LESBIAN VISIBILITY DAY: THREE QUESTIONS TO OUR WOMEN’S COMMITTEE CHAIR

You might be thinking, aren’t lesbians celebrated in LGBT History Month, Pride activities, or during International Women’s Day? Well, ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Lesbians exist at an intersection that can sometimes fall between the gaps. As such, we need to highlight these intersections and visibly celebrate the progress and experiences of lesbians from all walks of life.

We had the fantastic opportunity to talk with our Women’s Committee Chair, Cristina González Hurtado, who answered three critical questions regarding the celebration of Lesbian Visibility Day.

Take a quick read of her answers below.

Why do you think it is essential that we celebrate Lesbian Visibility Day?

All the lesbian sisters who expressed their love and eroticism for women and who fought for their desire did so for the rights of all of us now and those to come. Their visibility gave us the wings to be free and the strength to continue making possible the utopia of loving each other outside the rules. For this reason, I believe that dedicating a day to recognise the importance of lesbian visibility is a minimal action to recognise – with justice and joy – the courage and generosity of all the lesbians who came before us and those of us who today put our lives at the service of this never-ending struggle.

How can the wider community continue supporting and creating spaces for lesbians to share their experiences and participate in change?

All social movements must find ways to weave together our struggles for the transformations and social justice that all movements yearn for – because coming together will be the only way forward. It is also imperative to continue working to politicise communities with sensitivity and political empathy, so that they organise themselves or understand the critical role of social leadership and support us: even when changes in laws are favourable, these must be accompanied by cultural changes that are slow and difficult.

How do you think feminism can empower lesbians?

Feminism gives us the tools to understand why our love, desire, and eroticism are defiance and disobedience. That is why feminism provides us with the courage and politicises our lesbian existence. Lesbianism is pleasure, but also its true and outstanding value is that it is revolution and resistance.

Lesbians continue to make strides and create change in many different ways. This week, let us remember to honour the strong and courageous women who came before us. We stand on their shoulders and push forward to create change and a world where lesbians are free to be without stigma and discrimination, and harassment.