The 2018 Lesbian Pride Flag designed by Emily Gwen

Lesbian Visibility day on the 26 April 2024 is preceded by Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW), an annual awareness event celebrating LGBTQIA women and non-binary people.

The focus of this year’s Lesbian Visibility week is ‘Sisterhood’, putting the focus on unity and solidarity.

“For Lesbian Visibility Week 2024 we will be celebrating the power of sisterhood by uplifting incredible LGBTQIA women and non-binary people from every generation, in every field and in every country around the world. One community, so many brilliant individuals.” – Lesbian Visibility Week.

LVW was founded in 2019 by Linda Riley as a way to both celebrate Lesbian visibility and community, as well as to raise awareness of the ongoing need for Lesbian spaces and expression.

“When lesbian erasure continues to be a force that damages our ability to express ourselves and live full, authentic lives, celebrating and uplifting our community is essential.” – Linda Riley, writing for the Stonewall website.

Keira Thomas (she/her), Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Staff Network shares a poem for Lesbian Visibility Day:

"This is what being a lesbian means me:

Love of varieties - gentle and kind,
Ecstasy and whirlwinds colonise the mind.
Sexuality questioned - doubts did rise,
Bisexuality led to an identity that’s mine.
Indescribable as a journey that is my own,
A feeling of belonging. A feeling of home.
Natural connections and feeling free,
Connecting with myself - I am proudly me." 

- By Keira Thomas. Keira is Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Staff Network, Success Programs Assistant, EDI Champion for Division of Student Experience, and Mental Health First Aider. 

Further reading

Stonewall has a Lesbian Hub for resources relating to Lesbian visibility, community and more.

A history of the Lesbian Flag and its iterations: A Horniman Lesbian Flag - Horniman Museum and Gardens

Lesbian Visibility Week … How We Met: Deborah and Maria … Out In The City Women’s Meeting – Out in the City

Do you have any resources on Lesbian history, awareness and community that you would like to share with the EDI Unit to help inform future awareness articles? Email them to EDI.Unit@Sussex.ac.uk

Support for Staff and Students

Our Sussex community has a number of inclusive groups for both staff and students, including: 

• Staff members who identify as LGBTQ+ can join our LGBTQ+ Staff Network by contacting: lgbt-staff@sussex.ac.uk. 
• Students who identify as LGBTQ+ can join the Students’ Union’s LGBTQ+ Society and contact the Students’ Union officers for support. 
• Staff can contact a Dignity and Respect Champion, who is there to support staff who want to raise concerns about Dignity and Respect at Sussex. 
• Students can also find a number of resources and support at the Student Centre and on the Sexuality and Gender Support and Information web pages.  

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