#AMPLIFY Lesbian Visibility Day with 59 Lesbian Voices from Western PA

Lesbian Day of Visibility

Today is the day we celebrate the lesbians in our lives – Lesbian Visibility Day. According to Wikipedia. I’ve been diligently trying to track down other sources for this so-called visibility day that started in 2008, but I’ve had little in the way of luck. Google seems to indicate it has not been ‘a thing’ for several years.

I am not a lesbian who bemoans the loss of lesbian cultural touchstones (often bars) because I find it wonderful to have all these sober choices and more visibility for a nuanced understanding of  sexual orientation and gender identity. Perhaps my status as an adult child and someone who came out in my late twenties after I had left bar life behind me impacts my response to equating lesbian bar culture with lesbian culture. I was never part of that culture so I don’t miss it per se.

My fear about this visibility day is that it may be grounded more in radical feminism of the TERF variant which excludes most of my friends than in a celebration that includes all lesbian voices. And even having been TERFed, I worry that I’ll be perceived or be propping up those folks whose views are abhorrent to me.

Cindy Rizzo has a piece on Medium exploring that issue and many reasons why we should celebrate lesbian visibility all of the time.

That being said, I identify as a lesbian and place incredible value on the preservation of our history AND the redefining of our roles in today’s culture. And I believe in including all of the lesbian voices in this project. As you browse through the list below, give some thought to the rich variety of experiences and contributions these women have to offer.

Lesbians have been front and center in the AMPLIFY project, sharing their experiences across a 50 year time span. Here are 59 stories about lesbian culture in Western Pennsylvania, ranging from women in their early 70’s to their early 20’s.

  1. Marcia, 58, is Cisgender, Lesbian & Slightly Gender Nonconforming
  2. Wendi, 31, Describes Being a Trans Ally in Her Workplace
  3. Regina, 33, Finds Comfort in Lesbian Ambiguity
  4. Emily, 40, Talks About LGBTQ Visibility, Intersectionality & Resiliency 
  5. Shari, 57, Wants More Inclusivity & Power for QTPOC
  6. Laura, 44, is a Lesbian Mom in Fayette County 
  7. Emma, 28, Keeps Her Queer Eyes Open in Pittsburgh
  8. Morgan, 21, Hasn’t Met Other Openly Gay Suburban Couples 
  9. Hayley, 46, Wants To Keep That Pride Feeling Year Round
  10. Cheryl, 42, Wants Us To See Everyone in the LGBTQ Community
  11. Eileen, 52, Reflects on the Awakening of Her LGBTQ Community
  12. Rach, 36, Loves a Girl in Armstrong County
  13. Kay, 27: Not Ashamed of the Reality of Me
  14. Heidi, 28, Learned That It’s Okay To Be A LGBT Christian
  15. Camellia, 30, is a Lesbian, Soon-to-be Wife, and Momma 
  16. Patricia, 41, Does Not Feel Safe as a Trans Woman in Her Urban Pgh Suburb
  17. Mariah, 38, Wants More Support for Westmoreland LGBTQ Neighbors 
  18. Lisa Believes Being Out and Honest is ‘Like Flying’
  19. Sara, 28, Single Mom, Agnostic Jew, and Queer in Ohio
  20. Diane, 56, Is Asexual With Lesbian Leanings and a Writer
  21. Pixie, 26, is Androgynous, Non-binary, Genderqueer and Lesbian, But Identifies as Pixie
  22. Jill, 49, Wants Young LGBTQ People To Have a Safe Place to Go In Cambria County
  23. Dani Janae, 23, Identifies as a Black Femme Lesbian Poet & Trauma Survivor
  24. For Jodi’s Kids, Having Two Mothers Is Just a Fact of Life
  25. Char, 62, is a “Very Late Bloomer” Lesbian in Cambria County
  26. Kim, 44, Say She Lost Her Job in Beaver County Because She’s a Lesbian
  27. Alissa, 34, is Just Another Girl in the Crowd in Lawrence County
  28. KK Compares Small Town Michigan to Pittsburgh
  29. De, 49, is Concerned About LGBTQ Youth in Rural Western PA
  30. Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a Gender Fluid Child
  31. As a Lesbian, Shelly Values Her Ties to Rural Indiana County
  32. Gloria a Happy Black Lesbian
  33. Sara, 35, On Her Reality as a Lesbian in Western Pennsylvania 
  34. Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist
  35. Kathi Wants To Connect with LGBTQ Elders in Rural Communities
  36. Casey, 38, Honors One Year Since Coming Out As a Gay Woman
  37. Mair, 55, Came Out the Same Week As Ellen DeGeneres #AMPLIFY
  38. Shaquanna Wants Families to Have Positive Conversations With LGBTQ Relatives
  39. Jess is a Lesbian Mother Who Wants More Family Friendly Resources
  40. Saintly Sinner is a Cisgender Lesbi Not So Flexible Black Biological Womyn
  41. Jaime From The ReelQ Film Festival Says Yep I’m Gay
  42. Taylor Wants More LGBTQ Resources and Community Unity #AMPLIFY
  43. Alexandria is a Lesbian Artist Trying To Get Her Bearings
  44. Maria Wants You To Know a Family Like Hers #AMPLIFY
  45. Shawna on Her Unique Experience as a Lesbian in Indiana County #AMPLIFY
  46. For Kristina, Being Out is Her Normal
  47. Bee Asks Where Single Parents Fit Into the LGBTQ Community
  48. Jessi is a Trans Lesbian Who Asks Questions
  49. Vic Lives Closeted in Westmoreland County
  50. Kayden Wants to Be Safe Holding Her Partner’s Hand in Pittsburgh
  51. Cindy Has Been Fundraising for the GLCC for 14 Years
  52. Carmen is a Queer Black Womyn From Pittsburgh
  53. Amber Has Always Been Proud of Being OUT
  54. Shell is Proud of the Positive Impact of Pittsburgh Black Pride
  55. Skip Believes The Act of Coming Out Is a Continuous Process
  56. Jan Offers an Older Perspective on LGBTQ Pittsburgh
  57. Meg Is a Country Queer
  58. kelly emphasizes that ‘gay is not the totality of me’
  59. Joyce Believes Tolerance Is Not Acceptance

If you appreciate this post and others like it, please donate to the AMPLIFY project!


To learn more about the AMPLIFY project, visit our page and consider sharing your story from wherever you are on the LGBTQ spectrum.

 

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