Lesbian Visibility Week — Did You Know This Was a Thing?

If you're a lesbian, this bit's for you. Lesbian Visibility Week runs every year across the last week of April, building to Lesbian Visibility Day on the 26th. It was established in 2008 by Linda Riley, founder of DIVA magazine. You may already know this. You may have had it in your calendar for years. Or you may be reading this and thinking, genuinely, that you had no idea it existed — which is a fairly ironic situation given what the week is actually for.

It's not Pride. Pride is many things to many people — a protest, a party, a corporate sponsorship opportunity, depending on which bit of it you're standing in. Lesbian Visibility Week is quieter and more specific than that. It's a week that belongs to lesbian women, for no other reason than that lesbian women have historically been either invisible or misrepresented in ways that range from reductive to genuinely harmful.

What you do with that is entirely up to you. There's no obligation to mark it, post about it or explain yourself to anyone. Some women find it meaningful. Some find the whole concept of a visibility week a bit exhausting on top of everything else. Both are reasonable responses.

But if you didn't know it existed — now you do. And DIVA, which has been the main platform for lesbian media in the UK since 1994, is worth knowing about too if you don't already. It's yours, essentially. It was built for you.

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Why it matters

If you're an ally, this bit's for you

First, a question you might reasonably be asking: isn't Pride enough? There's a whole month of it. Flags everywhere. Fairly hard to miss.

Pride is vital. It's also, if you look at most of the coverage, quite broad. Lesbian women are part of that — but "part of" and "centred" are different things. Lesbian visibility specifically has a problem that Pride doesn't fully address, which is that lesbian women have been consistently misrepresented, fetishised and side-lined in media and culture in ways that are distinct from the broader LGBTQ+ experience.

Television has a long and well-documented habit of killing off lesbian characters. It happens so routinely that it has a name — "bury your gays" — and it's been catalogued by researchers, journalists and audiences who have simply learned to brace for it. The representation that does exist has historically been narrow: white, young and shaped more by what a mainstream audience finds palatable than by anything resembling reality.

Lesbian women of colour, older lesbian women, disabled lesbian women, working-class lesbian women — they exist at the edges of that image, when they appear at all. Bisexual and queer women get a different version of the same problem: either collapsed into "lesbian" by people not paying attention, or told they don't quite belong anywhere. Neither is helpful.

There are also practical gaps that don't get talked about enough. Healthcare provision for lesbian women in the UK has real shortfalls — in screening, in mental health support and in the mundane but wearing experience of having to come out repeatedly to every new GP, every nurse, every receptionist who assumes a husband. It compounds.

So no, Pride isn't quite enough. Not for this.

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What you can actually do

Support DIVA — it's been keeping lesbian media alive in the UK since 1994 and runs largely on the support of its readers and community. Look at which LGBT+ charities have specific programmes for lesbian women rather than just assuming the big umbrella organisations cover everything equally. They don't always.

Amplify lesbian writers, journalists and creators — follow them, share their work, buy the book. It's not complicated.

And if you have a lesbian friend, family member or colleague — you don't need to make a thing of it. You don't need to send them a Lesbian Visibility Week card. Just be the kind of person who pays attention, who notices when they're being left out of something and who doesn't need it pointed out every single time.

That's pretty much it. Not very dramatic. But that's generally how the useful stuff works.

I am a D&I consultant, keynote speaker, Mental Health First Aider, writer and transgender woman with 20+ years of senior corporate leadership experience. I work with businesses across all sectors to build genuinely inclusive cultures whilst also supporting transgender individuals and their families through every stage of the journey. If this piece resonated, you can find more articles on andreaking.net  or  book a free discovery call if you'd like to talk.

The views expressed in this article are my own and are based on personal experience and perspective. They are not intended as medical, legal or professional advice.

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Further Reading - Lesbian Visibility Week

Lesbian Visibility Week is an international awareness week, with a full week of events and activities ending on Lesbian Visibility Day on 26th April. The week, owned and led by DIVA, is a week dedicated to recognising and celebrating lesbian communities. 

Sisterhood & Empowerment: Modern visibility is seen as a means of building community and fostering pride among queer women. Normalization: Being visible contributes to normalizing same-sex relationships, especially for younger generations looking for representation. For more read this article by the Rainbow Project

This article by the Human Dignity Trust promotes PETAL and what it means to them. ''Lesbian Visibility Week means being seen, heard, and valued, not just in moments, but in systems. It means our lives, our love, and our livelihoods matter. At PETAL (Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual Women), we continue to push for the Equal Opportunities Bill because visibility must translate into protection, opportunity, and justice for all Belizean women.'' Quote from Charrice and Simone of PETAL

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Lesbian Visibility Week?

Lesbian Visibility Week runs across the last week of April and leads into Lesbian Visibility Day on the 26th.

Who created Lesbian Visibility Week?

It was established in 2008 by Linda Riley, founder of DIVA magazine.

Is Lesbian Visibility Week the same as Pride?

No. Pride is broader, while Lesbian Visibility Week is focused specifically on lesbian women and their visibility.

Why does Lesbian Visibility Week matter?

It highlights the specific ways lesbian women have been invisible, misrepresented or side-lined in media, culture and healthcare.

How can I support Lesbian Visibility Week?

Support DIVA, amplify lesbian creators and pay attention to lesbian people in your life without making a fuss.

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