Starting from the 25th of April to the 1st of May is Lesbian Visibility Week. Running for almost 3 years, the event is to celebrate, raise awareness of, and show solidarity with lesbians. It was founded by Linda Riley, the publisher and CEO of Diva magazine, is run by DIVA Media Group, and is supported by the Diversity Umbrella Foundation.
Lesbian Visibility Week kicks off at London Stock Exchange
To kick off the observances for the week, Riley will be ringing the bell to mark the closing ceremony at the London Stock Exchange.
Riley has been quoted as saying, “This is a truly iconic moment to kick off Lesbian Visibility Week by getting to ring the bell to close the London Stock Market. I’m delighted to see this wonderful display of London Stock Exchange’s ongoing commitment to all strands of Diversity.”
A week for celebration, solidarity, and action
Back in 2008, the 26th of April was designated as Lesbian Visibility Day. However, organizers at DIVA had deemed a single day insufficient in serving the lesbian community adequately as an event.
Aside from highlighting the unique experiences and existences of lesbians, Riley discussed in an article for Stonewall the issues she felt important to face during the observance.
Riley expressed her hope that the event unifies the community as an inclusive space to combat how transphobia alienates trans lesbians. She also recently criticized Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for stirring hate and division within the community.
Wow! I certainly did not create #LesbianVisibilityWeek so that people like @jk_rowling could use it as a vehicle to stir up more hate within our community. This is a perfect example of #HowNotToBeAnAlly #IStandWithStonewall –#LWithTheT https://t.co/yrUEKIPHrf
— Linda Riley (@LindaRiley8) April 25, 2022
Additionally, Riley brought up raising awareness on lesbophobia, the specific intersection of homophobic and misogynistic oppression that uniquely targets lesbians.
“I’ve long believed that IDAHOBIT – the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia – should surely be called IDAHOBLIT, to include lesbophobia. Women often experience a specific mix of misogyny and homophobia, which doesn’t fit neatly under the label of ‘homophobia’. We saw this back in 2019 when a same-sex couple was attacked on a London bus for refusing to kiss in front of a group of young men. This story struck a chord with me, and I’m sure with many other lesbians and bi women, who have experienced the prejudice behind this sort of attack.”
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