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) Since 2008 there has been a Lesbian Visibility Day but why have a day when you can have a whole week? Diva magazine felt the same way too, so that is exactly what we had from March 20-26, 2020. Part of Lesbian Visibility Week has been the publication of the Visible Lesbian 100. This highlights “women who have made great strides for the LGBTQ+ community”. The list covers a wide range of areas from sport to music, celebrity, influencers, politics and the business world. One of those included on the list is Kathy Caton from Brighton, the founder and managing director of Brighton Gin, who can be heard on BBC Radio Sussex and Radio Reverb. Kathy told Gscene that she is “absolutely chuffed to pieces” on being included on the list. Not only chuffed but also “pretty surprised, given the calibre of other women on the list”.
KATHY CATON
Talking about the Visible Lesbian 100, Kathy believes it is “a really carefully considered and put together list”. For her, an important element of the Visible Lesbian 100 is that it doesn’t just “praise and highlight media stars like Clare Balding, Sue Perkins and Brighton & Hove’s very own Heather Peace” but also covers different fields such as sports, politics and, in her case, business, recognising the importance of her work at Brighton Gin.
“I work in an industry that is and always has been massively male dominated, so by sheer virtue of being a female-run distillery, we're already unusual, and as far as I know, we're the only predominantly LGBTQ+ distillery that there is. I came out fairly late and it was an incredibly difficult process, personally and professionally. “I couldn't go back to the job I was doing at the time and it turned my entire life upside down. I really, really wish that as a younger person (sadly I was at school during Section 28) I could have seen many more visible role models, and see them leading successful, happy, fulfilling lives. That phrase that you cannot be what you cannot see resonates with me and I wish I'd been able to have those role models and see those visible women. I think it would have given me courage and impetus to be who I am sooner. “Basically, I'm unbelievably honoured and genuinely proud to be listed on it - and to show that lesbians and queer people can succeed in all fields, no matter how straight and male-dominated those industries might appear to be at first sight!” Also important to Kathy is that the list isn’t just dominated by a couple of areas of the UK. “It's also fantastic and really positive that they've looked all around the UK and not been purely London/Manchester centric - they've done a great job of it and it's been really thoroughly researched,” said Kathy. For more information about Brighton Gin, visit: www.brightongin.com To view the full Lesbian Visibility list, visit: www.lesbianvisibilityweek.com/visible-lesbian-100.html#/
DIVA UNVEILS LARGEST PIECE OF RESEARCH FOR LGBTQ+ WOMEN ) DIVA Media Group, the publishers of DIVA magazine, in partnership with The Advocate, have released the results of the inaugural Lesbian Visibility Week (which took place April 20-26, 2020) survey, the largest piece of research recognising, celebrating and supporting lesbian, non-binary lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer women across the UK and beyond. In partnership with Kantar, DIVA received over 1,400 responses to the survey, answering questions from a broad range of topics including lifestyle, identity, relationships, family, travel and financial topics. Key findings from this year’s survey include: Mental health: The results from this survey revealed that 43% suffer from stress and anxiety and 35% suffer from mental health related issues. While this survey was done prior to the Covid-19 crisis forcing lockdowns, DIVA is hearing directly from readers of all ages, who are struggling with isolation. They are certainly hearing early indications around the importance of inclusive health and well-being support. Safety: LGBTQ+ women feel safest at home, and report experiences of feeling anxious and unsafe in public spaces, partially resulting from past experiences. The workplace: Overall findings indicate that LGBTQ+ women face several struggles in the workplace, including not feeling emotionally supported at work, feeling ‘othered’ within the workplace culture, being surrounded by non-inclusive language and being a ‘minority within a minority’ within a male-dominated and heteronormative environment. Family: Among those with children, 36% claim to have experienced homophobia from other parents and 36% claim their children have been victims of homophobia due to their parents’ sexual orientation. LGBTQ+ Spaces: 79% of LGBTQ+ women feel that gay men have more visibility than they do. Many LGBTQ+ women feel that there are not enough events for them, with one in three
claiming that there are not enough LGBTQ+ events aimed at their interests and this was a barrier to them attending LGBTQ+ events. Coming out: The research shows generational shifts around coming of age and coming out. 52% of LGBTQ+ women came out aged 19 or older, while 29% came out aged under 18. Gender Identity: There are disparities between the experiences of transgender women and their cisgender counterparts across the themes explored, this was more apparent when asked about work and safety in public spaces. Linda Riley, publisher of DIVA magazine, said: “I’m delighted that DIVA Media Group has launched the inaugural Lesbian Visibility Week. The DIVA research really highlights the challenges that LGBTQ+ women face; feeling invisible and unsupported in key areas of their lives. A standout point in the research was finding out that 36% of LGBTQ+ parents told us that their children had been targeted with homophobic abuse which highlights just how much we still need to do to achieve equality – not just for ourselves but for our children too. LINDA RILEY
KATHY CATON NAMED IN VISIBLE LESBIAN 100 LIST
“I hope that Lesbian Visibility Week becomes an integral part of the LGBTQ+ calendar going forward, ensuring LGBTQ+ women remain a visible part of the LGBTQ+ community and receive the recognition and celebration we deserve.” Lesbian Visibility Week is a new annual global initiative launched by DIVA Media Group, recognising, celebrating and supporting lesbian, non-binary, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer women across the UK and beyond. To read the full survey, plus a visual survey summary, visit: www.dropbox.com/sh/4hvtllvtxusqkrx /AADevMAP-py-eIcezTjrIZSLa?dl=0 For more info about Lesbian Visibility Week, visit: www.lesbianvisibilityweek.com For more info about Diva, visit: www.divamag.co.uk
