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Lesbian Visibility Week 2022

Photo of Audre Lorde

 "I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't."

AUDRE LORDE (1934-1992)

 

This week (25 April 2022 – 1 May 2022), we are celebrating Lesbian Visibility Week and all lesbian, bisexual, transgender women, and non-binary people.

WHAT ARE THE AIMS AND ORIGIN OF LVW 2022? 

Lesbian Visibility Week was begun in 1990 in the US with the aim of shining a light on all LGBT+ women and non-binary people. It was conceived out of lesbians' frustrations with the higher visibility of LGBT+ men than women, and is intended to improve awareness and boost the socio-political capital of LGBT+ women and non-binary people around the world There have been documented days and events for explicitly celebrating and raising visibility for LGBT+ women and non-binary people since around 1980 in Australia and New Zealand. 

 

LESBIAN WOMEN ARE TYPICALLY LESS VISIBLE WITHIN LGBT+ EMPLOYEE NETWORKS OVERALL.

  • Gay women are almost twice as likely to be ‘out’ at work compared with gay men. 
  • According to a recent study, 81% of LGBT+ women are out to their family and friends. (DIVA Survey 2021) However, this drops to 31% and 57% of bisexual and lesbian women respectively when considering being open about their sexuality at work.
  • Only 38% of LGBT+ BAME women reported being out to their families.

 

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF INVISIBILITY? 

The lack of visibility is a barrier both to attracting more LGBT+ women into our industry, but a barrier to that talent feeling able to be "out" at work. 

  • Establishing safe spaces for LGBT+ women and non-binary people to bring their full selves to work is critical. This is not possible without concerted efforts to understand the perspectives, barriers and needs of LGBT+ women and non-binary people. What is your organisation doing to actively achieve this? 
  • COVID-19 HAS EXACERBATED MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AMONGST LGBT+ WOMEN AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE. 
  • Over 3 in 4 (77%) feel that their mental health has suffered because of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns.  
  • Over 4 in 5 (81%) of the LGBTQI women in our sample are open with most or all their friends about their sexual orientation, while just over 4% are not open with any of their close friends. 

 

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  1. Does my organisation and/or LGBT+ network shine a light on LGBT+ women equally?
  2. Does my organisation and/or LGBT+ network provide awareness-building education and initiatives for colleagues?
  3. Does my organisation, and/or LGBT+ network have specific and visible LGBT+ women role models and allies?
  4. How are we developing a culture of authentic allyship around LGBT+ women?
  5. How are we signalling our support to the community externally?  
  6. How are we tracking, measuring, and reviewing our progress?

Have your say by getting in touch today by emailing info@lgbtgreat.com. 

Lesbian visibility week is celebrated between 25 April 2022 – 1 May 2022 in the UK and US. 

#LesbianVisibilityWeek #LVW2022 

Statistics: DIVA Survey 2021