Catherine Riley writes about the way Stonewall is advocating for LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people in 2026
IMAGE BY STONEWALL
You’ve probably heard of Stonewall. I had, when I applied for my job. I knew the organisation had been around for a long time, and I knew the name had radical roots: taken from the Stonewall riots in New York, the start of the US LGBTQIA+ fightback against police brutality, political erasure and social exclusion. I vaguely knew that Stonewall in the UK had been around as long as I could remember (since I was 12, in fact) and that it had helped push for the repeal of Section 28, the rights of LGBTQIA+ couples to adopt, and for same-sex marriage. Its work has given me the life I have. And now my life is about being part of that work. I feel crazy lucky to be where I am.
Stonewall has, without doubt, changed history, but its focus now is firmly on creating a future where everybody, everywhere, has equal rights. That isn’t just a snappy comms soundbite: it’s a vision that requires relentless optimism, original thinking and a great deal of hard work. The political climate is turbulent, and it is easy to see how hard-won rights might be rolled back as the rhetoric of exclusion and othering (re)enters public discourse. Caution and fear are understandable when the latest statistics from the Home Office show there were more than 18,000 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and over 2,500 trans related hate crimes in 2024. Little wonder that more than 50 per cent of LGBTQIA+ people are frightened to hold their partner’s hand in public.
For LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people, the overlaying of misogyny and sexism onto homophobia, biphobia and transphobia can feel exhausting… and enraging. Lesbian, bi+ and trans women live their lives in – and in resistance to – a culture in which endemic male violence has deep roots, and a history of resistance to calling out, contestation and criminal convictions. Today, nearly a third of women have experienced domestic abuse, and a quarter are victims of sexual assault or attempted assault. As the old slogan goes, “I can’t believe we still have to protest this shit”. Even more than that, I can’t believe we have to survive this shit.
But there is power in community. Change always comes when we stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends and allies, calling out inequality and injustice and pushing for change. Stonewall’s current work to make anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime an aggravated offence, to end conversion practices and to secure justice for veterans unfairly forced out of the military is supported by, and supports, our friends in the DIVA Charitable Trust and DIVA magazine community.
We’ll be there throughout Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW), helping amplify the noise around seven days of putting LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people front and centre, in all their glorious diversity: from family-makers to rugby players to policy-changers. We work better when we work together, and we’re really proud to be included in so many LVW events this year.
And of course, it’s not all work. There’s some play, too. We’ll be busy all week getting LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people up and active as part of our Rainbow Laces campaign – join in by buying your own rainbow laces online, helping make belonging visible however you choose to move your body. And once the glamour – and the hangover – of this year’s DIVA awards is over, we’ll be partying with you again at our summer celebration on 6 July at The Ministry, Borough – the final event of London Pride weekend. Hopefully we’ll see lots of you there: we reckon it’s going to be a riot…
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com
