NEW SURVEY RELEASED DURING LESBIAN VISIBILITY WEEK HIGHLIGHTS LGBTQ+ SAFETY AND REPRESENTATION CONCERNS

Key Findings: Rising online harassment, increased travel safety concerns, 87% report unequal acceptance by race/ethnicity/income, 47% lacked LGBTQ+ role models

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, April 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Lesbian Visibility Week (April 21st - April 27th) is underway across the nation, The Curve Foundation today released urgent findings from the 2025 Kantar CURVE/DIVA Survey, revealing critical insights about safety, inclusion, and representation for LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals in the United States. The survey, conducted in partnership with Kantar and The DIVA Charitable Trust, is the largest international research initiative focused on the lives and needs of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people. The results come at a pivotal moment, during this week of visibility and community celebration.

The survey highlights growing concerns about safety in digital spaces, with respondents reporting significant increases in verbal and physical abuse on social media over the past year. Additionally, more LGBTQ+ individuals are expressing safety concerns when traveling abroad, reflecting ongoing challenges to global LGBTQ+ acceptance.

"These timely findings underscore why Lesbian Visibility Week is critical," said Franco Stevens, founder of Curve Magazine and co-founder of The Curve Foundation. "In this moment, being visible is an act of defiance. When nearly half of our community reports experiencing harassment online and growing concerns about travel safety, we must recommit to standing proud, sharing our stories, and making sure our voices are heard."

Intersectionality and Acceptance

A striking 87% of US respondents believe that social acceptance of LGBTQ+ families varies based on factors such as race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. This data point highlights the critical importance of addressing intersectionality within LGBTQ+ advocacy work.

"We cannot talk about LGBTQ+ visibility without acknowledging how race, class, and other factors impact our community's experiences," added Stevens. "Our programming this week specifically addresses these intersections, especially through our ongoing 'Beyond the Rainbow' panel series."

Family Structure and Role Models

The survey revealed that the US leads among the four markets surveyed (US, UK, India, and South Africa) in terms of legally married LGBTQ+ parents, with 63% of respondents reporting being married. This reflects the country's long fight for marriage equality and aligns with this year's Lesbian Visibility Week theme, "Celebrating Rainbow Families."

Despite this progress, only 47% of US respondents reported having LGBTQ+ role models during their childhood, highlighting an ongoing need for greater representation in media, education, and public life.

"When more than half of our community grew up without seeing themselves reflected in role models, it speaks to the vital importance of visibility," said Stevens. "This year's Curve Power List, which was announced Monday during our kickoff event, specifically aims to elevate LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary leaders who can inspire future generations."

Calls to Action

The Curve Foundation urges individuals and organizations to:

• Support programming during Lesbian Visibility Week that amplifies diverse LGBTQ+ voices, including the first Queer Women In Sports Day on Saturday, April 26th
• Donate to organizations that advocate for policies that protect LGBTQ+ individuals from harassment both online and in public spaces, such as NCLR, ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, National LGBTQ Task Force, GLSEN, Lambda Legal, The Curve Foundation and your local LGBTQ community centers
• Promote representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in media, education, work settings and public life

CONTACT & PRESS MATERIALS: For more information about these findings, access the complete 2025 Kantar CURVE/DIVA Survey, and to arrange an interview with Franco Stevens, please send requests to Sunny Leerasanthanah at info@TheCurveFoundation.org‬.

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ABOUT THE CURVE FOUNDATION
The only national nonprofit championing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people’s culture and stories from an intergenerational perspective, The Curve Foundation works to empower and amplify the voices of the Curve Community – lesbians, queer women, trans and nonbinary people of all races, ages, and abilities. The Curve Foundation is built upon the 30+ year legacy of Curve magazine, one of the most influential publications dedicated to representing and advocating for the experiences of lesbian and queer women. In addition to Lesbian Visibility Week and the Curve Power List, The Curve Foundation’s programming includes: the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, created to support career development and raise the visibility of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people; and Curve Conversations, intersectional and multi-generational speaker events that provide context and a throughline between critical conversations forming our movement from the 1990s to today. For more information about The Curve Foundation, visit https://thecurvefoundation.org.

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

The 2025 Kantar CURVE/DIVA Survey is brought to you by Kantar, The Curve Foundation, and The DIVA Charitable Trust in the UK. Lesbian Visibility Week is powered by The Curve Foundation and sponsored by the London Stock Exchange Group, HSBC, Airbnb, Deutsche Bank, DIVA, GLAAD, and Kantar, and supported by the SF LGBT Center, The 19th, San Francisco Bay Times, NCLR, QWOCMAP, Frameline, Luminate Bank, Gotham FC, Golden State Valkyries, Minnesota Twins, Minneapolis Lynx, Angel City FC, The Sports Bra, A Bar Of Their Own, Shelly Bean The Sports Queen, Watch Me! Sports Bar, Rikki's Sports Bar, Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, The LGBT Community Center in New York City, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, Greenwood Pride, Women of Provincetown Innkeepers, Indy Pride, Uniting Resilience: Native Two-Spirit, Mazer Lesbian Archives, GLBT Historical Society, Equality Florida, Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library & Archives, and Babes & Bois.

Sunny Leerasanthanah
The Curve Foundation
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