Swish (verb):

1. To fight for equal rights for the LGBT community using one’s talents, smarts, and sense of style.

2. To make activism uplifting, rewarding, and fun.

“To Swish” is to emancipate what was once a pejorative, and build a world that includes equality, freedom, and love for all LGBT people.

We'll use it in a sentence: "I swish because equality is not possible without straight allies."

Our History

Founded in 2003, Swish has evolved into a large, diverse community comprising people of every background, shoe size, hair color, and sexual identity. With more than 3,000 members internationally, Swish creates volunteer, advocacy, and educational opportunities for the gay and straight communities to learn from each other and work together toward full, unwavering equality for everyone.

Our Contributions

Along with our award-winning annual appearances in the New York City Pride March, Swish has participated in the 2007 and 2008 Atlanta Pride Marches and the EuroPride 2008 events in Stockholm. We were also the subject of an internationally-acclaimed documentary by queer filmmakers at Red Queen Productions called Fag Hags: Women Who Love Gay Men, and have been featured in the best-selling book Fag Hag, by journalist Linda Leopold.  In 2009, Swish was the first organization to endorse the National Equality March in Washington, DC, for which we were named among the Best of Gay New York City by Time Out NY that year. Swish volunteers logged hundreds of phone-banking hours for the New Yorkers United for Marriage coalition, ultimately winning marriage equality in NY State.

We’re also proud to have supported dozens of LGBT-serving organizations around the country with volunteer hours, advocacy, and financial contributions.

Isn’t it time you Swished?

Our Logo

Our logo is bold, mod, and ... kitschy. Just like Swishers. It exudes joy, dynamism, and unity via joined letters that convey positive progression. The rainbow honors the history of the LGBT movement, while the stars celebrate the diversity of our members and the universality of their dreams.

Together, under a rainbow sky, we can enlighten and inspire one another.