In her first year at UC San Diego, Kristine Talag realized that something was missing: a dedicated space for sapphic-identifying students — non-men attracted to non-men, including queer women and non-binary individuals. In Spring Quarter 2025, she founded what would become the Sapphic Club, a student organization that fosters an inclusive community for sapphic students through social events.
Now a second-year student, Talag leads the club’s expansion, focusing on consistent programming, growing membership, and a stronger sense of community on campus.
Talag was first inspired to start the club amid struggles to find other queer women on campus outside of romantic or online contexts. Under 21, Talag did not have access to bar scenes, and there was no college scene at UCSD to fill the gap. Dating apps are designed to find romance rather than forge friendships, and other than the LGBT Resource Center, there were no consistent, community-specific campus spaces.
“I wanted something that focuses on platonic connections,” Talag said.
Talag went online to see if she was the only person feeling this way; taking cues from the sapphic clubs at other University of California campuses, she turned to where all UCSD students get their information: Reddit. After finding thread after thread on r/UCSD lamenting, “Where are the lesbians and bisexual girls at UCSD?” Talag took action. She plastered flyers across campus that read, “Where are all the sapphics?” alongside subreddit screenshots and a QR code leading to an interest form.
The response was immediate. What began as a handful of conversations quickly gained momentum, prompting Talag to create a Discord server where students could finally connect with each other.
That network eventually evolved into the Sapphic Club, which was officially founded in Fall 2025.
Talag says the whole process felt intuitive: Instead of waiting for a space to exist, she built the one she had been searching for. Her approach embodied the simple but powerful mindset: “Be the change you want to see.”
From the beginning, that instinct has shaped everything about the club. Even before being formally established, Talag put together her first program — a Pride Month chalk art event during Finals Week of Spring 2025.
“With finals approaching, campus felt really quiet, and we wanted more LGBTQ+ members to feel more included on campus,” Talag said.
Fall Quarter came with growing pains, but ended with new momentum for the club. Through it all, Talag continued programming from the same mindset, hosting a beach social, a show-and-tell session for members to share their items and stories, and a finals study group. Now, the club is ready for Winter 2026, having finally stabilized with a dedicated team of six officers.
The continued support and increasing membership have strengthened the resolve of Talag and her fellow club leaders to plan more ambitious events. Members pushed for games-based socials, which inspired an upcoming Jackbox games night on Monday, Jan. 12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Price Center Theater. The biggest event of the quarter will be a Valentine’s Day dance on Feb. 15 at Shores Diner.
“From what I have seen, people really connect with each other,” Talag said. “It has been really rewarding to watch.”
The Sapphic Club adds an essential layer on a campus with limited student-led resources for the queer community — proof that student initiative can create the spaces needed most. Whether it be seeking friendship, shared understanding, or simply a fun night out, the club gives sapphic students a place to gather and build community.
“I don’t have many sapphic friends,” said Lana Chuang, third year and treasurer of the Sapphic Club. “It’s nice to have that shared commonality, where we can talk about certain things and people can relate.”
