Welcome to our Pride issue, DIVA’s curtain-raiser to a summer of loud and proud celebrations of who we are and how far we’ve come as a community. I’m delighted that DIVA’s partnering with Birmingham and Brighton Prides, with Radio DIVA hosting the women’s stage at Pride In London. Check out Pride In London director Polly Shute’s interview for the inside track of what to expect from this year’s event. And talking of Radio DIVA, I’m thrilled to announce that host Heather Peace has been appointed DIVA’s new music editor.
Last month I wrote about the horrific persecution of gay men in Chechnya. This is still happening, reminding us that while Pride gives us the opportunity to celebrate our freedom and our lifestyle here in the UK, others are so much less fortunate. I urge you to visit Amnesty International’s website to find out how you can join their campaign against this terrible abuse. (As DIVA goes to press, we are still waiting for more information about the plight of lesbians and bisexual women in Chechnya. I hope to be able to update you next month; meanwhile, divamag.co.uk will report any developments).
The past few weeks have seen more amazing women writers joining the DIVA Literary Festival and Awards, headline sponsored by The London Women’s Clinic. I’m thrilled that so many established authors are already on board, but we’ll also be showcasing some truly impressive rising stars of the literary world. One of these brilliant young talents, the filmmaker, YouTuber and author Lucy Sutcliffe, gave a wonderfully insightful interview to DIVA’s Carrie Lyell, which you can enjoy on p60. We are also delighted to have DIVA Ally of the Year Denise Welch joining us in Birmingham; Denise will be talking about the leading lesbian character in her book, to be launched at the festival.