What Do You Think About Lesbian Visibility Week?

The theme of this year’s Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW) is United, Not Uniform. Our aim is to celebrate lesbians and show solidarity with all LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people in our community. We believe in unity and lifting up those who are most marginalized.

Lesbian Visibility Week 2024

So, I am not a fan of this theme. Often times ‘united’ is a cudgel used to enforce cooperation or send a false message that all of the lesbians are on board with the stated agenda. That’s typically not the case. I’m cynical. It has been a long year.

This recognition day is always a challenge. I ping pong between celebrating the great things about my identity and angst over having to perpetually draw a line in the sand against TERFs.

Sometimes, I’m metaphorically jumping up and down, hands waving, as I shout that I’m a lesbian and a trans ally.

Why can’t I just luxuriate in affirming visibility?

I have very little lesbian joy. I have lesbian friends. I know a lot of lesbians. I like being a lesbian. I created an entire brand around it.

But my day to day realities are hard. Finding my way through the news is harrowing. I do this memorial work that’s devastating.

Ten years ago, we subscribed to FIOS and began watching Rachel Maddow each week night. That was a great period of time. Just an hour each night to get informed and bask in the utter lesbianism of it.

I don’t have those experiences as much now. I dutifully watch the new entries to lesbian canon. I share great links.

But I watch Joy Reid now. I watch the diverse weekend hosts. I don’t have a space carved out in my life dedicated to lesbian identity. I’m not going to a bar. I don’t get invited to the potlucks, if they still happen. I’m a little younger than the 2nd wave feminist lesbians who came up through the 80s and are now retiring. I’m a little older than 3rd wave lesbian feminists. I want a lesbian event that’s fun and I have a guaranteed seat with free parking. I’m not remotely a power lesbian.

Year after year, I write the same post. Here are the lesbian #AMPLIFY posts. Here are guest posts documenting local lesbian history. Here’s my “not enough lesbian content” rant.

I miss the touchstones – Maddow, lesbian movies, Curve and Girlfriends magazines, potlucks, comedy shows, sending three queer women to the PA General Assembly ( Jessica Benham, La’Tasha Mayes, and Abigail Salisbury) To be accurate, Benham and Salisbury are bisexual women, not lesbians. But it matters a great deal to me that these three women are representing our region. When I began blogging in 2005, there was no out elected officials in office at all. It bothers me a lot that progressives think unelecting a queer Jewish woman is a good step.

But there I go again – focusing on lesbian politics, not lesbian joy.

I miss having lesbian touchstones. I’m going to have to do that work myself. So I made a list

This is really just a placeholder post. Lesbian visibility is important even if I’m being droll. I’m not more creative at this time, so this will do.

Previous posts on this topic:

Lesbian Visibility Day – 2023

Happy Lesbian Visibility Week 2021 – 2021

56 Lesbian Stories from Western Pennsylvania to #AMPLIFY Lesbian Visibility Day– 2019

56 Lesbian Stories from Western Pennsylvania to #AMPLIFY Lesbian Visibility Day – 2017

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