Rocking the Red Rock

A big shout out to the Red Rock Women's music festival organizers, performers, volunteers and supporters. This first ever women's music festival in Utah was a smashing success! The strong sense of community and support, the fabulous talent, and the laid back beauty of Torrey combined for a one-of-a-kind experience...and we can't wait until next year! Leave us your comments on what you'd like to see happen again or what should change....and of course, what made Red Rock rock for you!

Looking Forward to Red Rock!

Time is growing short and the Red Rock Women's Music Festival is just on the horizon! This first-ever sWerve-sponsored music fest is packed with strong female artists that represent a good cross-section of western women who have a lot to say about life, and love.
In addition to the great line-up of musicians, this is a chance to mingle with a top-notch crowd. Women from all over the state will be converging on the small town of Torrey, Utah, which is situated just on the edge of Capitol Reef National Park, and boasts an eclectic mix of art galleries, restaurants, bookstores, and hotels. In addition to the National Park, Torrey is a short distance from Grand-Staircase/Escalante National Monument, which has plenty of challenging hiking trails and breathtaking terrain.
If you've been on the fence about heading down to Southern Utah, just do it! It's going to be good times, great music, and even better company! Get your tickets at www.redrockwomensfest.com, the Utah Pride Center, MoDiggity's, the Robber's Roost Bookstore in Torrey, or the LGBT Resource Center at the University of Utah.

Marching for Pride

Coming up this Friday is what I think will soon be my favorite part of Pride: the Dyke March.

This march is the one chance we have as womyn in Utah to express ourselves, talk about our issues, and join together as a force for change and equality.

SwErve marches for freedom, for power, for visibility, for sisterhood, for love, for control of our bodies and our identities, for self-defense, for dignity, for human rights, for our children, for joy, for liberation, for sex, for equality, for justice, for our lives, for ALL women, forever.

I march for hope, justice, and dignity. What do you march for?

St. Patty's Rocked!

If you didn't make it to sWerve's St Patty's dance party at Static Salon, I'm here to make sure you know what you missed out on! Between the Salt City Kings, the green beer, and the cute vests on the bartenders, the place was rocking. And what a great crowd! We had all sorts of women there, and a song that got each one of them moving, including a fabulous Conga line all around the dance floor. The Kings were great, and together with sWerve, raised money for the Rape Recovery Center...it's always good to party for a good cause. Not to mention, Static was a great place to have a dance, with two floors of women dancing, mingling, and having a great time. I've never been to a SwErve party like this...and I have to say it was refreshing considering my experiences at the bars. There were no unapproachable groups of women...everyone welcomed everyone and so many women thanked us for a great time! But what did YOU think about it? Leave us a comment/suggestion/rave/rant or whatever suits your fancy! And once again...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Why I sWeRve...and why you should too

Back in December, I was feeling like I needed to add a little more craziness to my life. I was in the throes of Grad School, working full-time, and planning a wedding reception. But as I browsed the swErvE website one day, I noticed that they were in need of new board members. I'm not sure I was completely coherent when I applied.

But some thoughts began to form in my head:

- this will be a great chance for my wife and I to meet new people....without going to a bar or searching for other couples on the internet.

- this will be a great opportunity to get to know more people in the community.

- not to mention...they have some damn great parties!

I went into this blind. I didn't have any preconcieved notions of what sWerve is or who it represents. Just what I read on the website. And when I was offered a position on the board, I still didn't have a full picture of what I was getting into.

But I haven't regretted it. And you wouldn't regret getting involved either.

If you have thought about coming to a sWerVe event, but thought maybe you wouldn't fit in, or that we all know each other and exclude everyone else, or we would think you weren't good enough, or maybe even thought a SweRve event just wouldn't be any fun, I'm here to tell you you're wrong (especially on that last count)!

As a new board member, I want to take you through the process of getting to know swERve with me...I didn't know any of them before becoming a board member...and I'll even let you in on a bigger secret: I had never even been to an event. But that hasn't stopped me from feeling welcome and accepted, and being part of some damn great parties while really making a difference in my community.

So why haven't you sWerVed?