Lesbian Visibility Week #LVW2024, celebrated from April 22-28, is a time to recognise and honor the contributions, achievements, and unique experiences of lesbian women around the world.
Why Do We Need Lesbian Visibility Week?
The origins of Lesbian Visibility Week can be traced back to 1990, when it was first conceived by the West Hollywood Lesbian Visibility Committee and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. The organizers sought to raise awareness and gain more visibility for lesbian women, who often felt overshadowed by the higher public profile of gay men.
Research shows that lesbian women are less likely to be out at work compared to gay men, and their stories and experiences are sometimes sidelined in broader narratives.
The week also serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges and discrimination that many lesbians continue to face. Lesbian women, particularly those with intersecting marginalized identities, often encounter barriers to acceptance, visibility, and equal rights.
This Year’s Theme: United, Not Uniform
captures the essence of the lesbian community. Lesbians come from all walks of life, with diverse ethnicities, backgrounds, and expressions of their identities. This week is about celebrating that beautiful spectrum while recognising the power of solidarity within the LGBTQIA+ community.
List of Famous & Influential LGBTQIA+ People
Here’s a list of famous LGBTQIA+ people* spanning various fields and disciplines, whose contributions and achievements have left significant marks on society and culture:
*This list is not exhaustive, but it highlights some of the individuals who openly identify within the lesbian spectrum.
Movie & TV
Jodie Foster
Two-time Academy Award winner known for her powerful performances in films like “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Taxi Driver.”
Kristen Stewart
Rose to fame in the “Twilight” saga and has since established herself as a critically acclaimed actress in independent films.
Ellen DeGeneres
Emmy Award-winning comedian and talk show host who famously came out as lesbian in 1997, breaking barriers on television.
Wanda Sykes
Award-winning comedian and actress known for her sharp wit and outspoken voice.
Sara Ramirez
Played Callie Torres on “Grey’s Anatomy” and is a prominent bisexual activist.
Samira Wiley
Played Poussey Washington on “Orange is the New Black” and is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Cynthia Nixon
Star of “Sex and the City” who is openly lesbian and a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Angela Robinson
While primarily known as a filmmaker and television producer, Angela Robinson is also a prominent lesbian figure in Hollywood. She directed several episodes of “The L Word” and has created and produced other LGBTQIA+ inclusive series such as “The L Word: Generation Q” and “The Real L Word.”
Kate McKinnon
An actress and comedian known for her work on “Saturday Night Live,” McKinnon is openly lesbian and has become one of the show’s most beloved cast members.
Ruby Rose
An Australian model, actress, and DJ, Rose gained widespread recognition for her role as Stella Carlin in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.” She has been open about her gender identity and sexual orientation, identifying as genderfluid and lesbian.
Portia de Rossi
An actress known for her roles in “Ally McBeal” and “Arrested Development,” de Rossi is married to Ellen DeGeneres and came out publicly as a lesbian in 2005.
Cara Delevingne
Actress and model Cara Delevingne is known for her work in films like “Suicide Squad” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.
Tig Notaro
A comedian, writer, and actress, Notaro is known for her deadpan comedy style and her openness about her experiences, including her breast cancer diagnosis and her marriage to actress Stephanie Allynne.
Sarah Paulson
An actress known for her roles in various television series and films, Paulson is openly lesbian and has received critical acclaim for her performances.
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean “Lily” Tomlin is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting onstage and on-screen.
Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday, also known mononymously as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and songwriter.
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenberg is an American actress and singer. Her breakthrough came at the age of 14, when she was cast as Rue in the 2012 film The Hunger Games.
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.
Music
Janelle Monáe
A genre-bending artist known for her futuristic concepts and flamboyant style. Identifies as non-binary but has expressed attraction to women.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her unique blend of pop, pop-rock, and alternative styles. While not explicitly stating her sexual orientation, she has spoken openly about being attracted to women.
Tracy Chapman
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her introspective lyrics and soulful vocals. While not explicitly stating her sexual orientation, her songs like “Fast Car” and “Give Me One Reason” have become anthems for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Queen Latifah
While primarily known as a rapper and actress, Queen Latifah is also a talented singer. Though not publicly stating her sexual orientation, she has been a positive role model for many.
Peaches
Canadian artist Peaches (Merrill Nisker) is an electroclash icon. Known for outrageous live shows and a blend of punk, electronic music, and theatrics.
King Princess
Rising star in the music industry known for her unique blend of pop, rock, and R&B. Openly lesbian and her music often explores themes of queer love and identity.
St. Vincent
St. Vincent (real name Annie Clark) art-rock music and theatrical performances challenge traditional gender norms and identifies as queer.
Melissa Etheridge
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her powerful rock anthems. Came out as a lesbian in the early 1990s and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights ever since.
k.d. lang
Canadian singer-songwriter known for her distinctive voice and openness about her sexuality.
Tegan and Sara
Twin sister duo known for their catchy pop songs and exploration of LGBTQIA+ themes in their music.
Brandi Carlile
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for her powerful vocals and Americana sound.
Lesley Gore
Known for her iconic song “It’s My Party” and later came out as a lesbian activist.
