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Summary
On Tuesday, the United Nations observed International Lesbian Day by sharing a post that promotes gender diversity of lesbianism on social media. This led to thousands of messages with many critiquing the UN for attempting to include males in lesbianism.
On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the United Nations marked International Lesbian Day with a social media post to celebrate the diversity within the lesbian community. However, the message has drawn significant criticism from LGB+ advocates and members of the lesbian community for its interpretation of the term “lesbian.” A lesbian is a homosexual woman who is attracted to other women. The term traditionally defines same-sex attraction.
However, in its post, the UN stated, “Today is International Lesbian Day. The #lesbian community is incredible and diverse. Lesbians have many gender expressions, body types, and sex characteristics. They are also of any race, ethnicity, class, or background. Today, we celebrate them ALL.”
With over 1.4 million views and 2.3 thousand comments, the UN’s post sparked an immediate outrage, with many activists expressing discontent. Critics argue that the message encourages conversion therapy. Some voiced concerns that such statements dilute the identity of lesbians and the importance of women’s spaces.
“We spent years trying to fight against men claiming to be lesbians, saying they can turn us, invading our pubs and spaces. You are rolling back everything we fought for by now, including men who claim to be lesbians because they’ve decided to take hormones. The gaslighting and abusive manipulation of lesbians by the UN will not be forgiven or forgotten, mark my words,” Clean City Birds stated on X.
_Woman_ also said, “Insane how the UN always makes lesbians and women bow down to men, such a disappointment and disgraceful organisation. You just don’t care and, in fact, wish harm on women.”
Another community member of Women Exist stated, “How DARE you! Lesbians are adult human females who are exclusively attracted to other adult human females. No male person is a lesbian because of #LESBIANisExclusivelyFEMALE.”
A Community Note was further placed under the UN Free and Equal post. A community note is usually added to a tweet to give more context to a post, especially when it contains false or misleading information.
“The term ‘lesbian’ refers to a female who is attracted to other females. The definition is intentionally specific, as it describes female homosexuality and is not meant to be broad or diverse,” the post reads.
Over the years, the legality of lesbianism has undergone significant legal changes. In many countries, laws have progressed toward decriminalising same-sex relationships, with landmark milestones achieved in the latter half of the 20th century.
For example, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas struck down sodomy laws, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for LGB+ rights. However, lesbianism in Nigeria remains illegal, carrying severe penalties. Under the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, individuals found engaging in same-sex relationships can face up to 14 years in prison. Through the years, Nigerian LGB+ activists continue to advocate for a repeal of the law.
