[1] Philipps first came out in high school, at a time when Winnipeg did not yet have a gay and lesbian community centre or a Pride parade,[1] and eventually moved in with her first partner, Noreen Stevens.
Although Philipps and Stevens eventually ended their relationship, they remained close friends and collaborators.
Mayor Susan Thompson had refused a request to proclaim the city's Pride Day, the Winnipeg School Division had voted against an anti-homophobia curriculum and a man had recently been murdered in an anti-gay hate crime.
She stepped down as editor of Swerve in 1997 for health reasons, but continued to contribute to the magazine, as well as to publications such as Xtra!
According to Stephen Lawson, another member of Swerve's editorial board, She demanded a level of reporting that went beyond what was going on at the drag bar or what the bears were doing.