| Event | Date | Destination | Type |
| LGBT History Month |
Feb 1 - Feb 28, 2010 |
All over the United Kingdom, UK |
S/C |
This is an excellent, state sanctioned and supported initiative that takes place all across the U.K. every February. In dozens of cities you’ll find a plethora of queer events from lecture series to films to performance pieces. There’s also a number of events for young people through their schools to battle homophobia.
www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk
|
| Gay Mardi Gras |
Feb 6 - Feb 16, 2009 |
New Orleans, USA |
Pride |
Every February, New Orleans' LGBT community throws its own gay Mardi Gras celebrations. Even though Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) takes place on a Tuesday, the weekend beforehand is filled with queer parties and celebrations. Participants take this event very seriously and spend an amazing amount of time to get their costumes as over-the-top as possible. As you can imagine, these festivities have been hit hard in the fallout of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but the local LGBT community is working extremely hard to bring these festivities back to their former glory.
www.gaymardigras.com
|
| Kelly McGillis Classic International Women’s Flag Football Championship |
Feb 7 - Feb 15, 2010 |
Key West, USA |
Sports |
So before you even ask, yes, it’s that Kelly McGillis, butch Top Gun lawyer who most recently played a military lawyer in the Tasha L-Word court case. The IWFFA is the largest women’s international flag football tournament in the world! Always held during the second week of February, hundreds of women from the U.S., Canada and Europe attend this annual event. With four full days of competition, there are also social events, parties and water sports like snorkeling and sailing.
www.iwffa.com/kellymcgillisclassic2010.html
|
| Winter Explosion |
Feb 12 - Feb 15, 2010 |
Kerhonkson (90 minutes from New York City), USA |
Sports |
This is the biggest African American LGBT skiing/winter fun celebration on the East Coast of North America. Sadly though, 2010 will be their very last edition of this very successful event which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2009.
www.winterexplosion.com
|
| Raballder Cup |
Feb 12 - Feb 14, 2010 |
Oslo, Norway |
Sports |
Scandinavia's biggest annual LGBT sporting event, the Raballder Cup is a multi-sport competition with volleyball, handball and floorball events. Most of the competitors are men, but some women's teams also participate.
www.raballdercup.com
|
| Istanbul Independent Film Festival |
Feb 12 - Mar 7, 2010 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
Film |
I find it pretty astounding that this Independent Turkish film fest actually has a section of "Rainbow Films". In the 2007 edition they presented Puccini For Beginners and Unveiled and in 2008 a number of great queer films were shown.
www.ifistanbul.com
|
| Amsterdam Valentine |
Feb 12 - Feb 14, 2010 |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Sports |
An international queer swim competition where everybody is welcome. They even hold a special same-sex ballroom dance party in the evening. Alternating with the Amsterdam Valentine, the Vienna Valentine takes place every other year. They usually host about 150 participants from ten countries.
www.kraulquappen.at
|
| Mardi Gras Film Festival |
Late Feb, 2010 (TBA) |
Sydney, Australia |
Film |
Sydney’s LGBT film fest held every year as part of the overall Mardi Gras festivities. This is a 15-day extravaganza of queers on film, with a number of events just for the girls.
www.queerscreen.com.au
|
| Lesbian Lives Conference |
Feb 19 - Feb 20, 2010 |
Dublin, Ireland |
S/C |
“A 3-day International, Interdisciplinary Conference, organised by the Women's Education Research and Resource Centre (WERRC) to be held at University College Dublin, Ireland.” Each year the conference focuses on a different subject. In 2009 it was lesbians in popular culture and in 2007 it was the lesbian existence.
www.ucd.ie/werrc/
|
| Telluride Gay Ski Week |
Feb 20 - Feb 27, 2010 |
Telluride, USA |
Sports |
More than skiing you’ve got sleigh rides, snowmobiling, upscale dining events and more. To boot, there’s even a women-only dance party.
www.telluridegayskiweek.com
|
| Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras |
Feb 21 - Mar 6, 2009 |
Sydney, Australia |
Pride |
Considered by many to be the number one gay event on the planet, Sydney’s pride party is not to be missed. Conde Nast even listed this festival as one of the 10 most spectacular costume events in the world, right up there with Venice and Rio. There are almost a hundred events planned each year, from the Mardi Gras LGBT film festival to readings, club nights, cabarets and comedy shows… with many of these parties just for us girls! The biggest lesbian event is called Tongue Twister, with more than 1000 women in attendance!
www.mardigras.org.au
|
| Vallarta Heat Women's Week |
Late Feb, 2010 (TBA) |
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico |
S/C |
This event launched in 2008 and only had a small group of women attend. But organizers continued the event in 2009, which is great because Puerto Vallarta really is an amazing sunshine destination for the queer set. Let's cross our fingers they make it back for 2010.
www.vallartaheat.com
|
| Phuket Gay Festival |
Feb 25 - Feb 28, 2009 |
Phuket, Thailand |
Pride |
|
|
| Cape Town Pride |
Feb 26 - Mar 7, 2010 |
Cape Town, South Africa |
Pride |
About 15 000 people participate in this annual, ten-day event. There are tons of events for women this year, including parties, a picnic, book fair and yes, even a lesbian camp!
www.capetownpride.co.za
|
| Everett Women's Film Festival |
Late Feb, 2010 (TBA) |
Everett, USA |
Film |
Usually happening sometime around International Women's Day, this festival was created to provide a venue for the presentation of women's work in cinema in Everett, Washington.
www.everettfilmfest.com
|