Lesbian, bi and queer media unite to send a message of solidarity to the trans community
BY DIVA STAFF
Following further vitriolic attacks on trans people in our media, the world’s leading publications for lesbians are coming together to send an unapologetic message of support and solidarity to the trans community.
DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg, Lez Spread The Word, DapperQ, GO Magazine and LezWatch.TV believe that trans women are women and that trans people belong in our community. We do not think supporting trans women erases our lesbian identities; rather we are enriched by trans friends and lovers, parents, children, colleagues and siblings.
We strongly condemn writers and editors who seek to foster division and hate within the LGBTQI community with trans misogynistic content, and who believe “lesbian” is an identity for them alone to define. We condemn male-owned media companies who profit from the traffic generated by these controversies.
We also strongly condemn the current narrative peddled by some feminists, painting trans people as bullies and aggressors – one which reinforces transphobia and which must be challenged so that feminism can move forward.
We are really concerned about the message these so-called lesbian publications are sending to trans women and to young lesbians – including trans lesbians – and we want to make in clear this is not in our name.
As the leading publications for queer women, we believe it is our responsibility to call out scaremongering conspiracy theories levelled at the trans community, and make it clear that DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg, Lez Spread The Word, DapperQ, GO Magazine and LezWatch.TV will always be safe spaces for the trans community.
Forty years ago, to be a lesbian was to be questioned and persecuted. Today things are better for cis lesbians but there are still places where to be a lesbian is impossible.
So it is for trans men and women, as well as non-binary people, many of whom identify as lesbian, bisexual, gay or queer. We know something of these struggles. And just as they and other allies have supported us, so we must support those among us who are trans, or risk ending up on the wrong side of history.
The sooner we stop focussing on what divides us and instead focus on our commonalities, the stronger we will be to confront the other injustices imposed on us.
We won’t be divided.
Signed…
Carrie Lyell
Editor, DIVA magazine
Linda Riley
Publisher, DIVA magazine
Riese Bernard
Co-founder and editor-in-chief, Autostraddle
Merryn Johns
Editor, Curve
Silke Bader
Publisher, Curve and LOTL
Eboné F. Bell
Editor-in-chief, Tagg Magazine
Florence Gagnon
Founder and publisher, Lez Spread The Word
Anita Dolce Vita
Editor-in-chief, DapperQ
Amy Lesser
Editor-in-chief, GO Magazine
Dayna Troisi and Corinne Werder
Co-managing editors, GO Magazine
Zara Barrie
Senior writer, GO Magazine
Mika A. Epstein
Co-founder and co-editor-in-chief, LezWatch.TV
Tracy Levesque
Co-founder and co-editor-in-chief, LezWatch.TV
UPDATE: This article was updated on Friday 21 December to include new signatories DapperQ and GO Magazine
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Thank you for your editorial. I agonized over who or what I was for most of my life, and finally realized where I fit. As a trans woman I had NO choice as to my sexual preferences and little opportunity to express them. I’m old now, it may be too late for me, but I hope it will give hope to someone who struggles as I did.