Blythe del Kuzio

There are certain lesbian icons that pretty much anyone can identify: Edie Windsor, Melissa Ethridge, k.d. lang, Audre Lourde, and (for better or worse) Ellen. But there are so many other truly iconic lesbians across the worlds of entertainment, politics, and literature, going back centuries alongside those who are just emerging as public figures. To celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week, we’re spotlighting just a few of these incredible women, giving them the recognition and, well, the visibility they deserve. Check them out below, seek out their work, and make sure you raise a toast to salute them this week. Related Stories “The L Word” cast & creator join White House press briefing to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Week Out Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the show’s impact on generations of queer women “cannot be understated.” Jay Brooks/HBO Suranne Jones as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack Anne Lister Widely considered “the first modern lesbian,” Anne List...

A Texas school district canceled a planned student field trip to watch a children’s theater performance of James and the Giant Peach after a parent at a school board meeting complained about the play having actors play both male and female roles, something the parent called “drag.” The Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) in Houston canceled nine schools’ scheduled field trips to see Main Street Theaters’ performance of the play. The theater described the play as being appropriate for students in the first grade and above. Related Stories Students say Florida school play shut down over Don’t Say Gay The show was about how detrimental censorship is. “I don’t need to point out the irony,” said one student. SBISD didn’t offer any explanation to students’ parents about why the trip was canceled, KTRK-TV reported . When asked by the news station, SBISD wrote that the trips were “canceled due to concerns raised about the age-appropriateness of the performance.”...

As more LGBTQ+ people marry and have families, they’re welcoming a growing number of nonbinary, gender-neutral, and gender-expansive relatives. But the titles used for relatives tend to be old-fashioned and heavily gendered. If someone has nonbinary elders or children, for example, they may find themselves unsure about the best gender-neutral family terms for “uncle” and “aunt” or respectful gender-neutral words for “niece” and “nephew.” However, there are gender-neutral family terms for every branch in one’s family tree. Though some of the labels are instantly familiar and understandable — like “parent” or “sibling” — others may seem newer and less familiar — like “moppa” or “pibling.” People even make up new, unique terms for nonbinary and gender-neutral family members all the time to help describe the unique relationships they have with their relatives. While some of the newer family terms below may require a bit of explanation so others can understand them, using these terms r...

According to the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement and Research (CLEAR), LGBTQ+ people in the United States face many economic and financial disparities compared to their straight peers, often driven or exacerbated by experiences of discrimination. Existing research shows that LGBTQ+ people face consistently higher rates of poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and job discrimination, among other disparities. Those inequities are often even worse for transgender people and people of color. Related Stories Where are all the Bears? How fatphobia has erased bigger gay men from our TV & movie screens The effects of this erasure on queer viewers can be incredibly damaging. Yet a historical lack of data collection among these groups by the government and other organizations has contributed to a shortfall of empirical information regarding the financial health, well-being, access and security issues that face LGBTQ+ Americans. According to CLEAR, this limits public u...

In response to nothing, gay Rep. George Santos (R-NY) went on an anti-LGBTQ+ rant on Twitter about what he called the “Radical Rainbow Mafia.” “I will always stand up to the Radical rainbow mafia!” he wrote. “I believe in the freedom to live and let live but will never bow to the indoctrination of the Rainbow Mafia. My flag is the AMERICAN FLAG.” Related Stories Fox host calls George Santos a liar to his face when he lies about never having heard of OnlyFans He made a crude joke about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez having an OnlyFans in 2020. Now he’s saying he never heard of the platform. I will always stand up to the Radical rainbow mafia! I believe in the freedom to live and let live but will never bow to the indoctrination of the Rainbow Mafia. My flag is the AMERICAN FLAG. — George Santos (@Santos4Congress) April 26, 2023 Despite being the first out gay Republican elected to Congress, Santos has made it a point of pride to attack the rights of LGBTQ+ people. ...

David Gianforte, the nonbinary son of Montana’s Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, has been lobbying their father to oppose the legislature’s anti-trans bills. 32-year-old David’s conversation with the Montana Free Press was the first time they spoke publicly about their gender identity. They said it felt like their duty to speak up and use their influence as the state legislature contemplates three bills to ban gender-affirming care, outlaw drag performances in front of minors, and define sex as exclusively binary and biological. Related Stories Montana GOP bans trans lawmaker from House floor after protest & “blood on hands” comment Zooey Zephyr said she would “continue to make the difficult moral choices” to represent her constituents despite the ban. “I feel like I have a voice and I can be heard,” David said. “And I feel, not only in communicating with my father, that’s not necessarily the main point, but also just showing support for the transgender community i...

A judge has temporarily halted a Missouri rule that critics say could force transgender adults and young people to detransition. PBS News Hour reports that St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo put the rule, which was intended to go into effect today, on hold until 5 p.m. Monday. Related Stories Republicans have taken away access to gender-affirming care from 22% of trans youth And far more are at risk of losing it. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) issued the “emergency regulation” to severely restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare in the state earlier this month in a move that critics described as a “ power grab ” and “an outrageous attack on basic healthcare for transgender people of all ages.” The rule would require both minors and adults in Missouri to receive 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months before receiving gender-affirming care such as hormone therapy or puberty blockers. They would also have to be screene...