Lesbian Visibility Day has existed since 2008 (and this year falls on Sunday 26th April), but for the first time this year the event has been extended to a whole week, which aims both to celebrate lesbian women and show solidarity with women throughout the LGBTQ+ community. As a result, here at The Edge we wanted to celebrate some of our favourite LGBTQ+ women across the entertainment industry who have been fantastic role models.
Lynn Gunn
Lynn Gunn is the frontwoman for electro-rock band PVRIS – she is an amazing artist that is not scared to be open with her sexuality. This is powerful especially in a world where people are still trying to become comfortable in their sexuality. In an old interview with BBC Newsbeat Lynn said “I never had someone to look up to and be like ‘oh that person is OK and they’re gay.’ If I can be that for someone then it’s why I’m open about it.” She is an amazing representative of queer power and her music speaks volumes. PVRIS create music that is constantly evolving and has a rare distinct sound, and many of their songs are genderless, making it perfect for every single listener. In PVRIS’s music videos Lynn also has a female love interest; this is amazing in a world where most music videos only really showcase heterosexual relationships.
– Morgan McMillan
Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin is an American actress, writer, comedian and producer, and has most recently starred as Frankie Bergstein in the Netflix show Grace and Frankie.
In Tomlin’s wide-spanning career, she has achieved many notable appearances. In the first film she appeared in, performing as Linnea Reese in Nashville, she received awards and nominations from the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
Her film appearances are significant as they span over many years, and it’s clear her talent never dies. Alongside Nashville, she has appeared in 9 to 5 (1980), Flirting with Disaster (1996) and Grandma (2015), and many, many more.
Tomlin’s sexuality has never been something she has hidden, but she has previously commented on some journalists’ reluctancy to mention it in interviews. She married her wife Jane Wagner in 2013, after being together for 42 years.
Tomlin is worth celebrating for her numerous achievements and awards over the years, which have all come from hard work and impeccable talent. In Grace and Frankie especially, her performance was incredibly heart-warming and millions around the world fell in love with the character she depicted.
– Georgie Holmes
Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch, famous for her iconic role as Sue Sylvester in Glee, is openly lesbian and proud. In 2010, she married wife Lara Embry – ironically the same year Sue married herself, in her unforgettable half-and-half tracksuit. In an interview with People Magazine, Lynch confessed she felt “It was almost like I had a disease I had been diagnosed. I had a journal and I remember I wrote, ‘I am gay. No one can ever know this.’ And I went four blocks away and threw it out in somebody else’s garbage”. This fear and secrecy is a feeling many become overwhelmed with when coming to terms with their sexuality, and speaking out on this is just one of the reasons why Lynch should be honoured for the first ever Lesbian Visibility Week. Obviously, her unforgettable role as Sue in Glee deserves many awards too, making Lynch even more important to honour.
– Maddie Lock
Find out more about Lesbian Visibility Week here.
