This week, 25 April – 1 May, is Lesbian Visibility Week.  

You might not have heard about it until recently but there’s been a Lesbian Visibility Day since 2008. The aim is to recognise, celebrate and support LGBTQI women and non-binary people to be their true selves at work, at home and socially.

Part of this is starting conversations and listening to people’s experiences. Having talked to some of my colleagues, one of the messages was that for LGBTQ+ people, being open about their identities at work can have a positive impact on physical and emotional wellbeing. Being able to be ourselves is hugely important to everyone.  

Two questions in our recent firm-wide engagement survey went to the heart of this: people here are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation, and I can be myself around here. Happily, 96% and 85% of people agreed with these statements. 

Including LGBTQ+ topics as part of those little friendly chats we all have with our colleagues when making coffee, catching up on a Monday morning about what people did at the weekend and so on is important. It’s also great to share experiences, which could involve joining the various exciting and informative events being held online as part of Lesbian Visibility Week. These include a session on lesbian fashion history, a comedy night, and interviews with influential lesbians, all of which you can access here. 

My thanks to my colleague, Emilia Rose, for her help with this article.