An Archive of Feelings: Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Cultures (Series Q)

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At the same time as I struggled with my sexuality as a teenager, I was also finding my home in the camaraderie and friendship of team sport. I had a safe environment where I could express myself physically and support my friends in a common goal. For me, Lesbian Visibility Week is about the joy of seeing younger girls expressing themselves in a way that I never could at their age (despite my history of wearing Extremely Gay Outfits from birth!). In the last year I've been high-fived by teenage girls at Pride, sat next to kids waving LGBT flags at a Taylor Swift concert, and watched baby lesbians cry watching 'Ring of Keys' at Fun Home in the theatre.

Stonewall is proud to provide information, support and guidance on LGBTQ+ inclusion; working towards a world where we're all free to be. This does not constitute legal advice, and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter.News Blog Communities For Lesbian Visibility Week, we asked seven lesbians what it means to them to be a lesbian in 2022, and what message they'd like to share with other lesbians. It means choice and freedom – of identity, expression, to love, marry, have families, be political, be sexual, be powerful, to empower, to exist. It is about sisterhood. It took me years to accept ‘lesbian’ as a label. Even now it can make me feel uncomfortable, but I try to embrace it as an act of defiance. Since 2018, many things have changed for me: I’ve adopted a dog, bought my first home, and got engaged to my girlfriend of five years. I never imaged all of these things would happen to me. That’s why lesbian visibility days are so important: it shows the diversity of our community, from the incredible and ground-breaking, to the beautiful every day. 2. “You never know who you could help, just by being yourself.” – Jo

It’s so important that young people are exposed to positive representations of lesbians in the media so that they don’t feel the same stigma. When I realised that I was only attracted to women, I thought the sky would fall in. I couldn’t see myself having a wife or a family, being successful, or finding happiness. I now realise that those premonitions were completely unfounded, and that it is possible to thrive in life as a lesbian. 7. “I was finding my home in the camaraderie and friendship of team sport.” – Erin Growing up, I never saw people like me – I knew no LGBT people until my early twenties. And what I learnt from TV was that all lesbians looked one way, and we largely all got killed off in the end. This week, we want to celebrate the diversity and lived experience of lesbians worldwide, and help us all feel proud of who we are. 1. “Growing up, I never saw people like me.” – KatieWe’d love to show you how your support is helping LGBTQ+ people everywhere to thrive. We need your consent to share news, campaigns, events and ways in which you can further support this important work.