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Don’t you just love this month’s special collectible covers? Thankfully I don’t have to pick a favourite – I can have one of each. Which is a relief, as I love them all the same. Like our incredible cover stars – Bethany Black, Liz Carr, Phyll Opoku-

Music editor Laura Howard Screen editor Kat Halstead Books editor Erica Gillingham Travel editor Joanna Whitehead Designer Fernando Safont Big thanks to: Kate Holderness, Jess Molloy, Frances Greenfield, Lorna Fallowfield, Gemma Bareham, Ellen Tout,

“I have so many super badass, bad bitch, trans women friends that I’m just like, ‘I bet people think this shit is a walk in the fucking park because of how you get up and get out the house every day and be this badass bitch.’ But I know it’s fucking

Opinions expressed by correspondents and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of DIVA magazine or its publishers. I just discovered Gentleman Jack last month — SO late to this amazing party, but hey ho, there it is. Before

It is that time of the year again! Lesbian Visibility Week, the initiative I created two years ago, is almost upon us. Team DIVA and I couldn’t be more delighted about the event. While we were always proud supporters of Lesbian Visibility Day, there

Broadcaster and presenter Sandi Toksvig might be the closest thing we have to lesbian royalty in the UK. As host of shows like QI and The Great British Bake Off, the 62-year-old has become a beloved household name, adored by millions. How different t

Enam Asiama. Body confidence advocate and model Enam Asiama’s idea of beauty is influenced by London’s drag scene and her Ghanaian mum’s style. She describes herself as a “fat queer femme” and has modelled for global brands such as Missguided. Char B

Clare Balding. Much-loved broadcaster and author Clare Balding is one of the most iconic LGBTQI figures in the sporting world. She presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4 and BT Sport and has reported from six Olympic games during her career. Bethany Black

ABISHA. An alternative R&B artist, ABISHA uses her voice to empower other Black queer women. Known for songs such as Time Alone, she does not shy away from topics like mental health and self-care. She is also a model and DJ. Blithe. Singer, actor and

Stella Duffy. Writer and theatre-maker Stella Duffy has written 17 novels, over 70 short stories and devised or written 15 plays throughout her literary career. Her latest novel, Lullaby Beach, was released in 2021. Rose Frimpong and Nana Duncan. Hos

With a stand up career spanning two decades and history-making roles in Doctor Who, Cucumber & Banana, 42-year-old Bethany Black has become one of the most famous trans lesbians in the world – something she says was “entirely by accident”. “The day a

Dawn Airey. Media company executive Dawn Airey is the former CEO of Getty Images and Channel 5. She is chair of the joint Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship Board, which is overseeing the growth of women’s football. Anita As

Hannah Bardell. MP for Livingston, Hannah Bardell has brought various homophobic hate crimes to the media’s attention since her election in 2015, often using her voice in parliament to advocate for LGBTQI equality. Baroness Liz Barker. Baroness Liz B

Yasmin Benoit. The creator of This Is What Asexual Looks Like, Yasmin Benoit is a model and asexuality activist. She has also given TEDx Talks about the media representation of asexuality. Char Binns. Festival director of Homotopia, Char Binns heads

Watching TV as a youngster, Liz saw barely any LGBTQI folks and damaging portrayals of people with disabilities. But armed with talent, candour and an irrepressible sense of humour, she succeeded in carving out a phenomenal career in showbiz. After e

Amy Ashenden – Just Like Us. Head of comms and media for LGBTQI young people’s charity Just Like Us, Amy Ashenden is a former journalist. She is working to empower LGBTQI young people and make education more inclusive. Chloe Cousins – The Proud Trust

Sara Geater – All3Media. Back in 2015, Sara Geater was appointed chief operating officer of All3Media. Sara’s career to date has spanned TV, film and digital, in both business and creative roles and covers all genres. Her expertise as an industry lea

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, also known as Lady Phyll, is a groundbreaking activist and an absolute icon. Her award-winning work spans decades and includes being the co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride, taking on the role of executive director

iAsia Brown – Data and AI Specialist, Microsoft. With a background in IT, iAsia Brown is a speaker, data and AI specialist at Microsoft and co-chair of the DEI Committee for Women in Technology: Hollywood. Brown has also been a mentor at the Women’s

A year of lockdown and restrictions have had a serious impact on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQI women and non-binary people, according to our new survey, released this month. Published by DIVA, in partnership with leading LGBT charity Ston

GRAPHIC NOVEL Alison Bechdel Almost a decade since the last offering from the legendary lesbian comic, Alison Bechdel returns with another magnificent graphic memoir: The Secret To Superhuman Strength. A hilarious and charming window into Bechdel’s w

SINGLE I Eat Boys In the midst of a global pandemic, it’s unsurprising that any resourceful creative might opt to explore alternative sources of inspiration. In a recent interview as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record In The World, Chloe Moriondo revealed th

I’m a sociable person. I have huge amounts of love for the people in my life; the ones I’ve known forever, the ones I’ve met this year, the ones I turn to for advice, the ones who lead me astray. The list goes on. Before corona (BC), it wasn’t unusua

I was deeply saddened to see the removals and arrests made at the peaceful vigil for Sarah Everard, after her murder. There is something very wrong if women in the UK are not allowed to hold public vigils to grieve the loss of our own. It was only da

I don’t know about you, but Covid-19 has really messed up my sex drive. I’ve always thought of myself as a very open-minded, sexual sort of person. I’ve had a few longish relationships (a year here, two years there), but if I’m honest I actually pref

TOY Giving a whole new meaning to the words “lipstick lesbian”, this cunningly disguised bullet is super cute and ever so powerful. There may be only one setting, but that’s all you need when the vibrations are this strong and satisfying. The tapered

I’m a bit nervous about making any firm holiday plans at the moment, but one trip we do have booked is Aviemore. Situated in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, this well-known and popular year-round destination boasts spectacular