SQ:UAD Fest Adapts for Free One Day Festival

Wellness, connection, authenticity, community, queer joy, and so much more were the ideals behind this festival. Last Saturday was the first SQ:UAD Fest, a completely free, one-day, virtual festival brought to you by a collective of womxn+-serving organizations in the age of COVID-19. 

August 15t from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST, the virtual event worked to celebrate and connect queer womxn, nonbinary, and trans folks, an aspiration that required persistent work and constant vigilance. There were workshops, panels, and other creative sessions in the hopes of providing an opportunity for virtual community and authentic connection. 

SQ:UAD Fest is a collaborative project between SheFest San Diego, Vegas Women’s Fest, Clexacon & Sum of Us Festival. After running into each other at the February 2020 CAPI Conference, connections were made, and conversations were had, but one topic stayed consistent—their love for the queer community. When COVID-19 changed the way that events are planned, the group re-adjusted and moved forward with their new collaboration. 

“SQ:UAD Festival offers a virtual community of authentic connection for queer womxn, nonbinary, trans folks, and intentional allies. We provide space and opportunity to celebrate and elevate the voices of queer womxn, nonbinary, and trans folks. We are the Spectrum of Queer: United and Diverse,” say SQ:UAD Fest on its website. 

From watch parties to sing-a-longs to activism, this festival had a jam-packed schedule that celebrated queer womxn, trans, and nonbinary folks. Not to mention, the entire festival was ASL accessible. For more information on any future events they are doing or how to get involved with them, visit their website. 

“We celebrate our SQ:UAD Festival team. We are Black, POC, white, cis, and non-binary. Without erasing our individual identities, we acknowledge that the representation in our leadership spectrum is a work-in-progress. We are actively seeking BIPOC, trans, and dis/ability partners to join us with equal access to leadership and positions of power within the SQ:UAD,” it claims on its website.