International Lesbian Day: Making Room for Every Kind of Lesbian Life

International Lesbian Day is a chance to celebrate lesbian lives, histories, relationships, creativity and community. It can also be a day to notice how narrow other people's ideas of lesbian identity can become.

There is no single way to look, love, dress, build a family, relate to gender or move through the world as a lesbian. Trans lesbians belong. Non-binary lesbians belong. Disabled lesbians, Black lesbians, lesbians of colour, older lesbians, younger lesbians and lesbians of every faith and class belong.

Visibility can be joyful and complicated

Some lesbians feel deeply connected to the word. Others arrive at it slowly, return to it later or hold it alongside words such as queer. Some are out everywhere; some protect their privacy. A healthy community makes room for these differences without creating a test of authenticity.

• Celebrate lesbian friendship and chosen family, not only romantic relationships.

• Notice whose stories are missing from events, media and services.

• Challenge the idea that lesbian identity is outdated, exclusive or easy to define from the outside.

• Create spaces where trans and non-binary lesbians are explicitly welcomed.

• Make room for joy without denying the impact of discrimination and isolation.

Care that understands context

Mental health support should not reduce every difficulty to sexuality, but it should understand how identity, relationships, safety and community shape wellbeing. Nobody should have to teach their therapist the basics before the real conversation can begin.

At Be/Here, our queer therapists bring additional specialist training alongside clinical experience. We offer a place to talk about identity, grief, relationships, burnout, trauma, joy or anything else that matters to you.

Learn more about therapy with Be/Here.