Pride Was Built by Lesbians Too
For a long time, Pride in America became easy to recognize. Rainbow logos appeared in storefront windows. Banks changed their social media banners. Corporate floats rolled through downtown streets while influencers filmed videos beneath clouds of confetti. For a few weeks every June, queer visibility felt large, colorful, impossible to miss. But this year feels different. Across the country, many companies have grown quieter around Pride. Political pressure has intensified. Diversity initiatives are being scaled back. Public institutions that once enthusiastically embraced LGBTQ+ visibility now move more cautiously, carefully measuring risk in an increasingly polarized America. Also, Drag is an important part of LGBTQ+ culture, but it’s not the only part. Why aren’t more lesbian and queer women artists, musicians, writers, and performers being featured at Pride? And beneath all of that, another feeling has quietly emerged inside many lesbian+ and queer communities: fatigue.
And yet, I’ve often found myself wondering: Where are the lesbian and queer women on the stages at Pride events? Across New Mexico and beyond, lesbian and queer women are creating extraordinary art, writing books, making films, performing music, building businesses, organizing communities, and changing lives. Their work deserves to be seen, celebrated, and given a place on Pride stages too. That question—how do we create more visibility for lesbian and queer women’s voices and talents?—is one of the reasons I started LesbianEarth.
Not because anyone else’s story matters less. But because ours matter too. LesbianEarth exists to shine a light on the artists, writers, musicians, leaders, and everyday women who help make our community stronger. Through events, storytelling, artist spotlights, and community gatherings, we’re helping ensure that more of our voices are heard. Pride should be a celebration of all of us.
The more stories we tell, the more artists we showcase, and the more voices we lift up, the stronger our community becomes.
As we celebrate Pride this year, it’s worth asking a simple question: Do our Pride stages reflect the full diversity of our community? Alongside drag artists are lesbian and queer women musicians, poets, writers, filmmakers, comedians, visual artists, dancers, and performers whose voices also deserve to be seen and heard. If you’d like to see a broader range of talent represented at future Pride celebrations, consider letting your local Pride organizers know. Pride grows stronger when more members of our community have the opportunity to share their gifts, tell their stories, and take their place in the spotlight.
Want to support queer women doing the work?
📰 Subscribe to Your Lesbian World
🌐 Visit LesbianEarth.com
❤️ Support Lesbian+ and Queer Women businesses
🎉 Support Lesbian and Queer Women Events
❤️ Say yes to something rooted, real, and built by us
We don’t need permission to exist.
We just need each other.
With love and fire,
Your Lesbian World / LesbianEarth