DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
Studs vs Fems is off to a good start, hosting speed dating events, field days, the game show Queeriosity and flag football coached by professional female footballers. Coming up is the Lez Hoop basketball tournament with a $1,000 cash prize.
And while cash awards are nice, the real prizes are the friends and relationships that are being formed through these activities.
Layla Berry and Jaida Steele are the creators of Studs vs Fems. They met earlier this year on TikTok, Berry said, and they had a similar mission: To bring people together through sports, fitness and entertainment, while celebrating queer culture in a safe and welcoming space.
“I was going to do a speed dating,” Berry said. “It was supposed to be a one-and-done, but people wanted us to do it again.”
They held the first event at White Rock Brewery, and people drove to Dallas from other cities to attend. Berry and Steele said they were encouraged to bring it to different cities, but Steele said they want to get more established here before considering expanding elsewhere.
The second speed dating was held at a private location, and it drew almost twice as many people as the first event. Steele explained that in most lesbian speed dating events, the fem stays seated and the stud circulates.
“In ours, the fem circulates,” she said.
And to help get the conversation started, they printed up cards with ice-breaker questions.
Instead of sticking to just one type of event, Berry and Steele decided to begin adding a variety of events in Dallas — like a skate party. They did that as a collective, joining with several lesbian groups in what they described as more of a meet-up. They didn’t charge for the event. Everyone just paid their own admission.
“And we had our second field day last week,” Berry said. “We’re working with the brewery, and we’re doing a beer tour in October.”
They explained field days as “just like we did in school — flag football, races, egg run, three-legged race, hula hoops, tug of war, sack races.”
“We want positivity,” Steele said. “We want people to have a space to enjoy and meet people.
They want something social and interactive.”
They explained that it’s hard to meet people if you’re not very social, but with their events, you’ll probably be put on a team with some people you don’t know.
“You’re forced to have interactions,” Berry said.
There’s a cost for most events. After offering a couple of free pop-up events, they found attendance was poor. Not only does Studs vs Fems have expenses to cover, but they found out that people who sign up online and put the money down in advance are more likely to show up.
In addition to continuing to attract new people to their events, the next goal is to have a conference with hundreds of attendees. But that’s at least a year off, Berry said.
With winter coming up, they plan to keep things going. They won’t be able to have field days or use basketball courts in area parks in the winter, so they’re planning movie nights, PJ nights and game nights.
And for Christmas there will be some sort of interesting Christmas interactive.
After the isolation of the pandemic, Steele and Berry believe, people are ready for more social interaction. And the best way to meet people and get to know them is through an old-fashioned field day or at a basketball tournament, the two women believe.
And if you have an idea for a fun new event, visit StudsvsFems.com and share your suggestion. It may be how you meet your next best friend or lifelong companion. n