The Sapphic Sun, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa

A smiling person at a table displaying copies of the Sapphic Sun at New Moon Makers' Market

Arts & Entertainment

How ‘The Sapphic Sun’ is made

You know the dykes got that environmentally-friendly soy-based ink.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun June 12, 2026June 12, 2026

On average, four lesbians and sapphics touch each physical copy of The Sapphic Sun by the time it reaches your doorstep in an orange envelope. That’s not including the writing, editing or designing, which is all done on computers. It also doesn’t account for lesbian mail carriers, who we assume make up about half of […]

An activist raises her fist in the air among signs saying "Pride was a riot" at the People's Pride Coalltion Ybor City march.

Community organizers say St. Pete Pride ignored them this year, too

The Sapphic Sun spoke with organizers who said St. Pete Pride’s partnerships conflict with Pride’s rebellious roots.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun June 2, 2026June 2, 2026

Three people smiling and posing at an outdoor market

Arts & Entertainment

St. Pete’s New Moon Makers’ Market is an accidental queer bastion

Sunday is the last spring market before a four-month hiatus.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

A tattoo flash sheet by Harley Babst featuring ten different colorful Florida bird illustrations drawn in a traditional American tattoo style against a white background.

Arts & Entertainment

A St. Pete artist is tattooing every Florida bird to make a field guide

Harley Babst, AKA Grouchy Goblin Ink, wants to tattoo 300 birds regularly seen in the Florida wilderness.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun May 13, 2026May 13, 2026

Colorful portrait of young woman with piercings wearing sunglasses.

Ask a Dyke: Are bisexuals just lesbians suffering from patriarchy?

‘How do you know if someone is genuinely bisexual, or is just experiencing comp-het? You don’t.’

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun May 8, 2026May 8, 2026

A group of six diverse women pose for a selfie in a sunny outdoor patio area. The woman taking the photo has curly dark hair and extensive arm and chest tattoos, wearing a black bikini top and sunglasses. Behind her, friends smile and pose—one sticking her tongue out playfully and another in a blue ruffled top. In the background, stacks of pink and black trucker hats with "LUV HER" and "LICK" branding are visible on a table.

St. Pete Pride has acquired Sapphic St. Pete event series

The next Sapphic St. Pete will likely take place in early November of this year.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun April 10, 2026April 12, 2026

A painting of the Public Universal Friend with a yellow and purple tint

Ask a Dyke: lessons in nonbinary love from a Quaker

‘You’re telling me you can’t do some femme-for-femme tonguing just because you wear a tie to dinner?’

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun March 31, 2026April 2, 2026

A person wearing purple horns with a purple dyed long mohawk and piercings at a Pride celebration.

Ask a Dyke: How do I stop ghosting and keep connections?

You can’t navigate romance without platonic interactions.

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

Three Tampa Bay organizations building networks to support immigrants

As ICE presence grows, long-time Tampa organizers are protecting local immigrants by building networks of support and resistance.

By Sea Harder/The Sapphic Sun March 6, 2026March 6, 2026

A pair of partygoers at a Her Way event. Two people pose arm-in-arm at a dimly lit party illuminated by purple club lights. The person on the left wears a white bandana and a blue Edmonton Oilers hockey jersey. The person on the right wears red rectangular sunglasses, a blue Denver Nuggets basketball jersey, and a white pleated skirt. Their blonde locs are styled with colorful hair clips. Other patrons and part of a hookah pipe are visible in the blurred background.

Arts & Entertainment

Her Way celebrates Tampa Bay’s Black millennial sapphics

And they’re throwing a sexy Galentine’s R&B party in Tampa this weekend.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

A low-angle, wide-lens shot of two people at a party. The person in the center wears a black cap, white earmuffs, and a black sleeveless shirt with the white text 'WHO ATE ALL THE PUSSY?'. A second person leans in from the right, playfully sticking their tongue out toward the shirt. The background is filled with other dancers and blurred warm lighting.

Ask a Dyke: How do I meet other lesbians IRL?

You don’t have to resort to giving yourself a fucked up haircut and browsing the flower section at Trader Joe’s.

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun February 5, 2026February 5, 2026

A performer with elaborate red hair and dramatic makeup plays a black electric guitar on an outdoor stage in the rain. They are wearing a red, crystal-encrusted bodysuit with gold detailing and a black harness featuring a lightning bolt strap. Raindrops are visible against the background of trees and a building, where a "POOL RULES" sign can be seen in the lower right corner.

Arts & Entertainment

How St. Pete’s Discord Addams riffed her way to ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

After a decade of auditioning for the megahit show, Addams is finally a ‘Ru girl.’

By Evelyn Long/The Sapphic SunDecember 2, 2025December 2, 2025

Two people walk away from the camera down a brick street, wearing Pride flags draped over their shoulders like capes. The person in the center wears a classic rainbow flag over a denim jacket, while the person to the right wears an asexual Pride flag featuring horizontal stripes of black, gray, white, and purple. They are walking amidst a crowd at a sunny outdoor event, with buildings and metal barricades visible in the background.

Ask a Dyke: How do I date as an asexual sapphic?

How can you form a natural connection with someone you’re into while also making sure they’re down with a sexless partnership?

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun December 2, 2025December 2, 2025

A shot from the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas:" Two female Who characters with distinctive facial prosthetics and elaborate hairstyles look at one another with expressions of shock or surprise. The woman on the left wears a brown dress with a white lace collar and a green brooch, while the woman on the right wears a dark patterned dress and a festive red and green beaded headband. In the foreground, the blurry green fur of the Grinch is partially visible.

Arts & Entertainment

How the Grinch’s gay moms gave us hope for Christmas

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) will always be the ultimate LGBTQ+ Christmas movie.

By Evelyn Long/The Sapphic SunDecember 2, 2025December 2, 2025

Close-up of a person wearing a denim jacket, holding a dark-colored iPhone with the triple camera system visible on the back.

Ask A Dyke: My summer fling blocked me—do I still have a chance?

She broke things off awkwardly and I could not feel normal about it. I have literally never been loved so passionately.

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun November 4, 2025November 4, 2025

A person with spiky, blue-black hair and sunglasses is smiling slightly at the camera. They are wearing a black t-shirt. The background is blurred, showing other people and what appears to be a crowd.

Ask A Dyke: Lea DeLaria has advice for butch dykes with ‘crazy internalized homophobia’

The ‘Orange Is the New Black’ star’s tough love is spot on.

by Jane Dyke and The Sapphic Sun October 2, 2025September 30, 2025

Column: Meet the gay people protesting St. Pete Pride

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun May 27, 2025