Rachel Bedding
Spring, alongside the first sunny days of 2026, has welcomed in a fresh new society to Cardiff’s Student Union – the CU Sapphic Society.
This society fills a gaping hole in the SU, and with over a 100 registered members in just a couple months shows the great reception it’s had. To celebrate their great start, Becca, a member of the committee, highlights some of the reasons why the society was created.
Why did you create the society; did you feel there was a lack of safe spaces for sapphics in the SU?
“The motivation to start CU Sapphic Society was completely due to lack of representation in existing societies. Our treasurer, Grace, started at Cardiff in September, and was struggling to find a society that she was enthusiastic about joining. Our president, Millie, put forward the idea of the Sapphic Society, and we all jumped at the chance to make it a reality.”
I can say that I wholeheartedly relate to Grace. Despite being interested in many of the sports societies, I was reluctant to join due to the lack of sapphic representation. Being a lesbian in a predominantly heterosexual space can be irritating and uncomfortable.”
“Sapphic people are constantly being invalidated, judged, and sexualised. Even queer spaces have historically been dominated by cisgendered men, so sapphic people often find it even harder to build a community.”
“Creating the Sapphic Society was a response to a much wider societal issue.”
What is your favourite thing about the community you’ve built?
“My favourite thing about our community is how natural it has felt. Growing up feeling ‘different’ to all the girls around me, it is so relieving to now be surrounded by people with the same experiences, interests, and values.
“Our members are so passionate about the society, and we have had so much positive feedback about how valuable it is to them. Having a dedicated space to be completely ourselves, without societal pressures or assumptions, has been a breath of fresh air.”
Are there any challenges you faced in creating it?
“At first, there were concerns that our objectives were too similar to that of CU Pride, our fellow LGBTQ+ society. Our response detailed the many ways in which the Sapphic Society would strengthen the wider community by responding to more specific needs.”
“Luckily, we were approved shortly after! And I think everyone has been shocked with the speed at which we have grown, showing a real demand for the society.”
“We now work alongside CU Pride, providing a wide range of events catered to all LGBTQ+ students. We believe that the more queer spaces the better; that way students have the autonomy to join either society, or both!”
How much interest have you had in the society?
“Our social medias have grown very quickly in the short time we have been affiliated, and we have utilised TikTok to spread the word. With this advertising, we sold over 130 tickets for our first ‘give-it-a-go’, meaning we had to add a second date! In less than a month, we have acquired
94 members and had 5 societies reach out to organise joint socials!”
“We have also had significant interest from people outside of Cardiff university, which emphasises the lack of sapphic spaces in Cardiff as a whole, not just the SU.”
What are your hopes and plans for the future?
“So far, we have had 2-3 events every week, and we hope to keep up this momentum! We are planning to host a ball in April, to celebrate all of our lovely members and the amazing semester we have had.”
We will be holding elections soon and introducing more committee positions for 2026-2027. Next year, we hope to further grow our community by representing and advocating for sapphic students coming to Cardiff!”
“Our future events will include: sapphic film/show screenings, hikes, club nights and talks on topics such as intersectionality, compulsory heterosexuality, and queer women’s representation in media.”
Elevator pitch!
“Sapphic is an umbrella term for woman-aligned and non-binary people who are attracted to women.”
“Cardiff University’s Sapphic Society aims to bring sapphic-identifying people together and create not just an accepting community, but a thriving one. Events centred around sapphic culture and interests aren’t being provided in a structured way anywhere else in Cardiff.”
“Come along and see what you’re missing! Follow our Instagram @cusapphicsociety to find out about
our events and grab a membership to become a part of the fun!”