This is the Space Youth Project blog, where you can find our newsletters
and stay up to date on recent information, events, and opportunities!
At Poole group, we are already starting to think about the Pride season approaching! We are planning to make our own space flag, with each young person from all our youth groups getting to contribute in their own ways. We can't wait to debut it soon!
Arts and crafts took place at Dorchester group, all the young people got involved and really enjoyed it. The were given raffia cordage demonstration of how to make it, all the young people picked it up fairly quickly, twisting their own lengths of cordage to make bracelets and necklaces, Discussion on where raffia comes from, then on to creating their own beads by cutting elder twigs, this enabled a conversation about elder trees and elderflower and elderberry wines. training in how to use a saw properly and also a mini drill
Some young people made use of the resin pieces previously made to make necklaces and key rings.
From the 21st to 27th April, Lesbian Visibility Week will be celebrated throughout the UK. Originally started in 1990 due to concerns that the gay community received a disproportionate amount of attention compared to lesbians regarding the fight for equality, it soon faded in popularity until Lesbian Visibility Day was founded in 2008. The week-long celebration was revived by Linda Riley, the publisher of Diva Magazine, in 2020.
As the only sexuality that doesn’t include men, we are seen as a threat to the patriarchal structure of our society. To exist as a lesbian is to reject the dominance of men, traditional gender roles, and the heteronormative family structure. Even the word lesbian is often, even unconsciously, thought of as a dirty word. It has become synonymous with an ‘ugly, man-hating’ image, or simply reduced to a category on
adult websites.
Despite this, lesbians continue to be integral to the LGBTQ+ community, especially
through their activism. For example, during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic, where
they earned their spot as the first letter of the acronym for their unwavering support
and assistance to those affected.
Lesbians have also always been connected to the trans community. This comes in
two forms:
Through support and advocacy, as research from Just Like Us shows that lesbian young adults were most likely to be supportive of trans and non-binary people compared to other LGBTQ+ identities, and
Through the existence of trans lesbians, and the development of lesbian-specific gender identities, such as the stud, butch and femme labels that originated in 1940s and 50s bar culture, and can be attributed to working class and black lesbians specifically.
Lastly, we have even been celebrated as trend setters, particularly in fashion and the
incorporation of androgynous clothing into women’s wardrobes. Combat boots,
flannel shirts, leather jackets, thumb rings and carabiners are just some of the styles
typically associated with lesbians that have gone mainstream in recent years.
All of this to say, lesbians are vital to the community, and our visibility is extremely
important. We are caring, courageous, and resilient, and we have a rich history and
culture. I love being a lesbian. I love learning about lesbians. I love talking to them. I
could not be more happy to have a week dedicated to shining a spotlight on our
wonderful identity.
Written by Steph, a Supernova
