Lesbian Visibility Week

This year, Monday, April 24 to Sunday, April 30, is Lesbian Visibility Week—dedicated to celebrating lesbian women and increasing awareness of the issues they face. The week shows solidarity with all LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary folks in our community by highlighting the contributions and struggles of lesbian women, encouraging them to live authentically.

The first Lesbian Visibility Week was celebrated in the early ‘90s out of lesbians’ frustrations with how queer men were more represented with the intent to gain awareness and sociopolitical capital. Whether in science, art, politics, sports or history, lesbians have always played an important part in history.

In Music – Mary Lambert is a local artist widely known for her work on Macklemore's song “Same Love,” but she is so much more than just one song. The singer-songwriter and poet has used her work to bring light to mental health disorders, body image issues, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Outside of music, Lambert co-stars in the Netflix animated musical and series, I Heart Arlo and Arlo the Alligator Boy.

In Literature – Audre Lorde was a writer, feminist, womanist, librarian and civil rights activist. Lorde made lasting contributions in writing through her works in feminist theory, critical race studies, and queer theory. Throughout her life, Lorde used her creative talent to tackle racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. The Black Unicorn (1978), which is widely considered to be her finest poetic work, can be purchased here.

In History – On April 2, 1974, Kathy Kozachenko was elected to City Council in Ann Arbor, Michigan, making her the first openly gay person elected to a political office.

In Politics – Barbara Jordan was a civil rights leader who became the first African American elected to the Texas Senate in 1966 and the first LGBTQIA+ woman elected to Congress from the state of Texas in 1972. In her congressional term of just six years, Jordan left a more positive impression on the nation than many do in a full 12 years.

In Science – Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, writer and conservationist in the first half of the 1900s whose work and studies on the harmful effects of pesticides lead to her famous book, Silent Spring. Her questioning of the direction of modern science helped start the contemporary environmental movement.

There have always been many powerful LGBTQIA+ women who have made their mark on the world. Today there is no shortage of smart, motivated, confident lesbian women who accomplish so much to make our world a more accepting, open place to be.