Lesbian Visibility Day: Erin's reflections

Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated annually on April 26th. This Lesbian Visibility Day, our volunteer Erin shares her thoughts.

My name is Erin, I’m 23 years old and I came out as a lesbian about 5 years ago after considering my sexuality for years. I am very open about being a lesbian and my experiences as one and how it differs to other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Realising I was a lesbian was such a freeing experience for me as I no longer felt constantly pressurised into liking men romantically and made me feel more confident in myself.

Lesbian Visibility Day means so much to me because I never saw lesbians in the media or in history - but since becoming aware of Lesbian Visibility Week/Day I have gained so much knowledge about the community and it helps me find people who have a similar experience to me and learning about other experiences.

When I was younger, I never knew that L was moved to the front of LGBTQ+ to acknowledge the help of lesbians during the AIDS crisis. Without Lesbian Visibility Day - I would have no idea this happened about how much of an impact lesbians have had on the community.

A message to my younger self:

It’s okay to not like men romantically, there’s nothing wrong with you and you are proud of your identity now. You have amazing friends who support your sexuality and the lesbian community is such a beautiful place.