On Visibility, Language, and Solidarity
In Kalisz, we gathered for a two-day closed workshop dedicated to the experiences of lesbians and non-heteronormative women in Poland. We were hosted by Bank Równości (thanks!), which created a safe and attentive space for conversations that were both deeply personal and undeniably political.
Participants travelled from across Poland – activists, coalition members, and representatives of grassroots initiatives working in different regions of the country. The group included lesbians and allied supporters, allowing for a broader perspective. The presence of male allies was particularly meaningful; they came primarily to listen to the experiences of their colleagues. This was an important gesture, reminding us that conversations about lesbophobia are not happening “on the margins,” but are part of a wider discussion about equality, responsibility, and social change.
The workshop was closed and internally facilitated, which allowed for honesty without the need to simplify or constantly explain our realities.
We began with media representation.
Together, we analysed concrete examples of articles and press materials: headlines that reduce relationships between women to sensationalism, texts where lesbians appear only in the context of controversy, and the absence of stories about everyday life: work, family, ageing, achievements, and ordinary happiness. We discussed recurring patterns such as fetishization, infantilization, and the persistent questioning of the legitimacy and durability of relationships between women.
We also spoke about invisibility – how lesbians often disappear between mainstream narratives about women’s rights and broader LGBT+ discourse. Too often, our perspective is treated as a footnote rather than a starting point. Personal stories were shared: about carefully weighing words at work, avoiding certain conversations at family gatherings, and growing up without representation or language to describe oneself. These testimonies highlighted how seemingly “small” social signals accumulate into long-term emotional and psychological impact.
An important part of the workshop focused on collective action. Together, we developed practical recommendations for journalists on how to write about lesbians more responsibly and respectfully. We discussed how to avoid exoticizing or sensationalizing; how not to reduce women solely to their sexual orientation; how to reflect diversity in age, geography, and social background; and how to prioritize the voices of lesbians themselves instead of speaking on their behalf. This process shifted the energy from diagnosis to agency – from naming the problem to proposing change.
We also addressed activism itself: burnout, responsibility toward younger generations, and the importance of building sustainable and supportive structures. Visibility, we agreed, is not only about media presence. It is also about everyday solidarity, mutual care, and creating spaces where lesbian lives are treated as real, complex, and fully legitimate.
These two days in Kalisz were more than a workshop. They were an experience of community. When we create space to speak from our own perspective – and to truly listen – we build not only understanding, but networks of support and practical tools for change.
It was supported by EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community @elc_lesbiancommunity.
“This project is funded by the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community and co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Fundacja Brokat implementing the project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community or of the European Union.”
