Lesbian Visibility Week 2025

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:

1. 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

2. 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