Jojo Siwa
Joelle Joanie “JoJo” Siwa is an American singer, dancer, actress and internet personality.
Jean Deaux
Rising star known for her genre-bending music that mixes hip-hop, soul, and electronic influences.
Hayley Kiyoko
A singer, songwriter, and actress, Kiyoko is often referred to as “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans for her unapologetic representation of queer identity in her music videos and lyrics.
Betty Who
Pop singer Betty Who is known for her bright and bubbly music.
Writing/Literature
Audre Lorde
Influential African American poet, essayist, and activist whose work explored themes of race, gender, sexuality, and class.
Adrienne Rich
Pioneering feminist poet and essayist who wrote extensively about gender, sexuality, and social justice. While there is debate about her sexual orientation, she was in a committed relationship with another woman for most of her life.
Virginia Woolf
An English writer known for her modernist novels, including “Mrs. Dalloway” and “Orlando.” Woolf had relationships with women throughout her life and is often discussed within the context of LGBTQIA+ literature.
Jeanette Winterson
A British author known for her novels such as “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit” and “Written on the Body.” Winterson’s writing often delves into themes of love, sexuality, and identity, drawing from her own experiences as a lesbian woman.
Radclyffe Hall
A British author best known for her novel “The Well of Loneliness,” which was published in 1928 and is considered a landmark work in lesbian literature. Despite facing censorship and controversy upon its release, the novel has since been recognized for its portrayal of lesbian identity.
Alison Bechdel
A cartoonist and graphic memoirist known for her autobiographical comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For” and her graphic memoir “Fun Home,” which explores her relationship with her father and her own coming out as a lesbian.
Lauren Morelli
An American television writer and producer known for her work on the series “Orange Is the New Black.” Morelli, who came out as a lesbian while working on the show, has been praised for her portrayal of LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships in the series.
Liz Feldman
An American television writer and producer known for creating the Netflix series “Dead to Me.”
Science
Sally Ride
An astronaut and physicist, Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983. She was also a passionate advocate for science education.
Chien-Shiung Wu
A Chinese-American experimental physicist, Wu made significant contributions to the Manhattan Project during World War II and later conducted groundbreaking research in nuclear physics.
Nettie Stevens
An American cytologist who discovered the XX/XY chromosome system of sex determination in 1905.
Barbara McClintock
A pioneering geneticist, McClintock won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of genetic transposition.
Vera Rubin
An American astronomer who specialized in galaxy rotation curves and dark matter. Her work helped to establish the existence of dark matter in the universe.
Evelyn Boyd Granville
A mathematician who worked as a computer programmer for NASA, Granville made significant contributions to the Apollo space program and later worked in academia.
Nancy Wexler
An American neurogeneticist who co-founded the Hereditary Disease Foundation (HDF) and played a key role in identifying the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Rosalind Franklin
Franklin was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was critical to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite.
Sports
Megan Rapinoe
A household name, Megan Rapinoe is a two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist with the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). She is a outspoken advocate for social justice issues like equal pay for women athletes and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Marta Vieira da Silva
The Brazilian forward Marta is a five-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year. She is considered one of the greatest female soccer players of all time.
Sue Bird
Point guard Sue Bird is a four-time WNBA champion, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. She has been with her partner Megan Rapinoe since 2016.
Amanda Nunes
UFC fighter Amanda Nunes is a two-division champion. She is married to fellow UFC fighter Nina Nunes.
Nicola Adams
A retired British boxer, Adams made history as the first openly LGBTQIA+ person to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.
Billie Jean King
A tennis legend, King won 39 Grand Slam titles and was instrumental in the fight for gender equality in tennis. She came out publicly as gay in 1981.
Martina Navratilova
Another tennis icon, Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 Grand Slam doubles titles. She came out as bisexual in 1981 and later identified as a lesbian.
Liz Carmouche
A former mixed martial artist, Carmouche was one of the first openly gay fighters in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
Politics
Kathy Kozakachenko
The first out lesbian elected to any political office in the United States (1974).
Johanna Sigurðardóttir
A former Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigurðardóttir was the world’s first openly lesbian head of government. She served as Prime Minister from 2009 to 2013.
Ana Brnabić
Ana Brnabić is the Prime Minister of Serbia and the first openly gay person to hold the position in Serbia.
Sophie Wilmès
A Belgian politician, Wilmès served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2019 to 2020, making her the first woman to hold the position in Belgium.
Eva-Britt Svensson
A Swedish politician, Svensson served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2014.
Claudia López Hernández
Claudia López is the Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, and the first woman and first openly gay person to hold the position.
Annise Parker
Parker served as the Mayor of Houston, Texas, from 2010 to 2016, making her the first openly lesbian mayor of a major U.S. city.
Penny Wong
A prominent Australian politician, Wong has been a Senator for South Australia since 2002 and has served in various ministerial roles.
Simone Bell
A former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Bell was the first openly lesbian African American woman elected to a state legislature in the United States.
Michèle Pierre-Louis
Haitian politician who was Prime Minister of Haiti from September 2008 to November 2009.
