Mark's Blog

Lesbian Visibility Week began on 25 April and ends on 2 May. It’s quite easy to miss, there’s not the ‘hoo-hah’ of other events, and in the UK at least, it’s still relatively low key.

In writing this, my aim is both to celebrate lesbians and show solidarity with all LGBT+ people and non-binary people in our community. It is Lesbian Visability Week though, so I’m focussing this blog on the reason we need to have this awareness week and how we can all be allies.

It is not just the responsibility of lesbians to strive to establish an inclusive work culture. If we are serious about this stuff, and we want to create an environment where every individual is accepted without exception, it is important that everyone participates in achieving this.

Allies do not need to be experts in all issues relating to lesbians or feel they have achieved a deep understanding of the challenges lesbians may face. Allies are people who believe that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, are to be treated with dignity and respect. Allies are willing to embark on a journey towards becoming agents of change.

I try to be an ally. I didn’t know that term until a few years ago, in the context of being and ally for/to the lesbian and LGBT+ community.

It only takes a minute out of our day to do a bit of ‘googling’ or reading about the issues that lesbians and queer women face. This is some of the stuff that I found…

...about the realities of being a lesbian so that you feel informed and can be supportive. Educate yourself with regard to the wider LGBT+ community and history as this is empowering and can equip you with the knowledge required to engage in relevant discussions and disseminate what you have learned.

...and engage warmly with people without fear of doing something wrong as this creates distance.

...by raising inclusion topics at staff meetings and being aware of important LGBT+ celebrations, such as, LGBT History Month (February), Lesbian Visibility Week (now), LGBT Pride Month (June), Transgender Awareness Week (second week of November).

...by using signals, such as displaying the LGBT+ rainbow flag on our workspace. This way we are showcasing your acceptance and support.

For allies and everyone else, it is a chance to educate ourselves on the misinformation, lack of representation, and oppression that sadly still exists for those who identify as a lesbian.

As an ally, you are not expected to act as a professional counsellor. However it is important to listen to your colleagues and be aware of the experiences they are willing to share, and the barriers they may be facing. You may not feel that you understand all the issues, but be available to offer support when you can.

Just because someone has come out to you as lesbian, this does not mean they are out to everyone. People’s sexual orientation is a private matter and should only be discussed with their permission.

Not all lesbians have the same experiences or face the same challenges. Be mindful of the fact that people may suffer multiple levels of discrimination based on a range of background characteristics, including ethnicity, disability, mental health and others.

...homophobic, biphobic and transphobic behaviours and attitudes, including slurs disguised as harmless banter, and negative or abusive language towards LGBT+ people.

As many of you know, one of the things that I constantly ‘go on’ about is making sure that P3 is a place where you can be your whole authentic self, creating unity and lifting up those who are most marginalised.

This has been the backbone of P3—the diversity we have in all its various forms—and should continue to be something we are all involved in promoting.