'Alarming inequality faced by lesbian women'

LESBIAN women in the UK still face alarming levels of inequality, from mental health discrimination to restricted access to fertility treatment, an MP has warned in a powerful House of Commons speech marking Lesbian Visibility Week.

- 

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, told fellow MPs on Thursday, April 24, that lesbian visibility is not just about celebration but about tackling serious social and structural disadvantages that continue to marginalise women in same-sex relationships.

Citing figures from a 2023 study by University College London, Sarah said LGB individuals were three times more likely to self-harm and twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts than their heterosexual peers.

Lesbians, she noted, faced “specific and significant mental health challenges,” often worsened by “minority stress” - a psychological burden stemming from societal stigma, rejection, and the constant need to self-disclose.

She also highlighted the historical erasure and current decline of lesbian-specific spaces, calling attention to the closure of prominent women-only venues in the UK and abroad.

“Lesbian bars, clubs and social venues have long provided a sanctuary... Yet in many parts of the UK and across the west, lesbian venues are vanishing,” Ms Dyke said.