I, as a lesbian woman, am reaching out to you today due to an issue that impacts me and countless others: Lesbian erasure. This phenomenon is prevalent and deeply unsettling. Lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women in 85 countries report higher incidents of assault and murder compared to heterosexual women (Source: OutRight Action International). Ensuring representation in the digital world is a small but significant step towards addressing this issue.

Every time we use digital platforms, we notice a severe lack of representation. The most basic yet profound form of this misrepresentation is the absence of a lesbian flag emoji. An emoji might seem trivial, but it's a symbol, and symbols carry weight. They convey identity, culture, and experiences. They can foster a sense of belonging or echo an underrepresented voice.

The Unicode Consortium, responsible for the standardization and creation of the emojis we use daily, has multiple rainbow and pride flag emojis, but these do not speak directly to the lesbian community. They are umbrella symbols, unable to capture the unique experiences and identity a dedicated lesbian flag can.

By adding a lesbian flag emoji, we are not just promoting representation; we are acknowledging lesbian women’s existence in daily communications and validating our identity.

Let us be seen.