From April 24 through April 30, Lesbian Visibility Week is an inclusive and intersectional moment to celebrate lesbians and show solidarity with LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people from all corners of the queer community.
Lesbian Visibility Week is also an opportunity to support lesbians by addressing the specific challenges they face daily in society. This year, Hinge is celebrating with GAY TIMES by providing answers to the Not-so Frequently Asked Questions (NFAQ) lesbian and queer women face as they navigate dating.
Created initially as Lesbian Visibility Day in 2008, the celebration was extended in 2020 when journalist, activist, and DIVA magazine publisher, Linda Riley, called out that a single day was “insufficient” when it came to lifting up all the women and non-binary people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
For too long, Riley said, lesbians and queer women had been undervalued and overlooked by the wider LGBTQIA+ community and fetishised by the heterosexual male gaze. Through Lesbian Visibility Week, all women and non-binary people, whether lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer, have the space and opportunity to be recognised, celebrated, and supported.
As we empower queer women and non-binary people to have the freedom to express and explore their identities, this creates more space for the community to ask questions and have meaningful discussions around connection. For example, one query that arose was: “What are some things people should know about if they are new to lesbian dating?” To answer this, GAY TIMES and Hinge partnered with LGBTQIA+ creator, producer, and presenter Rosie Turner.
@gaytimes New to lesbian dating? 💖 Rosie has the advice you need in this new #HingeNFAQ ♬ original sound – GAY TIMES
She shares that when dating as a lesbian or a queer person, an important thing to know is that you don’t have to adhere to gender roles.
“I feel like this is a big thing: do I pay on a first date? Do they pay on a first date?” Rosie says. “Just split the bill. And if that person does decide to pay, it doesn’t mean they have more power in the dynamic or that they’re more masculine. They just wanted to treat you to a burger and fries.”
It’s also okay to be open about being new to queer dating. In fact, 50% of lesbian daters on Hinge feel more comfortable being someone’s first queer dating experience if they discuss it first.
“Vulnerability is actually really attractive,” Rosie explains. “It helps us bond with other people.” Just remember: if someone judges you for being new to dating, they probably aren’t the right person for you.
Finally, Rosie suggests that flirting on a queer date doesn’t have to be all about seduction and pick-up lines. “Flirting can literally be as simple as having a great conversation,” she adds.
And if you don’t kiss at the end of your first date? Well, worry not. “It’s a myth that you have to kiss someone on the end of a date for it to be a date,” Rosie says. “And equally, if you are locking lips with somebody… great!”
As Rosie rightly says, there is no right or wrong way to be queer, just as there is no right or wrong approach to LGBTQIA+ dating. Initiatives like Lesbian Week of Visibility only confirm this, ensuring that all lesbians, queer women and non-binary have the space, opportunity, and support to express their true and authentic selves. So if you have a Not-so Frequently Asked Question around self-discovery and creating a meaningful connection, leave it as a comment in the TikTok for Rosie.
80% of LGBTQIA+ daters on Hinge have struggled to find answers to their questions about relationships, self-discovery, gender, and sexuality. See what other inspiring voices like Rosie have had to say at hinge.nfaq.co and submit your own.
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