Each year on April 26, Lesbian Day of Visibility is celebrated in the US, the UK, and other countries worldwide.
This day acknowledges the strengths of and challenges faced by lesbians. By participating in Lesbian Day of Visibility, you can show your support for and acceptance of the lesbian community.
Did you know?
In Australia and New Zealand, International Lesbian Day is celebrated on October 8. In Brazil, "Dia Nacional da Visibilidade Lésbica" (Lesbian Day of Visibility) is celebrated instead on August 29th, the same date as the first National Lesbian Seminar in 1996.
What is Lesbian Day of Visibility?
Similar to days like Transgender Day of Visibility, this community event draws attention to the unique experiences of lesbians.
It started in July 1990 in California to bring visibility of lesbians within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, the LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people's magazine DIVA launched Lesbian Visibility week. Now, it's celebrated by lesbians as well as LGBTQ+ women and their allies.
Quiz
Beyond lesbians themselves, who else might want to celebrate Lesbian Day of Visibility? Select all that apply:
Did you know?
The term "lesbian" is often used by women who have romantic and/or sexual attraction to other women, but many nonbinary people identify with the label as well.
Why is Lesbian Day of Visibility important?
By focusing time each year on lesbians and LGBTQ+ women and transgender/non-binary people, progress towards a safer and more inclusive world for lesbians can be made.
As a community, lesbians face difficulties due to invisibility. This means they're not represented in media, the workforce, schools, etc., often due to discrimination and prejudice.
From an intersectional lens, it's important to recognize the additional difficulties for and invisibility of lesbians who are BIPOC, disabled, older, etc.
Lesbians face unique and specific challenges. Some of these challenges include:
Harmful stereotypes, resulting in two-thirds of young lesbians choosing not to come out.
Media featuring lesbians that often fetishizes their sexuality and relationships.
Fear of discrimination that keeps lesbians in the closet at work. In the workplace, LGBTQ+ women are more likely to be sexually harassed.
Additional challenges for lesbians who want to become parents, such as the difficulties and expenses associated with IVF (in vitro fertilization).
Quiz
How might fear of coming out at work lead to lesbian invisibility? Select all that apply:
How can I participate in Lesbian Day of Visibility?
During Lesbian Day of Visibility, you can listen to and learn from lesbians' personal stories and histories online and through events, celebrate lesbian public figures, and overall demonstrate your allyship towards the lesbian community.
The event is especially popular on social media through the use of hashtags like #lesbianvisibilityday, #lesbianvisibilityweek #lvw2024, and #LWithTheT, which has a particular emphasis on the inclusion of transgender people in lesbian communities.
If you're celebrating Lesbian Day of Visibility, remember to be trans-inclusive — trans women are women too! For instance, don't assume someone's gender identity from how they look. Additionally, lesbians can have any secondary sex characteristics that straight or gay people have, so it's not inclusive to make jokes about hating "male" genitalia.
Did you know?
One way to support safe spaces for lesbians is through donating to and campaigning for the preservation of lesbian bars. In the US, there are only 21 left of the 200+ lesbian bars that existed in the 1980s.
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Whether you are a lesbian, LGBTQ+ person, or an ally, celebrating Lesbian Day of Visibility can be an engaging and inspiring way to uplift an often marginalized part of the LGBTQ+ community.
What will you do to celebrate?
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