DIVA delves into the sapphic origins that created the celebration of LGBTQIA+ rights
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY GETTY
If I asked you to picture a Pride celebration, I can probably guess what comes to mind: rainbow flags waving in the summer air, glitter and feather boas covering the streets, Kylie Minogue blasting from a float – and a whole lot of gay men.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Pride is, after all, for everyone under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. But let’s be honest: too often, lesbian, bisexual and queer women can feel sidelined.
In fact, a study by dating app HER found that 31% of LGBTQIA+ women don’t feel safe at Pride. Even among those living in cities where Pride events take place, only 40% said they would actually attend.
While initiatives like the Women’s Stage at London Pride and grassroots movements like the London Dyke March are working to reclaim space for LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people, the reality is: we still have a long way to go before Pride feels like home for all of us.
But here’s the thing: queer women have always been a part of Pride. In fact, we helped build it.
Pride was born from rebellion — and queer women were on the front lines
The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 is widely recognised as the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. And at the heart of that resistance were lesbians and gender-nonconforming people, including Stormé DeLarverie – a butch lesbian and drag king – who is often credited with throwing the first punch against police during the raid on the Stonewall Inn.
One year later, in 1970, bisexual activist Brenda Howard took that energy and turned it into action. She led the organisation of the first-ever Pride march, then called Christopher Street Liberation Day, in New York City. Known as the “Mother of Pride,” Brenda laid the groundwork for what would become a global movement.
Across the Atlantic, queer women were doing the same
In the UK, groups like the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) emerged in the early 1970s – and while the history books often spotlight the men, lesbians were just as crucial to the fight.
Take Jackie Forster, a journalist and co-founder of the lesbian magazine Sappho, who marched proudly and visibly at early London Pride events. Or Maureen Duffy, one of the first public figures in the UK to come out as a lesbian. And Lisa Power, a lesbian activist and co-founder of Stonewall UK, who has spent decades fighting for queer visibility and inclusion in Pride spaces.
These women didn’t just show up. They made Pride possible.
Our Pride, our history
Pride has always been a protest, a party, and a powerful act of presence. For lesbian and bisexual women, it was – and still is – a declaration that we belong. That we built this.
So next time you hear the thunderous roar of the Dykes on Bikes, or see a group of sapphics marching with handmade signs, remember: this is our history too.
Put on your glitter. Paint a rainbow on your cheeks. And take up space – because Pride wouldn’t be what it is without you.
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