Lesbian Visibility Doesn’t End on April 27th

Lesbian Visibility Isn’t a Phase – It’s a Fight

Here we are, May 4th. Lesbian Visibility Week wrapped up a week ago, but guess what? We’re still here. Still talking. Still pushing. And still refusing to fade back into the shadows of a culture that’s all about flaunting rainbows when it's trendy—but conveniently forgets about lesbians the second the parade ends.

Let’s get real. One week is an insult. One hashtag and a corporate-sponsored, logo-slapped “celebration” is a slap in the face to what we actually deserve. You don’t undo centuries of erasure with a week of empty posts and a merch drop.

And if you're reading this a week later? Good. Visibility doesn’t expire.

Lesbian Visibility Week Is Over. We’re Still Here.

Lesbian Visibility Week wasn’t born because suddenly we were “trending.” It started in the UK in 2008 because even under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, lesbians were being ignored. Again. What should have been a given—recognition, respect, and inclusion—had to be demanded. And guess what? We’re still demanding it.

Our erasure has deep roots. Media silence. History sanitized. Tokenization. Being told we're “too much” or “not enough.” And when we do get visibility? It’s through a male gaze. Fetishized. Diluted. Stripped of everything that makes us complex.

That’s why this week even exists. Not to make us more palatable. But to make us visible.

The Icons They Never Taught You About

Visibility, huh? Let's talk about the women who actually carved out space for us, without the luxury of hashtags or merch.

Stormé DeLarverie —remember her name. The butch lesbian who threw the first punch at Stonewall. She didn’t just spark a riot; she set the stage for the entire modern LGBTQ rights movement. Say her name like you mean it.

Audre Lorde. Black. Lesbian. Feminist. Her pen was dipped in fire, and her truth didn’t ask for permission. It demanded to be heard.

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, the first same-sex couple to legally marry in California. Founders of the Daughters of Bilitis. Back in the 1950s, when being out meant risking everything. They didn’t care. They showed up.

And then there’s Alison Bechdel, who flipped the script on women’s representation with her comics and the Bechdel Test. Martina Navratilova. Kate Kendell. Mabel Hampton. Cheryl Dunye. Jeanne Córdova. The list goes on and on. Too long to have stayed invisible for this long.

The Problem with “Visibility"

Here’s the thing: Visibility isn’t the end goal. It’s the beginning. Real power? That comes from representation, respect, and reparation. If all we get is a week of acknowledgment, a few rainbow posts, and a few half-assed allies, we’ve completely missed the point.

Visibility that doesn’t spark change is just pretty decoration.

So, Why This Post Now?

Because we’re not playing by their damn calendar. Because visibility doesn’t end on April 27th. Because if we only speak up when it's convenient, we’re playing right into the silence we’ve been fighting against.

This isn’t a “late post.” It’s a refusal to let that week end. It’s a reminder that every damn day, lesbians are out here surviving, thriving, loving, building, and resisting. If you’re waiting for someone to hand us a platform, keep waiting. We’re busy building our own.

One Last Thing

Yes, we’ve got a shop. GreenVine Grove. It’s got all sorts of things—t-shirts, jewelry—designed with pride that doesn’t ask for permission. But we’re not here to sell you something.

We’re here to be loud. To be seen. To remind you that visibility isn’t a trend—it’s a fight.

And guess what? We’re still fighting.

FOR THE TROLLS:

I’m Writing This So You Trolls Don’t Have To

Before you even start cracking your knuckles, ready to drop that tired, recycled comment—I already know what you’re going to say. So let me save you the trouble and handle it right now. Think of this as preemptive damage control—or better yet, an exorcism of your usual internet nonsense.

“This Is Too Aggressive. Why So Angry?”

Oh, sweetie. If this feels aggressive to you, maybe you’ve just never had to fight to be seen. If my tone’s making you uncomfortable, it might be because, deep down, you’ve benefited from the very silence you’re now calling “civility.” Funny how people love peace when it’s serving them—but the second we try to call attention to decades of erasure, gaslighting, and invisibility? Suddenly, we’re “too much.”

Guess what? We’re angry. And we’ve earned every ounce of it. Anger is not the opposite of love—it’s the fuel behind every civil rights movement in history. If you’re still asking “why,” it’s because you weren’t listening the first hundred times.

“Why Focus on the Negative? Things Are Better Now.”

Yeah, better. You know why? Because people made it better. Because people protested. Pushed. Shouted out injustice, loudly and unapologetically. But “better” doesn’t mean done. “Better” doesn’t erase a century of systemic erasure. You don’t hand us a few scraps of progress and expect us to quietly thank you for them.

We’ve been polite. We’ve been patient. And now? Now we’re being honest.

“You’re Dividing the LGBTQ Community.”

Let’s unpack that. It’s not division when you call out a hierarchy that’s already in place. It’s not division to point out that in so many “inclusive” spaces, lesbians are still being sidelined, tokenized, or flat-out ignored. Just because we point out an imbalance doesn’t mean we’re creating one. If you’re uncomfortable with that, maybe it’s because you’ve never been on the wrong end of erasure.

Community doesn’t mean silence. It means accountability.

“Stop Using Activism to Sell Stuff.”

Really? Where were you when every major brand threw a rainbow on their logo in June and sold Pride merch, but not one penny went to queer causes? Not a peep from you then. The difference here? We’re not pretending. This isn’t some marketing stunt wrapped in glitter and fake allyship. It’s personal. It’s lived. It’s real. And yes, we have things for sale—because we deserve to take up economic space, too.

You know what’s more offensive than a lesbian selling a t-shirt? A multi-billion-dollar company selling a narrative they don’t even live.

“No One’s Erasing Lesbians Anymore.”

Then why are we still having this conversation?

Why do search engines still mix up “lesbian” with porn? Why do most Pride campaigns still center cis gay men? Why do lesbians still get pushed to the sidelines in media, history books, and even within our own queer community?

If visibility weren’t an issue, we wouldn’t need a week to force the world to look.

So, trolls—go ahead. Screenshot this. Share it. Misquote it. Whatever makes you feel powerful. But don’t pretend this is new. And definitely don’t pretend it isn’t true.

This was written for all of us who are done being quiet.

We see each other. And we’re not going back to invisible.