Subscribe nowA guest post from Angela Earl.As we honor Lesbian Visibility Week, I found myself reflecting from an unexpected place: Rome.On Sunday, I attended Easter Mass in St. Peters Squarenot as a Catholic, but as someone deeply moved by moments of historical and human significance. I stood among thousands, close enough to see Pope Francis pass by in his popemobile, close enough to witness his final public address.That address, which now lives quietly as footage in my phone, felt like a beautiful cultural moment at the time. Little did I know it would become a chapter in world history.Pope Francis passed away just one day later.His legacy is layered and imperfect, but for many in the LGBTQ community, he offered something radical in its simplicity: recognition. He softened a centuries-old tone of exclusion and anti-gay sentiment from the Catholic Church. He saw our humanity. And for many queer people of faithespecially people like me who were raised to believe they had to choose between who they are and what they believehis words were healing.For me, it was deeply personal. I spent years in church pews and even taught Sunday school before I ever allowed myself to consider that I might be queer. I came out later in lifejust two years agoafter decades of living a version of myself that felt acceptable, but not whole.To stand in that sacred spaceopenly and honestlywas to feel the quiet power of visibility. I thought of others like mepast and presentwho carved out space where none existed. Visibility is not just about being seen. Its about being present and unhidden in rooms, relationships and rituals where we were once invisible.So this week, I hold space for that. For the progress made, and the work still ahead. For every woman who had to dim her light or hide her love. For those still coming to terms with their identity. And for those (like me) who found themselves later but finally.We are not fringe. We are not asterisked. We are heresacred, strong, and visible.Angela Earl is a B2B SaaS executive with nearly 20 years of experience leading marketing, sales and customer success teams across startups and enterprises. She serves as an advisory board member of Uncloseted Media. Subscribe for LGBTQ-focused, accountability journalism. Pope Francis Was Game-Changer for LGBT Catholics (BBC)How Pope Francis Progressive Legacy Changed the Church (CNN)Trump Administration to Defund Suicide Hotline for LGBTQ+ Youth Starting in October (The Advocate)A leaked budget draft shows the federal government's plans to eliminate all funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelines LGBTQ Youth Specialized Services.Everything You Need to Know About Lesbian Visibility Week 2025 (PinkNews)The celebration expands on Lesbian Visibility Day and aims to give a platform to LGBTQ women and non-binary people from all generations. The concept dates back to when an event was held annually in California between 1990 and 1992 and was partially funded by the city of West Hollywood.Supreme Court Seems Likely to Side with Parents Over Opt-Outs for Storybooks on Gender Identity, Sexuality (CBS News)A sharply divided Supreme Court appeared likely to require a Maryland school board provide parents with the ability to opt their elementary school-age children out of instruction featuring storybooks that address gender identity and sexual orientation.Were proud to announce that our investigation with Fierce Healthcare, led by Sam Donndelinger and Anastassia Gliadkovskaya, earned a regional silver award at the 2025 Azbee Awards of Excellence!The story exposed barriers to PrEP access for people of color in the Bible Belt and has already sparked conversations among advocates and policymakers. It even inspired AIDS Alabama to expand inclusive healthcare outreach.Huge thanks to Fierce Healthcare, to everyone pushing for health equity, andmost importantlyto our sources Dorian and Natalie who spoke to us with deep candor and vulnerability about the difficulties they had in accessing PrEP. Read the story: Unraveling the Urgent, Unspoken Struggle for Accessible HIV PreventionAs of today, we will be posting regular updates on our Facebook and LinkedIn. Give us a follow to stay in the loop! Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting: In 2013, Jason Collins made history as the first openly gay male athlete in any of the four major American pro sports leagues. Twelve years later, he remains a pioneerbut also a lonely one. In this powerful conversation, Jason tackles the question that haunts the leagues: Why are there still zero openly gay or bi men playing today? From locker room culture to league leadership, we explore the progress, the silence, and what it will take to truly move forward. As Donald Trump hits his 100th day back in the White House on April 29, 2025, his stance on LGBTQ rights is once again under the microscope. From executive orders to agency rollbacks, the early days of his second term signal familiar tensionsand fresh consequences. Has Trump doubled down on his first-term legacy, or is a new political calculus at play? This Tuesday, a look at the first 100 days offers early clues to the direction of LGBTQ rights in a second Trump era.Thanks for reading! If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media