Linda Riley

Linda Riley is a British journalist, publisher, and LGBTIQ+ rights advocate. She is the publisher of DIVA magazine and founder of Lesbian Visibility Week. She is also the founder of the Rainbow Honours, British Diversity Awards, and European Diversity Awards.

Career Riley began her career in publishing more than two decades ago as the joint publisher of g3 and Out in the City magazines. She transitioned into the diversity and inclusion space in the early 2010s, launching initiatives including the Global Diversity List, the European Diversity Awards, and the Pride Power List.

In 2016, she became the publisher of DIVA magazine, Europe’s leading publication for LGBTQIA women and nonbinary people.

Lesbian Visibility Week and Advocacy

In 2020, Riley founded Lesbian Visibility Week, building on the earlier Lesbian Visibility Day to create a broader celebration of the lesbian identity. She has stated that a key motivation was the increasing marginalization of lesbians within the LGBTQ+ acronym, and a need to assert the visibility of both cis and trans lesbians.

Riley has emphasized that Lesbian Visibility Week is designed to celebrate all lesbians and show solidarity with all LGBTQIA women and nonbinary people. The campaign has since grown into an internationally recognized initiative, supported by organizations such as Stonewall, Mermaids, and Diversity Role Models. Each year, the week includes events, digital campaigns, and surveys such as the largest-ever report on LGBTQIA women's experiences.

Though often described as butch due to her outward appearance, Riley does not self-identify with that label, instead identifying as a cisgender lesbian. She has commented on the underrepresentation of butch women in media.

She has strongly opposed anti-trans rhetoric within some segments of the lesbian community, particularly criticism of trans women. Riley has drawn parallels between the discrimination lesbians once faced and the marginalization now directed at trans people, advocating for a fully inclusive movement.

She has stated that advocacy should come from a place of education rather than confrontation and has urged others in the community to use their platforms to support inclusivity. Despite receiving abuse and threats for her views, she remains vocal in her support of LGBTQIA and especially trans rights.