Behind the statue of Traveler, the LGBTQ+ Center’s “Friends of Sappho” set out picnic blankets for grapes, cheese, and crackers in celebration of International Lesbian Day.
International Lesbian Day, held annually on October 8th, is a day to celebrate the lesbian community around the world. On campus, the LGBTQ+’s “Friends of Sappho” held a picnic the day before to celebrate.
One of the attendees, junior film and television production major Cynthia Nguyen, appreciates the day to celebrate lesbian visibility outside of the month of June. “I didn’t have that many queer or sapphic women around in my life growing up,” Nguyen said.
Junior business major Rainbow Ragan-Johnson also expressed their appreciation of the day. “Straightness is often seen as the default and even the expectation,” they said.
“Not every lesbian person has the luxury of being seen or even allowing themselves to express their identity for reasons like safety—emotional safety and physical safety,” Ragan-Johnson said.
International Lesbian Day is different from Lesbian Visibility Day, which is celebrated on April 26th during Lesbian Visibility Week. The Visibility Week focuses on raising awareness to specific issues and struggles lesbians face and have faced in the community. International Lesbian Day is celebrated worldwide, focusing on lesbian culture, diversity and history, encouraging the community to come together and connect with one another.
Nara Aldava, a sophomore interactive media and game design major who attended the picnic, appreciates the day and the celebrations that come with it. “It’s a celebration and representation of queer women, non-binary people, and trans masc people as well,” she said.
“It’s a day to celebrate that and get recognition out there for people who identify as a lesbian,” Aldava said.
The day is considered to have originated in Australia in 1990 and is celebrated widely in Australia and New Zealand. However, sharing posts like these on social media is another way lesbians are raising awareness and encouraging celebration.
Outside of these designated days of recognition and celebration, the LGBTQ+ center holds “Friends of Sappho” meetings weekly. Still, students are wary about the university-wide support—or lack of—the lesbian community.
“The most support that I would see a lesbian or a sapphic [person] would have would probably be just at the LGBTQ+ center,” Ragan-Johnson said. “A lot of sexual minorities are kind of invisible in the greater USC sphere.”
Nguyen shared a similar sentiment, explaining that even with limited experience as a transfer, she sees that the student body lacks diversity overall.
“I know within my classes I am one of, if not the only lesbian in the class,” Nguyen said. “Sometimes being out means that people will not want to work with you, and they don’t want to talk to you. I wish there was a little more open support towards minorities.”
The overall attitude of those at the picnic was an appreciation for the celebratory, open space that “Friends of Sappho” created for International Lesbian Day.
“Being in queer safe spaces does make a difference,” Nguyen said.
This story is part of Flare, an Annenberg Media initiative that focuses on women and queer stories. The goal of this beat is to immerse our audience in the culture, identity, and issues surrounding women and queer communities.