DIVA

DIVA is Europe’s best-selling and most authoritative lifestyle magazine for lesbian and bisexual women. Our aim is simple – to bring you the latest trends and talent at the cutting edge of popular lesbian and bisexual culture. Each month you will find in-depth interviews, engaging features and photo shoots with some of the most influential and admired women from our community. On top of this we cram in page-after-page of news, opinion, entertainment and the arts, humour, travel and much more besides. The digital edition packs an extra special punch - look out for exclusive photo galleries and behind-the-scenes videos that you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you prefer to read DIVA on a smartphone, tablet or laptop you’ll never have to leave home without it. For best results, download when connected to a wifi hotspot. With so much going on, it’s no surprise that DIVA magazine is THE trusted source of information for lesbian and bisexual women the world over.

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Diva

Editor’s letter

A letter from our publisher

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

This month IN NUMBERS

PICK’N’MIX • Say hello to our latest obsessions

Rainbow Railroad

BLM FEST

YOUR SHOUT • Opinions expressed by correspondents and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of DIVA y magazine or its publishers.

Get the look: He's All That • SERVE QUEER PROM REALNESS INSPIRED BY HE’S ALL THAT HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS NISHA AND QUINN

Falling in love with my ’fro • CHAR BAILEY reflects on the experiences that shaped her journey towards saying yes to her tresses

Turning Black queer rage into Black queer joy • NIC CROSARA on expressing emotions as a QTPOC

Turn on, tune in… then log out • CHARLIE GEORGE on the difficulties of navigating modern romance and the world of online dating

A history of identity • VALENTINO VECCHIETTI on exploring the role of family and ethnicity in shaping who they are today

The rise of Rosanny • THE L WORD: GENERATION Q’S ROSANNY ZAYAS SPEAKS FROM THE HEART ABOUT THE LIFE-CHANGING POWER OF SEEING YOURSELF ON SCREEN, HOW SEX SCENES HELPED HER LOVE HER BODY AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR SOPHIE AFTER THAT JAW-DROPPING SEASON FINALE

Dating under the radar • WHAT’S IT REALLY LIKE BEING QUEER IN KYRGYZSTAN?

Becoming mummies • HOMOTOPIA FESTIVAL HAS COMMISSIONED THIS YEAR’S ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, JADE ANOUKA, AND HER PARTNER, UK BEATBOX CHAMPION AND ELECTRO-POP ARTIST GRACE SAVAGE, TO CREATE AN AUDIO PIECE RECOUNTING THEIR JOURNEY TOWARDS PARENTHOOD. HERE, JADE OFFERS A PEEK AT THEIR STORY…

“I didn’t see any Black asexual superheroes so I became one” • YASMIN BENOIT ON BECOMING THE VISIBLE REPRESENTATION SHE ALWAYS NEEDED

REBEL DYKES • FROM EPIC SQUAT PARTIES TO URGENT POLITICAL MARCHES, TWO WOMEN SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF THE 1980S SUBCULTURE

DIXIE THOMAS • PHOTOGRAPHER AND MUSICIAN DIXIE DISCOVERED THE SCENE ON A WILD NIGHT OUT AT WOMEN-ONLY FETISH CLUB CHAIN REACTION

YVONNE TAYLOR • THE ENTREPRENEUR, PROMOTER AND DOYENNE OF LGBTQI NIGHTLIFE FOUND ACCEPTANCE AND ADVENTURE AMONG THE REBEL DYKES

Hailie Sahar • THE STAR OF POSE AND SIR LADY JAVA OPENS UP ABOUT THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED HER LIFE AND SHARES A POWERFUL MESSAGE FOR HER TRANS SIBLINGS

SCREEN

Small screen, big moment • DIVA MEETS THE ACTORS BEHIND TV’S HISTORIC BLACK, NON-BINARY ROMANCE

BOOKS

MUSIC

Dear Ali… • THIS MONTH, ALI TACKLES LOSS, GUILT AND PREPARING FOR NEW CONNECTIONS

The Sex Lives Of African Women • NANA DARKOA SEKYIAMAH ON HER NEW BOOK OPENING UP DIALOGUES AND EXPLORING SEXUAL DESIRE BEYOND STEREOTYPE

The Sex Lives Of African Women • In this extract...