Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 is taking place from 20–26 April.
This week is an important opportunity to celebrate and amplify the voices of LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people, and to reflect on the importance of visibility, safety, and wellbeing at work.
This year, we’re proud to spotlight lesbian voices within the nuclear sector and share lived experiences from across the industry.
The theme for this year’s Lesbian Visibility Week is Health and Wellbeing, so we asked questions aligned to this theme and have shared the responses below.
How safe and supported do you feel being your authentic self at work, and how does this affect your wellbeing as a lesbian?
“I feel very safe being my authentic self at work. Knowing there are clear policies in place and visible support for the LGBTQ+ community makes a real difference to my wellbeing. Support from the Pride Employee Resource Group also helps create a sense of belonging. Feeling safe and supported allows me to focus on my work and perform to a high standard, without worrying about hiding who I am.”
“I’m at the midpoint of my career now, and for the first decade I most definitely did not feel safe to share details of my life away from work. I would actively avoid conversations around personal relationships or respond the direct questions vaguely in gender neutral terms. And that response wasn’t from a place of shame or internalised homophobia – I’m very proud of my personal journey, finding my person and building a home filled with love. But growing up in Section 28 surrounded by societal intolerance where misogyny was normalised, I learned that I was very much an other and hiding my truth was often the safest option.
However, as I became more confident and successful in my career and joined a company that actually demonstrated real commitment to its inclusive values, I found a safe space that I could trust and thrive in. The LGBTQIA+ employee network gave me a community of queer people and allies that truly understood my experiences, or were respectfully curious to learn more. Through the safety of that community and the corporate reassurance underpinning it, I made a conscious decision to bring my whole authentic self to work. I loudly and proudly say wife, I talk about my queerness, I discuss nuances of my identity, and make sure my rainbow badge is always pinned to my lanyard. Because I don’t want anyone to feel the isolation that I did, I want other queer people to know this is where can belong and that I am a safe space, and I want allies to know that it’s OK not to know everything but I am a person that they can respectfully question to understand more.”
What comments or conversations have you overheard or been part of at work because you’re a lesbian, and how did they affect you?
“I’ve had colleagues hear me casually mention my partner and then approach me to chat. It often feels like they’re testing the waters and hearing me speak openly gives them confidence that it’s safe to do the same. I’ve also had line managers and senior leaders approach me for advice and guidance because they want to be better managers and stronger allies. Those moments show how visibility and a supportive culture don’t just help individuals; they help improve leadership and inclusion more widely.”
“The psychological safety at work has not only created the security to be my authentic self but also granted me the privilege to be curious about other people and become a more educated and empathetic ally to my own community. I’ve learned about other lesbians and what their identity means to them. I’ve made friends who identify as transgender and non-binary lesbians and shared the nuance of what gender identity and sexuality means to them. I’ve met other women in sapphic relationships who feel that queer and gay are labels that resonate more with than lesbian. I’ve also spoken with queer and intersex women of colour who sit at the intersection of race, gender sexuality and faith giving them a unique lived experience.
The openness and honesty curated by a genuinely inclusive company has been empowering and genuinely transformed my experience as a lesbian in the modern workplace.”
If any of the themes raised resonate with you, the following support is available: