Why Gather?

The lesbian community has always been a sort of an enigma to me. I've spent much of my life in two major cities, Chicago and New York City, and I assumed that if my community was anywhere, it certainly would have been thriving in either of those places. I'm not saying this wasn't the case, but I always left clubs or lesbian-themed events with, well, much to be desired.

I was astounded by how many women would show up at drag king events in Chicago…so much so that my friends and I would get turned away at the door due to impending fire hazards. Same case in New York. There was always that one event that women would flock to, again, and the success of the event measured by how much time we would have to spend waiting outside…watching friends meet up in line or lovers decide that they should have stayed home to cuddle.

Where did these women come from? How come I haven't seen them all under one roof? Furthermore, how could I assimilate myself into my own community without having to wait at the door?

I wanted to create a space that didn't have a night-club vibe, rather a vibe of informal inclusivity…where we all could participate and share. I wanted a space where we could discuss our lives, throw our cultural scripts on the table, tear them apart, piece them back together, and create something new. I wanted women my age to hang out, laugh, have a good time and essentially....gather.