all radio amateurs, not radio amateurs and YL radio amateurs.
If would be a significant first step in encouraging inclusivity in our “OM” dominated hobby.
I have been very lucky and blessed to receive the support in radio that I have. Not all women are as lucky as some of us. Just getting this event going I’ve heard some sad stories of experiences YLs have had. Removing YL and OM (I assume you suggest removing OM too), does not remove the fact that we are different and this is a male dominate hobby. Some women could use more support, inspiration and example from other women to simply know certain avenues in radio are even an option for them. Its not easy for some women to call up some male stranger and ask for help when starting out. Or ask to be on an overnight contest event or expedition. There are many radio events and clubs I feel the women get put in specific roles that excludes them from enjoying the true hobby (being assigned as secretary, treasurer, cook at an event, etc) and they struggle to figure a route out of that responsibility, back to radio, their original intention. Society has its ways and there are many personalities, personal histories, and comfort levels out there. We are trying to open the door wider for those who may be struggling. We are going to display how SOTA is one avenue in radio that women are one of the team and can thrive, be supported, learn, and have fun. We hope all the OM and YL out there will do the same. 73
No question in my mind that XYL should be dropped, it’s just silly. I’m very happily married, but I never want anyone to describe me as a XYL.
I would prefer OL to YL, since that describes me better. I promised myself when I was 20 years old not to lie about my age when I got older - and now that I’m older, I still feel that way. Besides O=old=experienced (an adult) and Y=young=inexperienced (a child), so I agree with you that we should get away from YL, I cringe every time it’s used. Maybe replace it with OL, because I don’t want to be called an OM either.
I am a mechanical engineer (retired after 40 years) and worked with 98% men. I love men - but sometimes it’s nice to have someone more like yourself (with similar background, interests…) around. I do like to get a hello from another “OL”, so I know there are others like me.
That said, I very much appreciate your sentiment and support of equality.
Amy, Paula, you happen to have picked the same week-end as the annual Museum Ships Event. Currently, 89 ships (subs, destroyers, cruisers, carriers, battleships, etc.) are registered. So there’s a really good chance the Queens of the Mountains could get chased… S2S (Ship 2 Summit)… from the communications room of a ship. Wouldn’t it be cool to log a contact between the Queen of a Mountain and the Queen of a Ship? I’ll be working the USS Pueblo Memorial (Pueblo, CO). I’ll coordinate something if I can. Have fun!
It would be nice to replace OM and OL with something that denotes age but not sex. OP could do the trick as “Old Person” but unfortunately it is in use for “Operator”. Of course, such a replacement might be seen as “ageist”! Perhaps best to avoid using OM and OL entirely…
If I can add an anecdote, my fascination with mountains from childhood led me from merely hiking up mountains to rock and snow and ice climbing, and I joined a club to gain partners. At that time, fifty years ago, the membership included about 10% women (one of which I eventually married), and that proportion slowly grew. When I reluctantly discontinued active membership (due to my age and my wifes developing disability) the proportion had reached 40% and from what I can gather from their online publications it is now around parity.
I have no idea what proportion of radio amateurs are women, but I know that having got my licence in 1964 it was about five years before I worked my first “YL” operator, they were nearly as rare as hen’s teeth! In the 21st century the female ham population has steadily expanded, I have no idea of percentages but it is no longer unusual to work one, just as it is now commonplace to see a female climber powering her way up a high grade rock climb. I wish the “Queens” well, if they have a battle they are on the winning side!
Well, women operators still seem rare to me. When I took my first ham radio exam (2016) I remember being surprised that there were no other women in the room. And when I went to the local ham radio meetings - again no other women. I stopped going, because I don’t like to have a spot light on me all the time, it’s hard to relax. The men were all (well, most of them) perfectly nice - but it’s like wearing a neon sign, everyone notices you. When I started working as a mechanical engineer, there would be presentations with large audiences of 500 or so. Out of kindness, the speakers started the meetings with “Gentlemen & Jill” (since “Ladies & Gentlemen” would be silly with only one woman in the room). For me, that spotlight is fine occasionally, but not all the time. Thus it’s nice to hear another woman on the air.