What started as a fun TikTok about lesbian bars bars led to a deeper investigation of San Francisco's sapphic revival.

The idea didn't come out of nowhere. In 2024, my team produced a social video highlighting San Francisco's lesbian bars. It quickly became one of Lyft's most engaging pieces of content. The response revealed how deeply people cared about the topic—and left me wondering whether something bigger was happening.

For nearly a decade, San Francisco's lesbian nightlife scene felt like it was disappearing. Rising rents, shuttered venues, and a nightlife culture increasingly centered elsewhere pushed many women-centered spaces out of the city. True to stereotype, the girls packed up their U-Hauls and moved to Oakland. But recently, something felt different. New bars were opening, longtime queer spaces were thriving, and a new generation of sapphic events seemed to be bringing people back together.

Working with our data analyst, we dug into Lyft ride patterns to lesbian bars across San Francisco to see whether the data matched what many of us in the community were experiencing. Turns out, rides to lesbian bars had more than doubled since 2023. The local lore was true—the girlies were back and making the switch for the city.

The project ultimately expanded beyond editorial, inspiring a Pride-week partnership with local venues that offered discounted Lyft rides to queer women–centered venues and events across the city. The ride code? LEZRIDE25, naturally.

Outcome

The result was a uniquely Lyft story—one that connected local culture, mobility data, and community engagement in a way few brands could.

Published one of Lyft's most engaging pieces of local content, combining community insight, proprietary ride data, and editorial storytelling.
Produced original photography and video content documenting featured bars, community events, and the opening of Rikki's, San Francisco's first women's sports bar.
Expanded the story into a Pride-week partnership with local venues, including a custom ride-code campaign that encouraged attendance throughout the weekend.

Team

Writer
Alexis Hazelwood

Editor

Brittany Branscomb

Data Analyst
Sarah Conlisk