Sapphic couple Cassie (Caz) Uy-oco and Pepper Solis have always bonded over their shared love for parties and nightlife. 

It was 2023 when they first met online as rising content creators who had landed on each other’s For You Pages. Several online exchanges later, they had finally met face-to-face for the first time at a club. 

Back then, it was the peak of the return of post-pandemic parties. For Gen Zs and millennials at the height of their youth, there was a longing for the loud music you could feel in your chest, shoulders bumping on the dance floor, and the free flow of drinks. 

“We’ve already been attending parties since before. We know the ins and outs. I would party twice or thrice a week. That’s how much I wanted to just experience the music and to interact with people,” Pepper said in a mix of Filipino and English. 

It had been rather poetic that the club had become their first meeting place. As their relationship progressed, they’d soon realize that their affinity for nights out would become the catalyst for something big they’d start together in 2025: For the Love of Women (FTLOW) — a Manila-based nightlife space led by sapphics, for sapphics. 

Come as you are

FTLOW (pronounced “fit-low”) was not born out of a spur-of-the-moment idea. It had come as a result of months — and perhaps even years — of sapphics being made to feel that they had to keep their guard up all the time in spaces where they’re meant to have fun. 

“When we go to parties, it’s one thing that you’re already a woman, and it’s another thing that we’re queer,” Caz said. “So, as a woman, you don’t want to be sexualized. You’re restricted with your actions because you don’t want to be disrespected. And at the same time, we’re a couple. So, how are we supposed to interact as a couple without us being reduced to something performative or reduced to entertainment for other people?”

It had eventually come to a point where Caz and Pepper were no longer enjoying regular parties, and it turned out that they weren’t alone in that sentiment. 

“With the community that we see through TikTok, we also see the same comments about experiences where people want to try to enjoy nightlife but at the same time, they’re also scared,” Caz told Rappler. “We realized that we already have a community we interact with online, so why not take things offline?”

Over the past year, Caz and Pepper have thrown all kinds of themed get-togethers for the Filipino sapphic community, from a Halloween night to a nostalgic party that pays homage to 2016. Each event has a game segment for attendees to be able to interact with each other, then the rest of the night is dedicated to partying the whole way through. 

At FTLOW, the full spectrum of sapphics (of legal age) are welcome — lesbians, bisexual women, queer women, mascs, femmes, trans women who love women, and of course, those who are still closeted. 

And when you’re in a room full of people who actually understand the nuances of being sapphic, the energy is different. You’re free to be who you are, form meaningful connections with fellow partygoers without having to second guess things, and actually have a good time on your own terms. 

Caz and Pepper come from varying backgrounds. Caz had grown up feeling like she had to hide who she was, while Pepper was raised in a supportive household. As FTLOW’s co-founders, then, the couple uses their own experiences with coming out to help fellow sapphics feel supported in their events. 

“For example, may fellow bading (there’s a fellow queer person). If you want to get to know them, you don’t have to ask if they’re gay or not, which is quite awkward. But also, on a deeper level, you just really don’t have to filter yourself,” Caz explained. “You can dance there as much as you want without being reduced to something performative, without being seen as an entertainer for other people. You just want to express yourself, and that’s the space that we really intended in the first place.”

Creating safe spaces for women who love women

Wherever you are on the sapphic spectrum, you’re going to be in good hands at FTLOW, because consent is their top priority. This attention to detail is something Caz and Pepper particularly take pride in. 

There’s a non-negotiable rule at their parties where guests have to consent to their photo being taken, even if it’s a crowd shot. If they happen to be seen in a picture when they indicated during registration that they aren’t comfortable being photographed, they’ll be subtly covered when FTLOW’s documentation team does the post-processing. 

“It’s one way to support the transition of our society accepting the [women loving women]. So, while we are still fighting and combating the homophobics, we are supporting na, ‘O kasi hindi pa kayo out (Oh, because you aren’t out yet), the party will still cater to your safety,” Pepper told Rappler. 

“We’re promoting not just physical safety, but also the psychological aspect na pag-uwi nila (where when they go home), they aren’t just happy, but they feel safe also,” she added. 

Guests are also required to disclose an emergency contact when they register for any event, so that if they end up having too much fun, the FTLOW team can alert someone they know. Even their bouncers are female. 

This year, FTLOW is celebrating its first anniversary on June 27 at Lust Nightclub in Quezon City, and these things won’t change. They’re even coming out with a blind box freebie that puts discreetness at the forefront. It’s still Pride-themed, but it’s low-key enough that guests who aren’t out yet don’t need to keep it shelved away after the event. 

More than anything, however, FTLOW’s founders hope to use their platform to give Filipino sapphics a second home. 

“If the world is looking at you differently, the real lenses are in FTLOW. Regardless of how you feel, regardless of how confused you are, there’s something that is certain — that is FTLOW. This is the blueprint for the younger generation,” Pepper attested. “But also for the older generations, they did not experience the same thing. It was more conservative back then. So we really want to make sure that we’ll be the ones to change the narrative about sapphic spaces and sapphics in general.” 

“It’s okay to take your own time in accepting yourself, in discovering yourself. But also, if you come to terms with yourself that you also like fellow women, then I hope you know that there’s nothing wrong with loving who you want to love. As long as you remain kind, then you’re perfectly fine,” Caz added. 

When you’re at FTLOW, you’re free to love and be loved. – Rappler.com