by Joe Siegel

More than 60 events were held April 21-28, 2024, to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW), organized by the Curve Foundation. The theme of this year’s event was United, Not Uniform.

A Women’s History Celebration was held in Milwaukee on April 21. Provincetown Town Hall was lit up in the colors of the Lesbian flag on April 22. San Francisco City Hall and West Hollywood also illuminated buildings to recognize LVW. Lesbian flags flew from city halls as well.

There were four “Beyond the Rainbow” panel discussions. One included a Native American Healing Water ceremony, followed by a forum featuring two-spirit individuals.

One forum entitled “Out on the Air” focused on the challenges faced by queer women in broadcast journalism. Another was a Non-Profit Women of Color in Lesbian Space panel.

In addition, the critically acclaimed documentary “Ahead of the Curve” was released on Netflix. It documents the launch of Curve, the “best-selling lesbian magazine ever published” and features an interview with the publication’s founder Franco Stevens.

LVW was also recognized in the United Kingdom, with events at the London Stock Exchange and Parliament.

“This year they lit up the BT Tower, which is one of the most prominent buildings in London, with the words Happy Lesbian Visibility Week 2024,” Stevens said.

Lesbian Visibility Day began in 2008. The event expanded after a conversation Stevens had in 2020 with Linda Riley, the editor and publisher of London-based DIVA magazine. Riley concluded 24 hours wasn’t enough time to recognize the diversity in the community.

Stevens said Curve has been giving back to the community through the Curve Foundation. The magazine is now a non-profit division of the foundation.

“We’re the only national non-profit that is focused on queer women and non-binary peoples, culture, and stories through an intergenerational lens,” Stevens said. “We’ve archived the 30 years of Curve magazine, we’re continuing to put out a digital publication, we fund journalists through a project through NLGJA (the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists), the Curve Award for Emerging Journalists,” Stevens continued. “We create community engagements that connect the queer women and non-binaries people’s communities.”

The Curve Award for Emerging Journalists provides financial support to emerging journalists whose work fosters fair and accurate coverage and elevates the voices of LGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary people. The award is open to lesbians, queer women, trans women and nonbinary people. Applicants may nominate themselves or be nominated by another individual. Applicants do not need to be a member of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists to apply.

The event happened due to a robust, grassroots activation through the Curve community, which is a Facebook group for women and allies. Members held events in their own communities. Proclamations were created and presented to city and town officials for sharing.

“It was really well-received,” Stevens added. “LVW is inclusive. Just because it has the word ‘lesbian’ on it, we’re really inclusive intentionally — the trans community, non-binary people, women of color, disabled people. The members of our community aren’t just one thing.” 

Sponsors included the London Stock Exchange Group, Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Deloitte, GLAAD, Out and Equal, Paramount, Kantar, Wolfe, Frameline, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality Florida, and GLBT Historical Society.

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Volume 26
Issue 2