As we approach our 30th birthday, we take a look back at our legacy
BY ELLA GAUCI
It’s 1994. It’s there. There have been whispers in your local gay bar that there’s a new queer magazine on the block. A whole magazine dedicated to lesbians? Seems unlikely. After all, Section 28 is still well and truly thriving, LGBTQIA people can’t serve in the army, and you can’t tie the knot with your girlfriend. But sure enough, there it is.
There’s a woman smirking back at you when you go a little closer to the magazine stand. She’s got a top hat on, a glinting nose piercing, and she’s promising you one thing – this is where you belong.
With 2024 on the horizon, DIVA’s birthday is coming up. We’re turning 30! For the last three decades we have been sharing the stories of the LGBTQIA community, fighting against injustices, and also giving the odd sex tip here and there.
We’ve seen a lot of change in our time: the army ban on LGBTQIA citizens was lifted, Section 28 was repealed, same-sex couples finally got granted the right to marry, the trans community was included in the Equality Act, and more recently we saw the World Health Organisation declassify being trans as a mental health issue. And for every one of those events, we’ve been right beside you.
As we move into 2024, and subsequently into 30 years of DIVA magazine, it’s important to remember that the fight isn’t over. Lesbians across the world are still unable to marry, have children, or hold their partner’s hand in the street. The Conservative Party have doubled down on their transphobic rhetoric. Bisexual women are still invisible and underrepresented even within the LGBTQIA community. Stonewall’s new report in collaboration with Yasmin Benoit shows the shocking treatment asexual people face in medical and professional environments. Intersex and asexual people are still not included in the Equality Act.
We need your help to keep queer voices in the equation. That smirking woman in a top hat is not gone. Her spirit is still within us all, reminding us that we can never forget how far we’ve come but also how far we have to go.
So… what are you waiting for? Get yours today: divadirect.info/subs/
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.