Our Policy Officer, Eleanor, on lesbian joy, and the importance of our LGBTQIA+ family and kinship…

There is much joy to be found in queer friendships. Growing up, I knew very few LGBTQIA+ people and definitely no ‘out’ or visible lesbian women. My journey has seen me grow up, and in to, queerer friendship circles – and I have grown into my queerness too. I’ve grown in to being visible – reaching a point where I feel, not just accepting of myself as a lesbian woman, but able to see beauty and feel great pride in that.

My queer friendships have been instrumental in helping me grow. Being around other lesbian women has brought connection, a sense of belonging, emotional support, and love.

These feelings of worth, understanding and belonging have not just come from lesbians. My network of queer friends include folk from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and the solidarity and support we give to each other makes us so much stronger. The depth of this support, and the importance of these friendships, means that I consider them not just friends, but my queer family, something that I know a lot of LGBTQIA+ people experience.

Equality Network is exploring how these important relationships, our chosen, LGBTQIA+ family, support us, and how policy might reflect this. We want to ensure that these relationships are considered where it matters. We began our Kinship project this year.

Recently we have been looking at support and what that means to lesbian and bi women. Responses have revealed themes of building confidence, solidarity, healing, and representation:

“Having other queer women around definitely help me build a sense of identity, solidarity and we all fought for visibility together.”

“I think support networks are important for anyone but especially for groups that have experienced discrimination of any form.”

“Friendship groups are really important to me, and I feel most at home with other queer women.”

“My queer friends have helped me grow and heal as a person. They support me to learn about myself and deal with tough times.”

We’re going to work with the experiences we gather through surveys, workshops, meet ups and focus groups to ensure that these support networks are visible. It’s crucial LGBTQIA+ women, and the ways in which we support each other, are not only reflected in policy but also celebrated.

Happy #LesbianVisibilityWeek!