Meet the women running Glasgow's newest LGBT+ business
Sapphic Socials co-founder Gaia Ragone spoke with The National about what the venture hopes to achieve, the lack of spaces for same-sex-attracted women in Glasgow, and its focus on building the inclusive community both founders felt they lacked.
It was officially launched in December 2024 and the company has quickly garnered popularity, evidenced by its social media following and successful string of events thus far.
Ragone explained why she decided to launch the venture alongside her friend Ellie Devlin, saying that it began after losing her job and having a desire to do something 'more fulfilling'.
She said: 'One thing that I noticed, because I fully came out as a lesbian during lockdown, was that there weren't a lot of spaces in Glasgow where I could meet fellow lesbians or other women and non-binary people that loved women.
'There were a few gay bars around the area but they were a mixture of gay men or straight women on hen-dos or people bringing their straight pals, which is fine of course, but that's not what necessarily equates to a safe space for women or non-binary people like Ellie and I.
'A lot of my queer network was built online — I met Ellie on Bumble BFF and my girlfriend on Tinder — and I just wanted to create something where those connections could be made face to face instead.
'So I just thought, 'why not create this space that I know I needed?''
Sapphic Socials has hosted events across several Glasgow venues, such as Nonna Said, the Corset Club and the Polo Lounge.
Ragone praised the businesses for their support and letting the pair use their venues for free, noting the kindness of the 'community stepping up' as the venture was launched.
The company's first event — an introductory evening featuring pole dancers, belly dancers and musicians — was an immediate success, completely selling out within just a few days.
Ragone stressed the importance of using Sapphic Social events to platform local queer talents, from performers to artists: 'We really want to showcase the community as best as we can.
'We're working on a merch line and we're asking local, queer artists to design it for us.
'That way, we're giving them a platform to promote their art and make some money from the sales as well as us reimbursing them for their work.
'Even with the classes we host, like yoga and dance, we always ask our community if they know any queer instructors or teachers that we can give a platform to because it's so important to us.'
Following the success of its Glasgow-based events, Sapphic Socials is hoping to expand across the country in the near future, with plans to potentially launch in Edinburgh over the summer in time for the Fringe.
Sapphic Socials is also a trans-inclusive venture, something Ragone was keen to highlight in light of the Supreme Court decision to define women by their biological sex.
The co-founder called the move 'ridiculous' and discussed the work Sapphic Socials has been doing to support the transgender community in Glasgow: 'We did a fundraiser event for our friend Thea, who's going through facial feminisation surgery later this year, where 50% of all the proceeds went directly to her.
'We're also hoping to put on an event at the start of next month hopefully where we'll raise money for trans rights groups across the country, and it's something we do want to fight because unfortunately there is quite a lot of transphobia within the lesbian community.
'I want to make it really clear that we are inclusive of trans women — they are always, always, always welcome at our events.'
SapphicSocials will be announcing more events for the summer in the coming days. Further information can be found on its Instagram, @sapphic__socials, or from their OutSavvy page: https://www.outsavvy.com/organiser/sapphic-socials
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