Nearly 200 women from around the world will be visiting San Diego the week of Pride for the first American SHOE party. Beginning Saturday, July 19, and ending Sunday, July 27, there are SHOE-related events scheduled all over town. SHOE, a worldwide website designed specifically for lesbians, was formed by two Swiss women who met online and saw a need for a safe, easy way for women to meet and support each other. As of September 2001, the list had over 10,000 members. The name was chosen to reflect the fact that the variety of lesbian and bisexual women is as vast and interesting as the variety of women’s shoes.

Karen Vigneault, one of the organizers of the San Diego SHOE party, discovered the site accidentally and became a big fan after forming friendships with a number of local women she met through the website.

“There’s very few venues in San Diego where you get a lot of women together from around the world — or even locally — and these parties are always held overseas because that’s where they started, so I thought … we’ll just have a party here,” she said. “It started a year ago. I’ve met some local women and became close friends with one of them, Donna Chang, and she and I have been promoting the party for over a year. Now the fruits of our labor are coming together.”

SHOE parties have been held in locations across Europe for several years. Since the time and expense involved in traveling to the U.S. are greater, fewer women from other countries were expected to attend. However, the response has been strong. Women will be traveling to the San Diego SHOE party from New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, Mexico, Canada and all across the United States. Because of the travel commitment involved, local organizers decided to combine the party with San Diego Pride and have scheduled a full week of events leading up to and including Pride weekend. The events are meant to bring SHOE members together, as well as to introduce them to local women.

Putting the event together has been a big project. When she didn’t get any response to her e-mails requesting participation from bars involved with Pride, Vigneault simply started talking to people that she knew.

“I knew a bartender at Flicks who hooked me up with [owner] Nigel [Mayer], and Nigel was very, very receptive,” she said. “The only two bars that were extremely receptive and willing to do almost anything to work with us were Bourbon Street and Flicks. Tom [Felkner] and Nigel, I would have to say, have been the most receptive.”

Although many of the friendships formed through SHOE involve no personal contact, Vigneault said the bonds formed still seem strong.

“One of our members from Germany couldn’t make it because her sister just passed away,” she said. “So she sent $275 for us to buy beer for everybody, and we’re all going to stand in front of the camera at Hamburger Mary’s at a certain time [on Sunday] and toast her.” She will be able to watch the salute online.

The coming week’s SHOE events include:

• Saturday, July 19, 12:00 noon

BBQ potluck at Morley Field

• Sunday, July 30, 10:00 a.m.

Hillcrest Farmers’ Market

• Monday, July 21, 8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.

Bacchus House SHOE Party

• Tuesday, July 22, 8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.

Ladies’ Night at Flicks

• Wednesday, July 23, 7:00 p.m.- 2:00 a.m.

Bourbon Street party and birthday, wedding and anniversary celebration

• Thursday, July 24, 8:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.

Lube Wrestling at the Flame

• Friday, July 25, Pride weekend begins

There will also be a farewell dinner on Saturday or breakfast on Sunday, depending on when most women are leaving.

For more information, or to register to attend events, send e-mail to sandiegoshoeparty@hotmail.com, so that organizers can keep track of those planning to attend. Organizers are also asking that everyone bring a pair of shoes to the barbeque on Saturday, July 19. The shoes will be gathered at the end of the party and donated to Rachel’s Women’s Shelter, a home for battered and abused women.