This LVW, we take a look back at the revolutionary actions of lesbians in the 80s and 90s
BY HEBE HANCOCK, IMAGE VIA YOUTUBE (BBC)
Marriage equality might feel like a staple of queer rights now, but let’s not forget – it’s a relatively recent win. Before the confetti and registrars, lesbians were busy fighting battles that weren’t glamorous, weren’t headline-grabbing and definitely weren’t cake-tasting.
From custody courts to health clinics, the 80s and 90s were a time of quietly radical change, led by lesbians who refused to accept invisibility as their default setting. So this Lesbian Visibility Week, we’re looking back at the women who made visibility happen—long before we had the language (or the Instagram filters) for it.
The lesbians who showed up (Even when no one was looking)
Let’s be real: mainstream media in the 80s barely acknowledged lesbians existed. And when they did, it was usually via tragic storylines or unflattering stereotypes. Meanwhile, the AIDS crisis dominated public attention – rightly so – but with a glaring omission: the lesbians behind the scenes.
From nursing sick friends to running blood drives and community kitchens, lesbians were the backbone of grassroots AIDS activism. Groups like ACT UP and the wonderfully chaotic Lesbian Avengers weren’t just allies – they were frontline warriors. The Avengers, launched in NYC in 1992, brought lesbian visibility to the streets (sometimes literally – there was fire-eating involved).
Families without frameworks
Long before “chosen family” was a buzzword, it was a necessity. In the courts, lesbians had no legal rights to their partners – or their own children. In the US, custody rulings like Bottoms v. Bottoms (1993) saw lesbian mums lose their kids simply for being gay. In the UK, Section 28 (1988) banned local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality, pushing lesbian families even further into the shadows.
Still, lesbians fought back. UK campaigners launched full-blown resistance to Section 28 (including famously storming the BBC) while US groups like the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) started tackling issues like second-parent adoption and hospital visitation rights.
Workplaces, wardrobes, and “looking too gay”
Coming out in the office? Risky. Displaying a photo of your girlfriend? Career suicide. Without legal protections, lesbians were routinely fired or frozen out just for existing. Many kept their identities under wraps, edited their wardrobes, and carefully neutralised conversations to avoid suspicion. It was exhausting.
Campaigners like Stonewall (founded in 1989) started pushing back: hard. Their early work laid the groundwork for LGBTQIA workplace protections and inclusion policies we often take for granted today.
Health care that didn’t dare
A trip to the GP could mean anything from awkward assumptions (hello, “do you need contraception?”) to outright homophobia. Lesbian health was routinely overlooked in medical research, and most providers weren’t trained in LGBTQIA inclusive care. So, once again, lesbians created their own systems – setting up feminist-run clinics, self-published health zines, and community workshops.
Places like the Mabel Wadsworth Center in the US or the London Lesbian and Gay Centre became lifelines, offering judgment-free care and space to exist.
Intersectionality before it was trendy
Let’s not sugar-coat it – mainstream lesbian activism wasn’t always inclusive. Queer women of colour, working-class lesbians, disabled dykes and transmasc folks often had to fight twice as hard to be heard.
Thankfully, icons like Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy were already out there, demanding that visibility mean everyone gets seen – not just the most palatable.
The legacy lives on
Marriage equality may have been the headline victory of the 2000s, but without the fierce, funny, and deeply committed lesbians of the 80s and 90s, it wouldn’t have happened. They built the foundations – often unpaid, unsung, and under attack.
So as we celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week, let’s raise a toast (or a very strong coffee) to the women who fought to be visible when the world tried to erase them – and made damn sure we’d never go back in the closet again.
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