Lesbian Visibility Week 2023: Rachel Blake

Rachel Blake 

Brand Ambassador

Brighton Gin 

What does “being visible” mean to you? 

Having no shame about being openly oneself. Seeing on the street, in power and in the media people who look, love and act like me. 

What are you expecting from this year’s lesbian visibility week?

Hopefully some brilliant storytelling, I love learning about queer history. More people 'coming out' is always lovely too, so hopefully lesbian visibility week can make people feel safe and comfortable to do so!

What are the key challenges LGBTQI women face today?

Misogyny, homophobia, transphobia... the list goes on. Within this there's the day-to-day erasure and belittling of queer experience too. People seem not to take queer women seriously, whether that's in terms of their sexuality or gender and that's dangerous in terms of what can happen to our rights.

What can organisations do to support Lesbian Visibility Week?

Stopping the arbitrary corporate 'pinkwashing' of weeks like this is key. Organisations can ask themselves whether they would be willing to make a serious donation of time or money to an LGBTQ+ organisation as part of their activity this week, or is it just about signalling their own virtue? Yes, it's important for people to see queer visibility encouraged, but this must align with the values of the organisation at all other times in order to be valuable.  

How important have queer role models been to you and did you have any growing up?

I didn't always know I was queer, but the impact of ordinary queer people being 'out' in the community is huge. I'm grateful to the older LGBTQ+ people I knew when I was younger for showing that there wasn't just one (hetero) way to be in life. Many more amazing queer folk have come into my life since - thank goodness!

Have you ever been treated differently at work because of your sexuality?

I'm incredibly lucky to work in a company where queerness isn't just accepted but is the norm in the team. If there's been any difference in how I've been treated because of my sexuality it's probably for the better, by which I mean there's empathy that comes from sharing the same community as those I work with. I wish all queer people the same. 

What would your advice be to other women who might be struggling to come to terms with their sexuality and how that might affect them in the workplace?

If you are in a workplace where you feel uncomfortable being your authentic self, that's a problem with the place and not with you. It's not your responsibility to make the place safe and workable for yourself but if it's somewhere that's wholly unwilling to change is it worth being there? 

What’s the main message you’d want to give to any queer women or allies reading this?

Queerness warrants no shame at any time and that's worth standing up for. Visibility can be a wonderful celebration like Pride, but it's also a firm, quiet, stable right.