We Thought We Were Building Something Rare. Then We Found More Bitches.

Last month, we published a roundup of all-femme and gender-diverse comedy nights around the world. Then our inbox started filling up…Apparently, we’ve got more stand-up sisters than we realised!

From Belgium to Taiwan, we’d already discovered kindred spirits creating the comedy rooms they wished existed. But when producers from North America got in touch, we noticed something else:

The stories sounded very familiar:

Different cities.
Different accents.
Same problem.

The opportunities to perform didn’t line up with the talent that was readily available. So, naturally, these women did what women have been doing since the dawn of time:

They got organised.

🇨🇦 Good Girls Revolt — Ontario, Canada

Good Girls Revolt wasn’t brought back because founder Jen Richardson wanted another thing on her to-do list. It started because she was tired of looking at lineups that didn’t reflect reality.

In late 2025, Jen noticed that the main comedy club in town had booked just one woman as a feature act out of 27 opportunities, with only three female headliners and no women regularly represented on its stage. After months of trying to raise concerns privately, she decided to call out the lack of representation publicly. The response wasn’t exactly supportive.

“They attacked my character,” she says.

So she built her own show.

“Since the stage was not given to us, we built our own.”

Today, Good Girls Revolt showcases local femme comedians, gives them opportunities to perform longer sets, and creates a collaborative environment focused on growth rather than competition.

The format changes from show to show, but the mission stays the same: community, fun, and big laughs. Jen also brings in more seasoned comics from Michigan, creating opportunities for local performers to meet, learn from, and connect with comics beyond their immediate scene.

“Our voices matter. Our perspective matters,” Jen says. “If there aren’t women, non-binary and queer people on stage, women won’t get on stage.”

She’s right. You can’t become what you can’t see.

Subscribe now

🇺🇸 Lady Laughs Philly — Philadelphia, USA

When comedian Shawna moved to Philadelphia, she went looking for a regular comedy night centred around women and queer performers.

There wasn’t one. So she started one.

“I thought there needed to be one,” Shawna says. “Actually, I thought there needed to be more than one, but I was willing to get it going.”

Lady Laughs Philly launched in March 2024 as part of the wider Lady Laughs Comedy network, which began in Madison, Wisconsin.

Today, Lady Laughs Philly is Philadelphia’s only monthly comedy show dedicated to women and queer comics.

The show books women and queer performers, while its monthly open mics are open to anyone who respects the stage expectations: speak from your own lived experience and don’t use bigoted language that does not align with your identity.

Which honestly feels like a very reasonable bar, and yet.

Over the last two years, Lady Laughs Philly has held shows at several venues across the city. Its current home for shows is Silk City Diner, while its open mic lives at Tattooed Mom.

And people are showing up.

All of its 2026 shows have sold out, and the open mics are well-attended by comics and community members who come not only to perform, but to support.

The lineups rotate between hosts and performers, usually featuring five to eight comics per show. For Shawna, the goal isn’t just stage time. It’s creating opportunities for women and queer performers to hone their craft, build confidence, and take comedy wherever their heart desires.

Asked why spaces like this matter, her first answer is refreshingly straightforward:

“Because it’s fun!”

Also:

“We should have a platform to share our experiences and silliness. People want to hear it.”

Imagine that.

Subscribe now

Different cities. Same instinct.

One thing we’ve noticed while speaking to women-led and queer-led comedy groups around the world is that nobody starts these shows because they’re trying to start a movement.

Most start because they’re frustrated.

They’re tired of being the only woman on the lineup.
Tired of hearing the same excuses.
Tired of waiting for someone else to fix it.

So they build the room they wish existed. And then other people show up looking for exactly the same thing.

The more we look, the more Bitches we find. And making inclusive stand-up comedy feels like something a little less out of reach.

Know an all-femme, queer-led, or gender-diverse comedy night we should feature next? Drop us a message.