Everyone deserves a safe and inclusive space where they can have fun and express themselves. Getting home at a decent time wouldn’t hurt, either.
An event held regularly in Milwaukee provides that for women and femme-identifying individuals of all ages. It’s called the Revel + Release Ladies Dance Party, which just held its fourth installment at Mad Planet, pulling in a good crowd eager to have a great night.
Christine was among them and explained, “Having a safe place to come and unite and have community where there's no judgment and we know that we can come here and be ourselves is a huge thing.”
Her friend Aurora added, “Having safe spaces where we can be ourselves, be out in the LGBTQ community and enjoy each other and enjoy the space and feel like you're not getting onlookers who are judging you for being you and being with who you wanna be with.”
Sharing that sentiment was DJ LoLo, who helped provide the soundtrack for the evening but took a break to dig into why events like this are so crucial. “If you think more broadly about the way that our world is shaped and what we experience, a lot of things are created not necessarily for us or by us, and that's kind of the history of the world that we live in,” she began.
“Having a space that is created for us and by us allows us to actually express the things and have the things that we need, and all in a space together. I think the cool part about that is, while sometimes it might feel like somebody's being excluded or something like that, the idea is that when we're affirmed, when we're healthy, when we're in community with each other and in communities that we build with each other, it's better for everybody because we're able to like release and relax and feel safe.”
The Revel + Release Ladies Dance Parties are hosted by Interwovxn, a community organization and media platform that provides women with access to information and care regarding menstrual health, fertility, motherhood, perimenopause and breast health. Rebecca Jankowski, who co-founded Interwovxn along with Theresa Kopac, discussed the party’s greater community impact beyond just creating a supportive environment for women.
“With each of our dance parties, we selected a Milwaukee organization that is doing great work for women around the city. Tonight, we’re featuring HAWA, which is the Hmong American Women's Association.”
HAWA is an organization dedicated to supporting Southeast Asian women, queer and trans people through events and advocacy work. For party-goers Maggie and Belinda, supporting an impactful cause like that and celebrating in a space designed to empower their identities were both big draws to the event.
“We get kicked out of so many spaces already,” Belinda said, “so it's nice when someone dedicates it to just us and anybody who feels like us, too, right? Doesn't have to look a certain way or whatever. It's just whatever you feel on the inside that this space is for you.”
“Absolutely,” Maggie agreed. “A celebration with people that you rely on when times are hard. The people that you turn to that know will see you through the good and the bad.”
Interwovxn is planning to host more Revel + Release Ladies Dance Parties this spring along with other community events centered around women’s health and empowerment. For more information on all of their activities, go to interwovxn.com.
