The Sapphic Sun is a publication for and by sapphics, and their admirers. Credit: Photo by Ray Roa / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

While the new Trump administration works against expressions of gender and sexuality, a group of more than two dozen Tampa Bay lesbians want to make sure their artistic queerness is proudly out there in print.

The Sapphic Sun is a publication for and by sapphics, and “those who love them.” The adjective “sapphic” is defined in every one of the five printed editions of the nascent publication: “An umbrella term for attraction between queer women-whether they identify as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, trans femme, trans masc, or non-binary.”

The pages, filled with local art, give scrapbooking envy. Founder and publisher Kelly Dunsmore had a collage club in college, where she met Sara Rocks, her lead printer.

A year ago, Dunsmore met her lead printer Sara Rocks at the first meeting of a sapphic collaging club, Scissor Sirens. She attributes the feel of the publication to graphic designer Alexis Thompson and tattoo artist “Cupids Baby Tats,” Victoria, who made Sapphic Sun’s logo.

“We really wanted something that could be archivable and show the effort the queer community puts into all these events,” Dunsmore said, alluding to get together like Dyke Night, a queer night hosted in bars such as Crowbar in Ybor City, “something that was as vibrant as the queer community.”

Photos: Everyone we saw partying in Ybor City, when Peace Cult headlined a ‘Dyke Night’ concert at Crowbar

The Sapphic Sun also doesn’t shy away from reporting community activism. The second issue of the print focuses on Florida’s first Dyke March, promoting queer and women’s rights.

Dunsmore & co.—who’re changing themes for every issue—bring their fifth issue to this month’s St. Pete Zine Fest, hoping to provide resources and amplify queer events in South Florida.

With the warm red, yellow and pink tones, displayed on different aesthetically-pleasing fonts, The Sapphic Sun’s soft cream colored pages invite readers to flip through an edition like a stolen secret diary.

Between “Ask a Dyke” (Dunsmore’s personal favorite), monthly horoscopes, film recommendation, recipes and readers’ “Secret Confessions,” the magazine models a cool older sibling you wish you had. No question or confession is too crazy.

In the “Sapphic Tells All” section, a reader even confessed to using a friend’s vibrator while they were out of town, “Yikes sorry girl.” Too scared to use a strap-on for the first time? Your friendly neighborhood dyke can help. Whether it is a simple sexplanation, or advice on how to navigate a relationship as a trans person, the section creates a safe space for every question.

Whether it is a simple sexplanation, or advice on how to navigate a relationship as a trans person, the section creates a safe space for every question.

Curated and edited by Editor-In-Chief Valerie Smith—who Dunsmore met during the very first Dyke Night in St. Pete—others who help the publication come to life include Rowan, The Sapphic Sun’s archivist, and board member Justine who connected at local events.

“Zoe and I actually went to high school together, but we never really talked,” Dunsmore said about Zoe Wellmaker who creates and writes recipes for the publication while running creative operations. “I did a couple of lesbian events and we reconnected. They brought delicious sliders to a pool party.”

The Sapphic Sun comes to life once a month with the help of Print St. Pete. A subscription is $10 an issue, with door-to-door delivery available in St. Petersburg.

The publication will also be one of nearly four dozen vendors at the family-friendly St. Pete Zine Fest happening this weekend. In a world of PDFs and web publications, St. Pete Zine Fest organizers—SPC Learning Resources, St. Pete Library System, and Print St. Pete—want to ensure that anyone with a preference for tactile media, flicking pages and uncensored information, has an all-you-can-read buffet.

There’s no cover for St. Pete Zine Fest happening Saturday, Feb. 15 inside the West Community Library at St. Petersburg College’s Gibbs campus from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

UPDATED 02/26/25 4:25 p.m. Updated to better explain the makeup of the team that publishes Sapphic Sun, and the first meeting between publisher Kelly Dunsmore and lead printer Sara Rocks.

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