She Fest is a woman-centered event that celebrates and supports the talents and contributions of women while fostering meaningful connections within and between the LGBT and larger San Diego communities. We are a volunteer committee of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary folks centering the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ women and people who feel at home with “she.” Together, we foster community connections for San Diego’s LGBTQ+ women and intentional allies; we combat homophobia, transphobia, and the patriarchy; and, we highlight and celebrate the spectrum of “she.” We are explicitly inclusive and affirming of trans women and non-binary folks. GOALS:
To cultivate meaningful connections
• Our roots are based in the recognition that one of the most radical acts of self-love is to connect with community. We strive to create space and experiences that cultivate and sustain meaningful connections for LGBTQ+ women through joy, empowerment, community care, and plain old fun. Our community is filled with incredible innovators, business owners, performers, and artists whose endeavors, achievements, and talents we aim to spotlight. We forge community by elevating and celebrating each other. To denounce that which would divide us
• We use an intersectional feminism approach to our work, understanding that racial justice, economic justice, disability justice, immigration justice, environmental justice, reproductive justice, and gender justice are all LGBTQ+ issues. Additionally:
• We refuse the mainstream message that women should view one another as competition.
• We denounce trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) ideology and transphobia as violent and unacceptable forces that oppress and divide rather than protect us.
• We fight against white supremacy and racism in all their forms.
• We recognize gender as a construct that we exist within and outside of.
• We uplift and support intersex folks by honoring their lived experiences
To implement accessibility as a fundamental right
• We believe that meaningful connection should be accessible to everyone. We partner with ADA compliant locations for in-person gatherings, provide ASL interpretation, provide image descriptions and accurate English captioning, and utilize sensory warnings to improve the accessibility of our virtual and in-person gatherings. We recognize that there is more to do and are committed to centering access, language justice, and disability justice in our programming and events by collaborating with deaf and disabled leaders. To honor our past and participate in our future
• We recognize the invaluable work of our LGBTQ+ elders before us and their countless contributions that have made it possible for us to live today more freely.
• We recognize the work of today’s youth to question convention, buck tradition, and pave new trails. We want our efforts to embody the best of both. Our committee has no age restrictions on its members and we strive to create programming that is both led by and for youth, adults, and elders. HOW WE MANIFEST:
We host empowering and accessible workshops; design events and content that uplifts LGBTQ+ women entrepreneurs and entertainers; build opportunities to connect LGBTQ+ small businesses to their audiences; and facilitate social events that bring people together. Our year-round efforts culminate in an annual flagship event that brings over 1,000 LGBTQ+ women and allies together to kick off San Diego’s Pride week in July. ALLYSHIP:
We welcome allies who want to celebrate the diverse experiences of women and non-binary folks by amplifying our voices and centering our experiences. ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Acknowledging our past includes recognizing that we are on stolen land. Our annual flagship event and many of us who organize our events occupy stolen land that was never ceded by the Kumeyaay people. The Kumeyaay people were forcibly removed through violence and atrocious human rights violations, and face disproportionate disparities that persist today. We urge folks to join us in learning more about Kumeyaay history, to join and follow the efforts of the Kumeyaay Defense Against the Wall, and take steps to stand in solidarity with Indigenous-led groups.
