Inside the growing lesbian party scene in the Philippines
In a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines, lesbian communities have often been confined to online spaces. That is, until a new wave of women-loving-women parties began surfacing across the country, turning visibility into something physical, intimate, and permanent.
Scroll through the hashtag #WLW on Instagram or TikTok, and it will not take long before lesbian themed parties in Metro Manila appear on your feed: Arcane, Euphoria, or Chappell Roan nights, complete with drag performances from local queens and DJ sets by sapphic women. These parties are created by the girls, for the girls.
Among the first collectives that led this shift is Sunny Club Philippines, a Manila-based group that organizes sapphic-centered events like parties and film screenings to community gatherings.
“We read an article on the lack of lesbian spaces, and it led us to carve out our own,” 25-year-old Jewel Elizabeth Enrile, one of Sunny's founders, shared in a chat interview.
Sunny Club started as a virtual watch party for sapphics on a Discord server before receiving an offer to host events in nightlife spaces. Since late 2024, Jewel has observed more lesbian-centered collectives taking shape across the Philippines.
“People see these spaces and are inspired to create a version they would also like to bring to life,” she said. “There’s still not a lot of lesbian spaces in the Philippines.”
For The Love of Women PH, a Metro Manila-based collective founded by WLW content creators Caz and Pepper, began with a similar realization: that even within queer nightlife, sapphic spaces were limited and largely geared towards men-loving-men audiences.
While broader LGBTQ+ spaces exist, both collectives point to a lack of intentionality. Even within queer spaces, queer women and non-men individuals are often harassed or excluded.
“A room without men, where people can show up freely, feels different. It feels safer, and more our own,” Caz explained.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by For the Love of Women PH (FTLOW) (@fortheloveofwomenph)
Organizers emphasize that lesbian-centered events are not about exclusion, but largely focus on energy, connection, and most importantly, safety. These spaces are specifically created for people who are not out yet. For example, FTLOW builds consent and discretion in the experience, briefing the team to be sensitive to clear indicators whether guests are comfortable with being photographed or filmed. Here, people "can choose how visible they want to be, and still feel fully welcomed and respected."
Outside Metro Manila, sapphic collectives have also started to emerge. Her Space in Cebu and Kollectibz in Baguio are among them, with the first sapphic party in Baguio held in 2024. Kollectibz, however, has since gone inactive. Still, their presence signals something larger: the need to take up space, be seen, and accepted.
For many, these spaces are redefining what nightlife means to some. It is no longer just a time to get drunk or have a great night, but rather about finally having somewhere to exist without second-guessing.
Perhaps that is a large reason why these events are trending more than ever: People desire community.
“The need has always been there, it just wasn’t being met,” Caz said. “Going from almost none to even a handful of space already feels significant,” added Pepper.
For organizers like Sunny Club and FTLOW, the goal was never just to throw parties, but to respond to a community that has long been invisible.
“Visibility matters because it changes lives,” Jewel said. “To see that lesbian joy and fulfillment are possible in a world that pushes prejudice towards us is really something.”
