Curve Publisher Franco Stevens says gender expansiveness is about creating a world expansive enough to hold all of us.
Last year, Lesbian Visibility Week (LVW) was a time for celebration and visibility, a reminder of how far we’ve come. But this year, we find ourselves in a very different situation.
Our rights, our families, and even our existence are currently being questioned, debated, and threatened. Lesbian Visibility Week is about more than just celebration-it’s about claiming space, raising our voices, and standing together in defiance of those who wish to erase us. And right now, that’s crucial.
Funding for LGBTQ+ nonprofits like The Curve Foundation plummeted seemingly overnight as organizations backed away from supporting us out of fear of retaliation.
But let’s be clear-our lives, our love, our families, and our stories are worth fighting for. That’s why this year, Lesbian Visibility Week‘s theme is Celebrating Rainbow Families—in every beautiful form they take. Whether by blood or by choice, we need to stick together.
At Curve, we’re doubling down on our efforts to make LVW 2025 powerful, joyful, and
impossible to ignore. We have an incredible lineup of events, conversations, and actions to amplify our voices and remind the world that visibility is an act of defiance. And we want you to be part of it!
Here’s how you can join us:
- Show Up: Whether it’s online or in person, be part of the events we’ve planned throughout the week. Check out our website for event details.
- Speak Out: Visibility isn’t just about being seen; it’s about taking a stand. Share your story, uplift others, and use your voice to push back against those who seek to silence us.
- Organize: we have an LVW Activation Pack filled with suggestions on how you and your workplace can celebrate the week. Click here for the full lineup of events.
- Raise the Flag: On Tuesday, April 22, join our official Lesbian Flag Raising! Grab a lesbian flag, gather your chosen family, and show the world that we are here. Share your photos online using the hashtags #LVWUSA25 and #Celebrating RainbowFamilies-we want to see your beautiful faces!
- The Release of The Curve Power List: Our annual Power List is our way of highlighting those who are not only visible but are actively shaping the future of our communities. Stay tuned for the announcement, and be ready to celebrate these leaders.
This year, we’re also excited to introduce several new events that we hope will inspire you:
- The First-ever Queer Women in Sports Day: On Saturday, April 26th, we will highlight the trailblazing queer women in sports who continue to break barriers and fight for visibility in a traditionally male-dominated space. From athletes to coaches to advocates, we’ll celebrate their incredible work and contributions. We’re teaming up with a select group of women’s sports bars-like the Sports Bra (Portland), A Bar of Their Own (Minneapolis), Rikki’s (San Francisco), Watch Me! (Long Beach, CA), and Rough & Tumble (Seattle)—for panel discussions and game-watch parties. We encourage you to grab a ball, a racquet, or whatever you enjoy and join in! Our ultimate goal is to unite women’s sports bars across the country in the coming years, building a community where LGBTQ+ fans and athletes come together to celebrate, support each other, and amplify our visibility.
- The First-ever Queer and Well Wednesday: We are rolling out a new day to focus on the mental and physical health challenges faced by queer women and nonbinary folks. It will include wellness workshops, expert panels, and opportunities for healing and support. It’s our way of fostering community care and ensuring that we prioritize our well-being.
- Make Your Impact: We can’t make Lesbian Visibility Week a reality without you! Your financial support makes it possible to amplify our voices, create meaningful events, and keep fighting for our community. Every contribution, big or small, makes a lasting impact. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Curve Foundation today so we can continue to push forward together. Your generosity means everything to us, especially now.
Unfortunately, we also have to acknowledge the current challenges we face in securing sponsorships. Even some of the biggest corporations are shying away from supporting us, afraid of the political climate. It’s disheartening to see so many organizations retreating when our community needs support more than ever.
The definition of courage is being afraid and doing it anyway because you know it’s the right thing. This is the time when we truly see who stands in their values and who’s willing to fight for what’s right. And for that, we want to offer a special thank you to our sponsors, who have chosen to stand up and stand with us when others have backed down. Your support does not go unnoticed, and we are deeply grateful.
If there’s one message I want to leave with you, it’s this: we are stronger together. No matter how many obstacles we face, we will always find ways to rise. Our community is unstoppable. Our visibility is our power, and I’m honored to stand with you.
