KENRIC
is the longest-running social group for lesbians in London and the South East. They offer a variety of social events both online and face to face.
This post was originally written to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week, but we’re aiming to keep this resource up to date all year-round.
It’s vital that as a community we uplift and support queer women from all communities and backgrounds.
what do we mean by lesbian community?:
When we use the term ‘lesbian community,’ we’re primarily talking about women who have a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards other women. However, many trans and non-binary people also identify with the term and we want to reflect this. In 2021, the lesbian community made up 17% of the young people supported by akt.
lesbianism throughout history:
Throughout history, there have been many times that both the lesbian community and their achievements have been overlooked.
This includes:
- During the late 19th century, when being gay was illegal, lesbians were never explicitly targeted by any legislation regarding homosexual sex. This is because their identity was not seen as valid.
- The tendency for lesbians and their relationships in history to be ignored, removed, or edited in academia, and other sources. An example of this includes the poems and love letters Emily Dickinson wrote to Susan Gilbert, which are often recognised as being platonic – although many historians and members of the LGBTQ+ community think otherwise.
- The way lesbian activist Stormé DeLarverie, who’s scuffle with police is recognised by eyewitnesses as sparking the Stonewall riots, is often left unacknowledged in history books.
For this reason, we understand why a sense of community can be especially important for lesbians and other historically marginalised groups.
Lesbian social groups do exist in the UK and Northern Ireland, and here at akt, we believe they should all strive to be inclusive.
