Happy Lesbian Visibility Week from British Cycling

[Feralgoose]

This arrived in my email for British Cycling ride leaders on the 'female only' Breeze rides program.

They say "This week is Lesbian Visibility Week which aims to show solidarity with all LGBTQI women and non-binary people in all communities, as well as celebrate lesbians. It is essential that Lesbian Visibility Week is a voice for unity and lifts up ALL women, especially those who come from marginalised communities.To help support the LGBTQI community in recreational cycling, we wanted to share a sports toolkit from Stonewall."

This has really got my goat. LVW wasn't even mentioned in the regular BC members emails or other things I get from them. Do they think lesbians never go to any of their other events or rides? Why do Breeze leaders have to promote a load of non-lesbians in LVW? Also I should check my emails earlier as the week is gone now, I know.

I just wanted a rant. I read the Breeze leader's submission to the WESC linked in another thread and thought I might get disciplined if I complained.

[Monicuddle]

For LVW could all lesbians stand at the back please because we can’t see everyone else when you’re in the way.

[SaucyHorse]

That is so utterly bizarre... why should Lesbian Visibility Week be about ALL women?? Most women aren't lesbians.

Why can't something that is supposed to be for lesbians actually be for lesbians? Rhetorical question, I know the reason is 'so nobody hurts a man's feelings', but that is just so blatantly disrespectful.

[AfternoonToffee]

Ahh yes Lesbian Visibility Week, so we'll just tag those pesky lesbians on the end after we have celebrated every man one else first.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Disrespectful and disgraceful.

[Feralgoose]

It shouldn't really surprise me. I've seen how BC treats women. It's all about centering men even in the women's program

[SaucyHorse]

I can't get over the way they put 'and also celebrate lesbians' as if that would be the secondary purpose!

[GCAcademic]

It seems they are desperate for it to be Heterosexual Males Week, just like every other week of the year.

[InspiralCoalescenceRingdown]

I can't get over the way they put 'and also celebrate lesbians' as if that would be the secondary purpose!

I know, right? Bonkers.

It's a tissue paper pride flag veneer over bad old fashioned homophobia.

[aliasundercover]

Cycling UK are no better, they've also been Stonewalled. If it wasn't for the cheap insurance I wouldn't go anywhere near them.

[SirVixofVixHall]

@GCAcademic

It seems they are desperate for it to be Heterosexual Males Week, just like every other week of the year.

This.

[IheartJKR]

Yes those pesky lesbians.

Not only do they have the audacity of being born women, they reject cock.

There is no movement in the world controlled by men that will ever Centre lesbians or allow anyone else to Centre lesbians without disrupting at every available opportunity.

[ArabellaScott]

What a fucking shitshow.

[ChakaDakotaRegina]

It just reads like trolling.

[Alternista]

God, that’s appalling.

[ThomasPenman]

It reads just like the email we got at my work which is nothing to do with British Cycling. And now I'm thinking, of course! Everyone's received the same circular on how best to promote this week haven't they? It's just copy and paste.

[SirVixofVixHall]

@ArabellaScott

What a fucking shitshow.

Sums it up well.

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

Everyone's received the same circular on how best to promote this week haven't they? It's just copy and paste.

Yes it does seem that way. Lazy corporate bollocks.

[Wtfdidwedo]

@ThomasPenman

It reads just like the email we got at my work which is nothing to do with British Cycling. And now I'm thinking, of course! Everyone's received the same circular on how best to promote this week haven't they? It's just copy and paste.

Yes I received something similar in my public sector job. I was confused as to why during LVW I was told to think about LGBTQ as a whole.

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

Really disrespectful for lesbians, but we know which organisations it will have come from.

[ErrolTheDragon]

I was confused as to why during LVW I was told to think about LGBTQ as a whole.

A quick Google for 'Lesbian Visibility Week' indicates it was founded in 2020 by Linda Riley, DIVA magazine's publisher

Go figure....

[ChakaDakotaRegina]

I don’t know if it’s a global one but we had an article for trans visibility week but
absolutely nothing for this

[Quadzilla]

Please do complain OP. I know two other Breeze volunteers who have also complained.

There are Stonewall’s tentacles all over BC. The pushback needs to happen.

[IvyTwines2]

This very much feels like the sexuality version of the #AllLivesMatter hashtag.

[allmywhat]

Everyone's received the same circular on how best to promote this week haven't they? It's just copy and paste.


It seems ill-judged. Extremely aggressive messaging that’s likely to leave many people confused. And piss off a lot of lesbians. I know there’s a lot of lesbophobia out there, woke and old-school, but the message that Lesbian Visibility Week shouldn’t be about lesbians is still going to be jarring for many people. I hope being spammed with this aggressive bullshit has prompted more people to wake up.

[Redapplewreath]

Isn't it interesting how the sole purpose of lesbian visibility week is an opportunity to remind everyone of all the people who should be visibly placed in front of lesbians.

But it's ok. The lesbians have taken the opportunity of being out of sight and the back and pissed off for more beer. Because frankly, life's too short for this righteous idiocy.